She was presented the award by the Countess of Wessex and the Chair of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, at an awards ceremony in Glasgow last week.
Dr Judy Clegg is one of only four professionals across the country to have received this highly prestigious accolade. The award recognises her longstanding commitment and contribution to research and scholarship in the field of speech and language therapy. This includes specialist research and clinical contributions to identifying the communication needs of vulnerable populations such as children and young people with communication impairments, including those who grow up in socio-economic deprivation, experience mental health difficulties and are involved in the criminal justice system. Her research helps to promote the effective role of speech and language therapy amongst these individuals.
Alongside her research and teaching in the Department of Human Communication Sciences, Dr Clegg is the Director of Professional Education for the two speech and language therapy programmes at the University. Through the Philippa Cottam Communication Clinic in the department, she leads the ‘Small Talk’ clinic for pre-school children with developmental speech and language disorders. Small Talk also offers core placements to our Speech and Language Therapy students.
Prior to joining the department at Sheffield, she worked as a clinical Speech and Language Therapist in Chesterfield, Nottingham and Northampton. She continues to practice the profession through her work with tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services in Sheffield and the Small Talk clinic. She co-edits the journal Child Language Teaching and Therapy and is a Trustee of the Children’s Communication Charity ICAN. She is also a Registered Intermediary with the Home Office as part of the Vulnerable Witness Scheme.
Dr Judy Clegg expressed her delight on receiving the award:
“I am very proud to be a fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. It means an enormous amount to recognised in this way.
“I still hold an honorary clinical contract with the Sheffield NHS Speech and Language Therapy service and I believe that these clinical commitments combined with the research I do shows students how they can develop as speech and language therapists and use research and evidence to be the best professionals they can be.”