Jo Sandiford

Jo trained as a Speech and Language Therapist at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, qualifying in 1992, and moved to Yorkshire to start her first clinical role. She gained her MSc in advanced professional practice, from Leeds Beckett University (LBU) in 1998. She lectured on the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Course at LBU from 2003-2006, combining this with a paediatric speech and language therapy clinical role in the NHS. Jo returned to full time clinical work in 2006 and worked as a highly specialist paediatric SLT, team leader and clinical advisor to a large children’s speech and language therapy service.

Jo has extensive clinical experience working with autistic children and children with high support needs involving communication and eating, drinking and swallowing differences. She has worked with children and families in a multidisciplinary team and a multi-agency arena, linking with health, education and social care colleagues.

Jo has also worked in Madagascar and India, training other professionals in communication and eating, drinking and swallowing skills, to support children in their local communities.

Jo returned to LBU in 2017 to take up a full time lecturing post and to complete her PhD. Jo’s PhD focussed on understanding the experiences of families seeking support for their children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through the process of gaining an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and sharing the views of families with professionals involved in the process. Jo took a critical realist approach, and used thematic and narrative analyses to explore her data. The outcomes of her research are aimed at improving the EHCP system for children with SEND and their families.

Jo leads on organising practice placements within the LBU SLT team; supporting learners and educators to share quality practice-based learning experiences. Jo is keen to develop innovative practice placements and to expand practice-based learning opportunities; she chairs the national Higher Education Institution practice placement leads group. Jo authored the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) practice-based learning guidelines (2021, 2025). She is also a member of the RCSLT Professional Practice and Policy Committee which considers and makes recommendations on matters relating to professional development, practice, standards, policy and public affairs.