Inherent requirements – Bachelor of Speech & Language Sciences
Find the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of the Bachelor of Speech and Language Sciences/Master of Speech Pathology at Victoria University.
Inherent requirements
You should carefully consider the following inherent requirement statements for the Bachelor of Speech and Language Sciences/Master of Speech Pathology as:
- a guide for your learning during the course
- a way to identify challenges you may have in meeting the requirements.
Inherent requirement
This relates to the understanding and ability to comply with Australian and Victorian law and professional accreditation regulations. Examples include:
- Child protection and safety legislation (including the ability to pass a Working with Children Check)
- Criminal History / Police Checks
- Occupational health and safety
- Anti-discrimination legislation
Rationale
Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others in clinical and related settings; compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.
Examples
- Comply with government legislation, regulations and codes of conduct.
- Comply with relevant legislation including child protection and safety, work health and safety, and anti-discrimination legislation. For examples of applicable Australian Federal legislations visit https://www.comlaw.gov.au/;
- Will carry out Speech Pathology roles and manage workload in accordance with workplace policies, priorities and protocols and legal requirements.
Inherent requirement
This relates to the student's ability to understand and adhere to standards, codes, guidelines and policies that facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people they engage with. Examples include:
- Complying with academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies, including academic integrity policies
- Understanding and complying with professional standards, codes of practice, and guidelines
Rationale
Compliance with standards, codes, guidelines and policies that facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the individual they engage with in the many environments of practice is required for the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being of all.
Examples
- Comply with academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies and professional standards;
- Practice guidelines including professional standards and codes of ethics can be found on the Speech Pathology Australia website:
https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/Members/Practice_Gui…
- Identify and enact relevant applications of these codes and standards, including those relating to academic integrity, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and equitable and respectful behaviour in academic and clinical settings;
- Adherence to Speech Pathology Australia standards, policies and practice guidelines.
Inherent requirement
Where relevant, this relates to considerations of current scope of practice, workplace health and safety, and any other matter related to safety. Examples include:
- Ability to understand and comply with all relevant workplace health and safety policies and practices
- Ability to identify and respond to alarm systems
- Ability to understand and demonstrate compliance with current scope of practice
- Ability to manage one's own health in a manner that promotes the ability to fulfill the requirements of study, placements, and the role/s for which the study typically equips the graduate
Rationale
Compliance with current scope of practice, workplace health and safety, infection control considerations and effective and timely response to alarm systems are required to provide safe environments for students, staff and others.
Examples
- Limit task performance to current scope of practice as a speech pathology student within the course;
- Capable of completing basic speech pathology related tasks within our scope of practice at entry level-standards; while extended/advanced areas within our scope of practice will be completed under supervision as the opportunity presents.
- Comply with relevant workplace health & safety policies for equipment use and storage;
- Remain up to date with first aid knowledge and practice;
- Work safely with individuals with infectious diseases and with reduced immunity;
- Be able to respond to alarm systems to maintain safety and/or effective health management for self and individuals.
Knowledge & cognitive skills
Inherent requirement
Knowledge acquisition, utilisation and retention spanning and drawing together all coursework subjects. Cognitive skills for focus, memory, attention to detail, theoretical deliberation, and practical functioning.
Rationale
Understanding and retention of coursework information and the effective processing of this information is required for appropriate, safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
Make safe and appropriate individual care decisions from retained knowledge and individual’s health and community care;
Assess the application of policy and procedures in the context of workplace situations;
Source, research and use an evidence-based framework to make sound decisions between individual management options;
Assess level and analyse causes of communication or swallowing impairment/s
Notice and respond effectively to critical changes in individuals and family/caregiver goals, measurements or observable symptoms.
Metacognition
Inherent requirement
Awareness of own thinking, and skills to reflect, evaluate, adapt and implement new cognitive strategies for improved learning.
Rationale
Understanding and ongoing learning about oneself as an instrument in individual care is required for safe and effective delivery of practice.
Examples
- Demonstrate safe and appropriate decision-making in individual care using reflective processes to inform future practice;
- Review the outcome of treatment for an individual’s particular symptom presentation and then adapt own knowledge for future clinical decisions;
- Review and reflect on personal responses and cultural paradigms around individual care challenges, and develop safe, effective and professional care approaches;
- Respond appropriately to evaluation and feedback on performance and achievement of learning outcomes
- Manage and proactively learn from academic and clinical set-backs by self-evaluation;
- Reflect on the options, ethical implications, and impact for all the stakeholders in individual care decisions;
Inherent requirement
This includes both writing and reading, and is also linked to English language proficiency (literacy requirements are always established in terms of English). NB: For VE, literacy requirements are based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Examples include:
- Capacity to comprehend, summarise and reference a range of literature in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments
- Producing clear, accurate documentation relating to practical tasks
Rationale
Patient/client care information can be delivered by many different modes and competent literacy skills for these are essential to provide appropriate, safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Comprehend, summarise and reference a range of literature in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments;
- Interpret written and spoken language to enact verbal directions or documented individual care plans;
- Produce accurate, concise and clear speech pathology related documentation which meets legal requirements.
Inherent Requirement
This includes any form of numeracy required to complete the course successfully. For many courses, this will be basic functional numeracy. NB: For VE, numeracy requirements are based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Examples include:
- Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts
- Ability to perform basic mathematical tasks
Rationale
Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts are essential for safe and effective care/practice.
Examples
- Demonstrate basic numeracy skills which enable understanding and/or calculation of biostatistical data to proficiently perform assessment, analysis and intervention tasks.
