In this module, you will develop foundation theory and skills in preparation for clinical and professional practice. It is in this module that you will encounter your first non-clinical practice-based learning (PBL) with children in a school setting.

In this module, you will begin to develop an understanding of key underpinning knowledge of theoretical frameworks in psychology and lifespan development needed for application to speech and language therapy practice. You will also be introduced to linguistics terminology with reference to models, processes, and key stages of language development.

This module provides the foundation to how we think about communication disability; how it might present, approaches to describing and assessing a range of conditions, and how these impact on a person’s life.

You will learn about key life transitions as part of the ageing process and through two practice-based learning opportunities will meet a diverse range of individuals who will share their lived experiences.

In this module, you will focus on understanding assessment, intervention, and management of clients with developmental and acquired language and cognitive difficulties. Indicative content includes developmental language disorders and DLD, cognitive models such as psycholinguistics, neurodevelopmental conditions and learning disabilities, acquired language disorders such as aphasia, relevant medical sciences, and language analysis.

Speech and Swallowing: In this module, you will focus on understanding assessment, intervention, and management of clients with motor speech disorders and eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. Indicative content includes dysphagia, apraxia, dysarthria, degenerative conditions, speech sound disorders, and cleft palate.

In this module, you will develop clinical, personal, and professional skills. The module includes teaching to support simulated and clinical placement learning, communication skills, counselling, information gathering and assessment, delivering training, record keeping, reflection, and the application of social and cultural factors in SLT practice.

In this module, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to understand research methods and their role in service development and clinical practice.

In this module, you will further develop your personal, professional, and clinical skills needed for SLT. You will develop your clinical skills underpinning intervention planning, including aim setting, session planning, intervention, and evaluation alongside undertaking a clinical placement. Learning will include developing indirect intervention skills and will revisit and extend relevant personal and professional skills from year 2, including promoting inclusion and access, health promotion, interprofessional practice and team working, working with service users, families and carers, self-development, and management. You will act as a peer mentor to others on different levels of the programme.

In this module, you will study the features, assessment, and management of communication disorders associated with more specialist settings, including hearing impairment and audiology, cognitive communication disorder (CCD) arising from acute brain injury, right hemisphere disorders, complex dementia, mental health conditions in adults and children, forensics, voice and ENT, head and neck cancers and trauma, tracheostomy, and brain tumours.

In this module, you will draw on knowledge and skills acquired in levels 4 and 5 and will work in small tutorial groups and with individual supervision to demonstrate your understanding of the research process: motivating a research question, devising a method for gathering data, data analysis, and discussion of data (dissertation project).

Clinical and Professional Practice: In this module, you will demonstrate personal, professional, and clinical skills at a level appropriate for HCPC registration as an SLT NQP. You will integrate knowledge and skills from previous learning and complete a clinical placement covering all elements of the SLT role. Teaching and study to support this placement and your journey to autonomy will include advocacy, professional autonomy and accountability, leadership and lifelong learning, self-development and management, professional development and business management skills, developing others, innovation, and change.