Naomi from Manchester Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Hello, just wondering if there's any other Speechies reading the forum? Would be good make links! I worked temporarily in Sydney in 2009 whilst I was on a working holiday visa, and I'm now back with the NHS in the UK waiting for my 175 visa application to be processed ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxymiap Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hi, I am also a Speechie! I applied for my 176 (Victoria State Sponsored) on the 4th April. I've not heard anything further as of yet. Where are you planning on heading to? Roxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 (edited) Hi Roxy, thought I was on my own! Glad you're here too. I'm going to Sydney, which is why I can't go down the state sponsored route (seems that Sydney is the only place where there's sufficient local applicants so they don't need to sponsor overseas candidates). However, I'm reasonably confident I'll find a job once I'm there. It took me 4 weeks from arriving in Sydney to starting work in 2009. I'm not sure about the term 'Speechie.' Have you worked in Oz before? Edited August 15, 2013 by Naomi from Manchester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxymiap Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Hi, I know - there's not many of us around is there! I don't really like the term speechie either! Also I can't get used to being called Speech Pathologist! It's a shame Sydney isn't part of the state migration plan! I see that you are getting your medicals done before you get a case officer. I'm doing the same too - i'm not sure whether it's best to get them sent off by the doctor or get them in a sealed envolope and hold on to them until I get a case officer. Have you thought about this? I haven't worked in oz as an SLT but have been travelling. That sounds positive that you got a job after 4 weeks... was that with a locum agency? I'm reasearching the best way to get jobs at the mo. I'm also in Manchester working with chidlren at the mo... how about yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 (edited) how funny that you're in manchester! I live and work in the north west too. I don't think I want to work privately, don't like the sound of being paid per child you see. when I was in Oz in 2009 i had no success with the agencies, they all said they had lots of jobs but actually they didn't :o/ (the jobs they did suggest were all inappropriate; wrong client group or wrong location). i found a great job in the local paper working for an early intervention ASD team, part of a non-profit disabilities services provider. and i got paid a bit more than i do over here too. we got an email about a month ago saying that we'll be assigned a case officer within 3 months, and that we should now go ahead and get our medicals and police checks done, and fill in our personal particular forms. so i'd wait for that email if i was you. the medicals are a rip off... Edited August 15, 2013 by Naomi from Manchester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxymiap Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 It's such a small world, i used to work for Manchester PCT too. I'm working in Rochdale now on a project with ICAN in mainstrem schools. I don't like the sound of being paid per child, doesn't seem right thinking of it like that! I have contacted a couple of agency who said they have jobs... i'm worried now that they won't! I 'll keep a good look out in the local newspapers too. The medicals are so expensive! They are saying that category 2 (state sponsored) are being allocated to case officers within a week and to have decision ready applications - so i booked my medical. Maybe i should have waited. oh well! I lodged my application on the 4th. If you don't have a case officer by the time of your medicals are you going to keep hold of your results in a sealed envolope or get them sent off? I can't decide. I've just completed my police app form. Have you uploaded your results or kept hold of the certificate till you get a case officer? Oh also, how did you get on with SPA - did you have to do extra work for dysphagia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 Hmmm, well my experience of agency disappointment is only re: finding jobs in Sydney, it's probabily better in Victoria - I don't want to worry you unnecessarily! The SEEK website is good for job hunting, by the way. It sounds like your visa is a much quicker process than mine, if I was in your shoes I would have gone ahead and booked my medical too. I'm planning on getting my medical results sent off straight away whether I've got a case officer by then or not (but I should have, as I've just checked the date that email was sent and it was actually it was sent ages ago and will be 3 months by the time of my medical appointment which is in a couple of weeks). When I received my police certificate, I scanned it and uploaded it with the rest of the documents on my e-application form straight away. I assume this is correct :o/ The SPA dysphagia business was a real pain! This wasn't because of SPA themselves, but because the internal dysphagia training where I work is a bit daft, no one ever really gets 'signed off' as being fully competent, it just seems to be an ongoing training need everyone has. Not a good system. My manager wrote SPA a letter saying I was managing my own dysphagia caseload with 'distant supervision' (if you're familiar with the King's College dysphagia competencies thingy, this is the penultimate stage), and this was good enough for SPA, even though my dysphagia experience is all children with complex needs and ALD (no babies or adult acquired). I also sent them a kind of little dysphagia c.v listing all my experience (including school staff and ALD carer training I've delivered and termly MDT clinics with dieticians and school nurses). It's confusing, I'm not too sure if UK undergrad dysphagia training is sufficient or not. I think the Ozzies think that their undergrad dysphagia training is more advanced than ours, but I really don't think it is. Hmmmm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TaPo Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hi, I know - there's not many of us around is there! I don't really like the term speechie either! Also I can't get used to being called Speech Pathologist! I feel like wretching every time I hear the term "speechie". I am a speech and language pathologist. I worked for over seven years (4 years undergrad, 2.5 years post grad, 9 months clinical fellowship) to earn my prefessional credentials and am still paying off my student loans (10 years so far). I am a professional and deserve to be called by a professional term. The moniker "speechie" brings to mind some kind of noisy squeeze toy that a dog might chew. You'd think that the Australian speech pathologists' sense of self respect would help them overcome their fear of big words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 and now we are 3! hi TaPo ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TaPo Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Thanks, but I'm actually a Yank, not a Pom. I stumbled on this thread in a search to find remarks on the term "speechie". It really galls me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 oh, right, well hi anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutch21 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Well, I guess it's four! Was quite exited when I found this post! I'm actually Dutch but Dave, my OH is a pom so reading a lot on this forum as well. We're waiting for our visa and getting very impatient at the moment cos we had our medicals done June 9th. Our agent told us he'd contact as soon as he's got visa news and it seems forever! Don't know how long it takes the panel doctor to get the results and send them but surely they should have them by now... So any day now. Can't