Speech and language therapy is a feminised workforce, and this has led to high levels of part-time working.

The feminised workforce, coupled with the prevalence of part-time working has meant that greater trainee numbers than perhaps expected are required to maintain a sufficient workforce supply. Many SLTs also take mid-career breaks to raise their children and subsequently work part-time. This mid-career break often means women are in a disadvantaged position in reaching senior posts, with interviewees talking of problems recruiting to band 7 jobs.

Proposed workforce impact

• An impact of participation rates on service delivery and training may be noticeable.
• Supply may need to be increased to account for the lower than anticipated participation rates.

Sources or references

• http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=993850&
• http://www.cfwi.org.uk/publications/speech-and-language-therapists-workforce-risks-and-opportunities-education-commissioning-risks-summary-from-2012

Additional research questions

• How does workforce planning currently take into account women’s working patterns?
• Could working terms and conditions be improved to better suit women’s career plans?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.