Band 6: Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Schools

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our large well-established school's team.

This post offers a great opportunity to join our highly skilled multi-disciplinary therapy team working in mainstream primary and secondary schools. You will work closely with school staff to support children and young people with a range of speech, language and communication needs in schools as well as contributing to team training initiatives and other innovative project work.

The department offers:

• Easy access to specialists in all clinical areas
• Designated admin and planning time
• Defined caseloads
• Involvement in innovative project work

Main duties of the job

This post is within the schools Speech and Language Therapy team. The post holder will be an autonomous practitioner providing a specialist speech and language therapy service to a designated caseload of children and young people (CYP) with a range of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) attending mainstream primary and secondary schools. This will include CYP with severe language disorders and complex communication difficulties. A significant proportion of these children will have English as an additional language (EAL). He/she will be expected to manage their own caseload, travelling between schools and working alongside teaching staff to ensure specialist therapy programmes and education plans are in place for the children under their care. He/she will be expected to work collaboratively with children/young people (CYP), parents/ carers and with colleagues in Health, Education and Social Services.

The post holder will contribute to departmental meetings, clinical audit/research and projects. They will provide advice and deliver training to other, professionals and parents/carers on all aspects of speech, language and communication. He/she will provide clinical education and training to Speech and Language therapy students and will supervise the work of SLTAs and LSAs.

About us

You will be joining a supportive and sociable team of over 60 Paediatric Therapists offering access to specialists in all clinical areas, excellent support systems with personal appraisal, objectives and training plans designed to meet your specific needs/CPD requirements. Flexible working hours are available.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Job description Job responsibilities

Please see job description and person specification for main duties and responsibilities required in this post.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Working Relationships and Communications Requirements of the Job

1. To communicate complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working with multidisciplinary team members across health, education and social services and thevoluntary sector. In particular to work with teaching staff to ensure the delivery of a well-coordinated care/ individual education plan which facilitates the development of speech,language and communication skills.2. To work collaboratively with the school staff in designated schools to support access to anddifferentiation of the Foundation Stage and National Curriculum for children/young people(CYP) with SLCN and SEN3. To share information with others, observing confidentiality and data protection guidelines andhaving due regard for local guidance on sharing information with colleagues in education,social services and voluntary sector.4. To communicate complex condition related information (both verbally and in the written form)from assessment to CYP, Parents/carers, and members of the multi-disciplinary team/otherprofessions. This includes child specific information as well as training packages to parents,teachers and other professionals around the management of speech, language, communication and eating /drinking difficulties.5. To have due regard for the cultural and linguistic differences of children/families concerned6. To work closely with CYP, carers and families, involving them in decision making regardingintervention approaches demonstrating and ensuring that effective communication is achieved,particularly where barriers to understanding exist (i.e. hearing loss, communication difficulties,English as an additional language and learning difficulties).7. To employ excellent communication skills such as persuasion, motivation and explanations toencourage/reassure clients and carers to undertake treatment programmes.8. To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations9. To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and report tosenior staff.10. To form productive relationships with others in particular parents/carers who may be understress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.11. To provide specialist clinical reports as per departmental standards, including reports forAnnual Review meetings and EHCPs .

12. To provide written advice for statutory assessment of special educational needs describing theimpact of speech, language and communication difficulties within the childs learningenvironment.

B. Level of Clinical Responsibility1. To manage a specialist caseload of primary and secondary aged children/young people withSLCN and SEN in schools. This includes:- Gaining appropriate consent- Comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of individual CYP including childrenwith diverse and complex presentations using a range of specialist assessments/techniques- Planning, delivering and evaluating specialist treatment programmes for CYP withSEN/SLCN- Referring on to other services/professionals as appropriate including EPS, CAMHS, OT- Demonstrating skills in dealing with complex issues to generate appropriate strategies forcaseload management- Negotiating with CYP parents/carers, and others around individual case management- Writing reports reflecting specialist knowledge of school age children and providing specific advice for statutory assessment of special educational needs.2. To maintain intense concentration in all aspects of patient management for prolongedperiods on a daily basis particularly for in depth analysis of articulation, facial expression, nonverbal communication3. To provide specialist advice and programmes to others regarding the management andcare of children and young people with speech, language, communication and/or feeding andswallowing difficulties4. To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and manageclinical risk within defined caseload.5. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of clientscommunication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicativeeffectiveness adapting and facilitating own communication according to perceived client needs6. To demonstrate highly developed auditory and perceptual skills in the assessmentdiagnosis and treatment of patients/clients to include phonetic transcription of speech7. To demonstrate skills in handling clients with disabilities8. To recommend and implement alternative/augmentative communication programmes andequipment necessary to meet individual CYP needs. This includes sign language, symbolsystems and more complex electronic aids9. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor and seeksupport as necessary.10. To demonstrate the ability to target training (formal and informal) appropriately to the needsof course participants in particular parents and schools staff and evaluate training provided anddeveloping multi-disciplinary training packages with colleagues from other disciplines on thesame.11. To offer advice to SLT colleagues on assessment and management of CYP with SLCN asrequired

12. To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standardsand local trust policies.13. To gather client related activity data accurately and regularly, ensuring the provision of suchinformation.

Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification Health Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Health Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Desirable

• oLevel 1 training in dysphagia
• oPost graduate short courses in the provision of SLT to school -age children

Experience at undergraduate/post graduate level of: Essential

• Working with Children and young people in school settings
• Assessment treatment and management of children with speech, language and communication difficulties in schools.
• Working with parents and carers.
• Working within an education environment
• Writing clinical notes and reports
• Managing own caseload
• Teaching other professionals / parents

Desirable

• Clinical audit
• Working with students
• Working with children with eating and drinking difficulties

Skills and knowledge Essential

• Assessment tools relevant to the CYP with speech language and communication, eating and drinking difficulties.
• Range of appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to the above client group.
• The role of the speech and language therapist in the Education system.
• Roles of other professionals in Health Education and Social Care involved with CYP.
• Standards of record keeping and reporting.
• Good written and spoken English
• Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people of all ages and abilities.

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics Essential

• Demonstrates ability to be a team player
• Good organisational skills

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

333-G-HCS-0111