Verbal communication
Inherent requirement
Verbal communication in English to a standard that allows fluid, clear, and comprehensible two-way discussions, tailored to the local English-speaking audiences.
Rationale
Effective verbal communication, in English, with individuals and University and clinical staff is required for effective learning and to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
Communicate effectively to carry out the required duties of a speech pathologist
Convey spoken messages accurately and effectively in a professional/clinical situation;
Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately and appropriately in a time-constrained environment when an individual provides clinical information;
Build rapport with a individual;
Present information to, and engage in developing discussions with a wide audience, including academic and professional/clinical presentations.
Non-verbal communication
Inherent requirement
Non-verbal communication skills that enable respectful communication with others.
Rationale
The ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues, to communicate with congruent and respectful non-verbal behaviour, and to be sensitive to individual and/or cultural variations in non-verbal communication is essential for safe and effective care.
Examples
Recognise cues in an individual’s facial expression, appearance, behaviour, posture, or movement;
Deliver information to a distressed individual and/or caregiver incorporating non-verbal behaviour that matches the nature of the information;
Recognise and adjust to differing non-verbal communication preferences of individuals and/or caregivers.
Written communication
Inherent requirement
Ability to produce English text to a standard that provides clear and professional-level communication for patient care, with language usage and style tailored to the targeted recipients.
Rationale
Effective communication in English text is required to demonstrate applied skills in academic writing conventions and in sustained and organised academic argument and provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Awareness of the need to determine whether a personal communication impairment will preclude the carrying out of the required duties of the speech pathologist
- Communicate complex academic and clinical perspectives in writing;
- Summarise and appropriately reference a range of literature in written assignments;
- Use precise and appropriate language to contribute to both handwritten and electronic medical records in a time-constrained environment;
- Construct speech pathology reports and intervention/discharge plans that meet legal and professional standards.
Visual
Inherent requirement
Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale
Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments. Elements in the working and learning environment are delivered by visual means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Visually observe structure and function of mechanisms required for communication and swallowing, and be able to detect any anomalies;
- Have the visual acuity to safely navigate the workplace;
- Process visual information necessary for accurate assessment, diagnosis of individuals which informs appropriate intervention and discharge.
Auditory
Inherent requirement
Ability to interact with auditory inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale
Elements in the learning and working environments are delivered by auditory means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Have sufficient auditory acuity to assess the communication and swallowing abilities of individuals;
- Have the auditory acuity to interact safely in the workplace;
- Process auditory information necessary for accurate assessment, diagnosis of individuals to inform appropriate intervention and discharge.
Tactile
Inherent requirement
Ability to respond to tactile input and provide tactile interaction.
Rationale
Elements in the learning and working environment are detected and measured by tactile means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice. The appropriate use of touch as a part of effective patient/client care is also required.
Examples
- Have the tactile skills to engage with a range of patients/clients during assessment and intervention, for example palpating during a swallow evaluation, able to tolerate tactile interaction with individuals during speech intervention.
Gross motor ability
Inherent requirement
Strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility.
Rationale
A wide range of physical patient care actions in a time-constrained environment is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Move readily around individuals, between work areas, and around varying surfaces and levels to complete tasks within reasonable timeframe
Fine motor ability
Inherent requirement
Manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
Rationale
A wide range of fine-motor manual tasks in a time-constrained environment are required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Contribute to both handwritten and electronic individuals records;
- Ability to perform a range of fine motor tasks to access activities/resources required for assessment, diagnosis and intervention.
Inherent requirement
This includes a person's ability to sustain their performance in a given activity or series of activities over time. Care must be taken to not prescribe sustained performance in a way that allows no room for temporary changes to performance levels due to illness or other factors. Examples include:
- Ability to sustain a working posture, associated manual tasks, cognitive engagement, performance level and emotional control for the full duration of any task required as part of the course or any placement
Rationale
A range of complex, multi-component or extended patient care tasks carried out over a period of time and in a time-constrained environments is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Sustain study practices and clinical performance to sufficiently engage with the learning workload for a study period, and for the degree, within a constrained timeframe.
- Sustain a working posture, associated manual tasks, cognitive engagement, performance level and emotional control for the full duration of an individuals care process e.g., swallow assessments with a range of individuals, including those with tracheostomies.
- Sustain successive and extended assessments with minimal breaks
- Sustain performance for the duration required for individual care.
Inherent requirement
This includes the personal flexibility and resilience required to adapt behaviour to different situations, even when they are stressful or difficult. NB: Care must be taken to allow room in the inherent requirements for the individual to demonstrate behavioural adaptability through withdrawing from activities for a time to undertake medical interventions and self-care measures. Examples include:
- Ability to adjust ways of working to work within teams of varied personal and professional backgrounds
- Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
- Maintaining respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads
- Adjusting to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care
Rationale
Behavioural adaptation is required to manage personal emotional responses as an individual and within teams in changing and unpredictable environments, including emergency situations and times of human distress. Students will also be required to adapt their behaviour appropriately during times of additional stressors in their own lives, whether this adaptation involves ways of continuing to engage with their role or withdrawing for self-care for a period.
Examples
- Adjust ways of working within teams of varied personal and professional backgrounds and clinical opinions to facilitate effective decisions.
- Cope with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with changing responses of individuals and families in the clinical setting.
- Be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback.
- Maintain respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads
- Adjust to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care while maintaining a professional-level focus on the individual.
If you have challenges related to a disability or health condition, contact Accessibility Services to discuss possible strategies and reasonable adjustments.