My name is Shaunagh Farragher and I was delighted to become an associate of The Specialist Speech Therapy Practice in 2019. I am a registered member of the HCPC and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and have studied at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I was awarded an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Aberdeen and following a couple of years of travelling, I then went on to complete a Masters (MSc) in Speech and Language Therapy at the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

My clinical career started in the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where I worked in various teams including the stroke team and neurosciences team. During my time there, I worked with Penny Gravill and began my training in the assessment and management of facial nerve palsy which has since become a specialist area of interest for me. Working with Penny, I gained invaluable experience assessing and managing cases of facial palsy arising from a wide range of conditions, (e.g. Bell’s palsy, Acoustic Neuroma etc.) and was involved in the running of the F@cevalue support group in Aberdeen.

I relocated to Belfast in 2019 to be closer to family where I set up the SSTP Belfast Clinic in the Elmwood Physiotherapy Clinic on the Lisburn Road. I also started working for the Belfast HSC Trust in various acute care services, including the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre before commencing my current role as a Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in stroke services, based in the Royal Victoria Hospital. I have vast experience in managing complex swallowing difficulties as well as a broad range of communication impairments and am passionate about evidence based, effective therapy that is tailored specifically to each client.

My name is Fergus McGlone and I have been practising as an SLT since 2015.  I am a fully certified member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists and registered with the HCPC. 

Following six years serving as a Gunnery Officer in the Royal Navy, I trained at the University of Strathclyde and qualified as a Speech & Language Therapist in 2014.  Initially I worked in community paediatrics based in Perth and then transferred to become an adult therapist at the York Hospital working mainly with stroke and voice caseloads.

I qualified as a dysphagia practitioner in 2016 before moving to the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy with NHS FIFE where I worked across the acute hospital setting, including hospital admissions, general wards, surgical, intensive care, and the hospice.  I have a wide-ranging experience of managing and supporting patients with complex swallowing and communication disorders. 

I also held additional responsibility for providing the Voice Clinic service for Kirkcaldy & Glenrothes, continuing my interest in this specialised area.

During my years as an SLT I had a particular interest in the provision of training.  Primarily to my clinical colleagues and students but also Voice Care Workshops to those who are at higher risk of developing problems with their voice.  I also regularly acted as a clinical placement educator for SLT students under training. 

After six years working fulltime in the NHS the call of the sea was too strong and so I returned, now working with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution as the fulltime Coxswain of the Peterhead Lifeboat.  I am also an active RYA Motor Cruising and Advanced Powerboat Instructor.  However, I still support my NHS colleagues working as a locum SLT in North East Scotland with NHS GRAMPIAN. 

I am delighted to have been invited to be an associated practitioner with Specialist Speech Therapy Practice.