wait! Getting our house ready to put on the market and hopefully we'll sell that soon. After that it's a one way ticket to Perth. I'm actually not the main applicant, Dave is. He's a carpenter and we figured it would be quickest for him to do it. I started the SPA overseas qualifications assessment and was quite shocked! Don't think I could have pulled that one off quickly so taking my time and won't start working straight away. In September our youngest will start school and by then I'll have some more time to start again. Have been working in an international school here for the past 5 years and in a deaf school for 5 years. I love working in schools, all the children and colleagues around me. Have tried a private practice for a year and it wasn't for me. It seems to be completely different in Australia and it does scare me a bit! Gonna have to do the extra course in dysphagia, don't really get too much on that one over here. Also never really worked with adults so I really have to get myself out there and study some more. Finished college in 2000 so it's all a bit blurry! Hopefully I'll be able to pull it off! Take care, Feline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted July 2, 2011 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 hi feline! we're heading to Sydney Sep / Oct, can't wait ) is it going to cost you a lot to get dysphagia trained over there? our visa came by email 2 weeks after our medicals, so yeah, yours should come any day. i've got a telephone interview this thursday evening for a job with a charity / governemnt funded job...meep! Naomi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stacey23 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I'm a Speech Therapist from the UK too! I'm just in the process of submitting my visa; I need to wait for my health insurance certificate to come through before I can send off my application. Should I get my CRB check now? Or should I wait for my case officer to instruct me to do so? Does everyone entering Australia have to have a CRB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 hello. if it's a 175 visa i'd wait for your case office. if it's a different visa i'm not too sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stacey23 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 It's a 457 visa. I hope it's processed soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 i've remeber stumbling across a few posts from others on PIO re: this. maybe do a search on the whole of the site and see what people advise. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutch21 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 hi feline! we're heading to Sydney Sep / Oct, can't wait ) is it going to cost you a lot to get dysphagia trained over there? our visa came by email 2 weeks after our medicals, so yeah, yours should come any day. i've got a telephone interview this thursday evening for a job with a charity / governemnt funded job...meep! Naomi Hi! Flinders university in Adelaide do an online course in dysphagia for 2000. I met another Dutchie who's done it and she told me it was fine. So not too worried about that one! It's good to hear your visa came so quick after your medicals. I'm feeling sick every time our phone rings in the morning, ha ha! Can't be too long now. Just decided to put our house on the market before the end of July. We'll be in the UK for 2 weeks then. Will give our real estate officer some time to visit it with some viewers. At least when we're not there the kids won't be around to trash the place and people will hopefully like the looks of it! Good luck with your interview! Feline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michellebelfast36 Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 Hi ladies, not sure if this thread is still active ? I am currently considering applying for visa re moving and working in aus as a slt. However, i am a bit concerned about the dysphagia requirements - is this an absolute for entry? I currently work in school with a 4 - 16 yrs caseload, although I have worked with adults with aphasia. I have not completed any postgrad training in dysphagia, does this rule me out completely? was just a bit confused about above post can you complete the training there? sorry for all the questions, would really appreciate it if you have any information about this area. thanks!! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Hi Michelle, I've never completed any external post grad dysphagia training. My department uses the King's College Dysphagia Competencies (for newly qualified therapists) as an on the job check list. When I applied to SPA I hadn't even completed this check list, I was at the penultimate stage 'working with distant supervision,' and this was only with school aged special needs and ALD (never done acute acquired or babies). My manager wrote a letter explaining this and emphasizing that my caseload was quite complex, and I also supplied a dysphagia log (just a list of internal training I'd attended, examples of clients I've managed, dates I'd delivered basic training to school staff). SPA accepted this. (I get the impression SPA seem to think Australian therapists are trained to a higher level as undergraduates. In my experience this isn't the case! )Good luck! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michellebelfast36 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Hi Naomi, thank you so much for getting back to me. I think your experience in dysphagia is pretty substantial particularly compared to mine. I now work in SLI/Autism and have no requirement to use or need dysphagia so couldn't demonstrate any current competence in this area. I probably need to contact SPA directly. I wonder is it possiblel to do the additonal training there? again thanks for your help! its getting pretty close for you!! Good Luck Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 it may be cheaper to pay your own way on a UK course at your nearest uni rather than so it over there, i'm not sure. however, i heard of one UK therapist who somehow managed to prove she was dysphagia competent just from undergrad training alone. think she got her uni to write a letter about it. but it's a friend of a friend type thing so i don't know any more! yep, nearly time for us to get going (finally!) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest welsh5 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 hello everyone, i am also a speech therapist looking to work for a couple of years in australia and am not trained in dysphagia! i'm abit confused to whether it is essential or not. i think i will contact SPA to outline my (very basic) experience and recent observation sessions and see what they say. is membership to the SPA essential to work in autralia? or does it depend on what agency you apply through? any advice would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest welsh5 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 oooo mi do know that you can do an e-learning dysphagia course with auckland uni but it costs £1500. still a possibility though if it is essential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Hi welsh5, My understanding is that you have to show that your dysphagia competencies are at the same level as their newly qualified therapists' - they seem to think they are trained to a higher standard as undergrads than us! (I disagree, but ho hum). A lot of Oz therapists aren't a member of SPA as it's widely considered a waste of money (conversely most UK therapists are members of RCSLT...even though it may also be considered a waste of money!). What you have to be, in order to apply for jobs, is 'eligible' for membership, and in order to be so you need to prove you're trained to the same level as their newly qualifieds. Hope that makes sense :smile: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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