Many VCN members are Speech and Language Therapists, working in the Health Service. The original stimulus for the founding of the VCN was the high percentage of professional occupational voice users - particularly teachers - who were having to receive clinical treatment for voice disorders.
Over the past 15 years the VCN has been regularly contacted by and in contact with the DoH and the HSE. In 2000 the DfES and DoH acknowledged the possibility of risk to the voice in teaching. In 2002 the GTC for Scotland published a report ‘Voice and the Teaching Profession’ with input from the VCN.
The HSE has published guidelines for Call Centres, which includes a chapter based on information provided by and acknowledged to the VCN, on ‘Vocal Health in Call Centres’.
Health and Safety at Work Acts require Employers to make risk assessments of all their activities and to identify and recommend appropriate training and action to reduce risks to meet the Employers’ Duty of Care’.
A TUC guide to ‘Keeping well at work’ devotes a whole chapter to ‘Taking care of your voice’ which relies on considerable input from the Voice Care Network, which is acknowledged and referenced.
Specific research into the evaluations of individual participants at over 70 workshops delivered by the Voice Care Network over an 18 month period has been undertaken by David Comins, an original founding member of the VCN. This report, amongst other detailed findings, highlighted the increased use of warm up exercises by participants over the subsequent 6 months by those who had attended a voice workshop and a significant reduction in voice symptoms, which would lead to reductions in absenteeism.
The Voice Care Network provides speakers for Occupational Health Conferences. In 2008 the VCN was invited to address ANHONS (National Conference of Occupational Health Nurse Specialists) on the importance of developing vocal health and good voice skills in the workplace.
The VCN is a well sought out stand at events like the Health and Wellbeing Exhibition held each year in early Spring at the NEC. The VCN also attends other selected ‘Well being in the Workplace’ events.
The VCN provide workshops both to Occupational Health groups and to Trainers within Occupational Health who, themselves, are at risk , due to regular and prolonged use of the voice training others on a variety of health related topics during their working week.