Finding the Right Speech and Language Therapist: How to Check our qualifications and Registration

I touched on the professional regulations and memberships required of a Speech & Language Therapist. Today, let's dig a little deeper, focusing on where you can search for and find information about my qualifications and credentials—or any other speech and language therapist you’re considering.

Here are the main things to check:

• HCPC registration (this is the most important one; I’ll explain why further on)

• RCSLT membership

• ASLTIP membership

• DBS check

  
  

HCPC Registration

HCPC registration is mandatory, no ifs or buts. Being registered with the Health Care & Professionals Council (HCPC) is the most important thing to check when looking for an independent speech & language therapist. If you’ve been following this blog series, you may remember me mentioning something called a protected title.

In my blog " Where Can You Find My Qualifications, Competencies, and Credentials?" (you can read the full blog here), I mentioned that “Speech and Language Therapist” and “speech therapist” are protected titles, similar to being a doctor or a police officer. You cannot claim to be one without the accredited qualifications and registration with the relevant regulatory bodies.

If a therapist/person isn’t on the HCPC database, they aren’t registered and therefore cannot legally call themselves a speech and language therapist.

You can check HCPC registration here by inputting the person’s name and selecting the profession from the dropdown menu.

ASLTIP Membership

Being a member of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) isn’t mandatory like HCPC registration. However, it's a good sign that the therapist is part of a bigger network and community of professionals. Before granting membership, ASLTIP checks that a therapist is HCPC registered, an RCSLT member, and has at least two years of professional experience to ensure they meet minimum professional standards.

You can use the ASLTIP database to search for independent therapists in your local area (or beyond if you want to work with a therapist online).You can search here.

RCSLT Membership

Being a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) isn’t mandatory but highly recommended. The RCSLT provides professional support and resources for therapists. There isn’t a public database to search, so the best way to check if a therapist is a member is to ask them directly.

Degree

I’m rarely asked about my degree—probably because being on the ASLTIP and HCPC databases means my qualifications have already been scrutinised and checked. However, if my families that I support are ever curious about my degree, I’,m more than happy to show them.

In the next chapter, I’ll be exploring how things you may want to consider when looking for a therapist and the best ways to find one of us.

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