Jo Sandiford

Jo joined the Speech and Language Therapy lecturing team at Leeds Beckett in February 2017. She lectured here for 3 years in 2003-2006 and combined this with clinical practice, then returned to clinical work full time in 2006. In the last 10 years she has worked as a highly specialist clinician, team leader and latterly as clinical advisor for the Leeds Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service.

Jo has extensive clinical experience working with children with autism and complex needs. She is dysphagia trained and has worked with children with a range of complex and severe communication and eating/ drinking issues, in a multidisciplinary team and a multi-agency arena.

Jo has lead a specialist team of SLTs and a patch based team. In more recent years, as clinical advisor for the SLT service, Jo has had a strong role in developing the new service post service review, setting up new pathways, leading on innovations and strategic work across the Children's Business Unit within Leeds Community Healthcare. She is currently studying for her PhD at Leeds Beckett University and is researching the experiences of families going through the process of gaining an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Jo has undertaken some charity work in Madagascar, where there are no SLTs. Jo has trained some neuro rehab doctors in basic communication and dysphagia skills to support children in the local villages.

• Yr 2 - Speech pathology
• Yr 3 - Current issues in SLT

Jo is developing the variety of placements that the course can offer, linking in with local NHS trusts, charities and independent SLTs. She is also looking at setting up an onsite paediatric SLT clinic at the university.