4195 - Assistive Technology Specialist Teacher

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A national healthcare provider is seeking an Assistive Technology Specialist Teacher to join their specialized team in Barnsley. The role involves developing and promoting assistive technology for children with complex verbal and physical communication difficulties. You will provide expert support across Yorkshire and Humberside, advising education staff and families on AAC implementation. Successful candidates will have significant teaching experience and qualifications related to educational needs and assistive technology. Join us to make a difference in children's lives by enhancing their communication capabilities.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Opportunity for professional growth

Engaging community impact

Qualifications

• Experience in a mainstream or special needs school with additional assistive technology responsibilities.
• Experience in leading or developing educational services for children with complex communication difficulties.
• Familiarity with SEN legislation and AAC implementation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and promote technology for children with communication difficulties.
• Lead training for education staff on AAC and assistive technology.
• Support assessments of children and provide recommendations on AAC use.

Skills

Experience in assistive technology

Significant relevant teaching skills

Ability to carry out complex assessments

Excellent presentation skills

High level of computer literacy

Education

Qualification in supporting children with special educational needs

Qualification in AAC/AT

Tools

Communication aids

Assistive technology solutions

Job description

The interview date for this role is Monday 2nd March 2026.

Thisis an opportunity to join a dedicated, motivated, exciting and supportivespecialised assistive technology team. Our team has an excellent national and international reputation for quality, innovation and research and development. We deliver regional services for communication aids and environmental control across the Yorkshire and Humber region and are directly commissioned by NHS England as a specialisedservice.

We are looking forsomeone to provide expert educational input into the delivery of our serviceacross Yorkshire and Humberside. This new post is for a qualified Teacher to work as an Assistive Technology Specialist Teacher, using your specialist knowledge and understanding of childrens learning to support the assessment and provision of assistive technology across our region.

You will support children and young people in education who use or may benefit from Assistive Technology (AT) including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). You will advise children and young people, parents/guardians, teaching staff, and colleagues in the team in relation to how best to support the use of AT and AAC in educational settings. You will bea holistic advocate for children and their families and promote best use of AT and AAC in their homes and educational establishments

Main duties of the job

You will develop and promote the use of technology to support the communication and educational needs of children andyoung people with complex verbal/physical communication difficulties. This job will involve:

• Support AAC and other AT interventions carried out alongside AssistiveTechnology Clinical Specialists to children and young people in educational settings i.e. taking part in assessment appointments and follow-up.
• Leading within the region in collating and sharing examples of good practice relating to AAC and AT in education.
• Leading within the region in understanding and improving educational staffawareness and engagement with the Assistive Technology Team.
• Developing, or sourcing and delivering training for education staff to support the improvement of AAC implementation.
• Developing resources to support education staff in implementing AAC.
• Training clinical staff within the AT team regarding access to the curriculum supporting them to set and present AAC goals to teaching staff.
• Liaising with other teachers employed within Specialised AssistiveTechnology Services to plan appropriate interventions.

About us

Wereserve the right to close positions early

BarnsleyHospital NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing Trust, currently rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and achieving significant progress in the delivery of our strategic objectives, including our ambition to be the best Place to Work

We scored best in the country in the most recent NHS Staff Survey for teamwork, compassionate leadership, and supporting work/life balance. In 2024's survey, the Trust also scored above average in every theme of the NHS People Promise the promise NHS colleagues make to each other to improve the experience of working in the NHS for everyone

We are proud of the commitment of our colleagues to ensuring a strong and sustainable future and our organisation is highly valued by our local communities

There has never been a better time to join Barnsley Hospital. It is moving at pace and a wecan do this attitude is evident right through the organisation

BarnsleyHospital NHS FT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and fair treatment to all applicants

For individuals who may require sponsorship under the skilled worker or health& care visa route please use the link on the right hand side of the advert to check your eligibility, please note that band 2 and 3 entry roles is nolonger eligible for sponsorship

The cost of the DBS (criminal records check) for Band 6 and above roles will only be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attachedJob Description and Person Specification for full details of the role and responsibilities.

SupportingDocuments

Please refer to the values-based recruitment guidance and associated documentation.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of a working in a post with additional assistive technology responsibilities in a mainstream and/or special needs school.
• Experience of leading or developing an educational service or department for children and/or adults who have complex verbal/physical difficulties.
• Experience of undertaking assessments of children.
• Experience of mentoring, supervising and/or training other educational professionals.
• Relevant experience of developing and delivering training and resources.
• Experience of managing a caseload.
• Experience of project management.

Qualifications

• Qualification, or extensive equivalent experience, in relation to supporting children with special educational needs.
• Qualification in relation to AAC/AT or extensive equivalent experience and training.

Knowledge and Awareness

• Highly specialist knowledge in the educational use AAC in relation to curriculum access, target setting, intervention strategies and modelling good practice.
• Relevant training within AAC/AT.
• Knowledge of wider use of AT in relation to curriculum access.
• Detailed knowledge of SEN (Special Education Needs) legislation.

Skills and Abilities

• Significant relevant teaching skills.
• Ability to carry out complex assessments of client needs and provide and monitor technological solutions. This may involve specialist assessment for curriculum access, communication aids, computer access and environmental control access for clients with severe disabilities.
• Ability to problem solve complex AAC problems in educational settings.
• Experience of promoting, supporting and successfully integrating the use of Assistive Technology in a range of educational settings
• IT skills necessary for configuration of software appropriate to client needs.
• Have a high level of computer literacy.
• Understand the need for confidentiality.
• Awareness of health and safety requirements.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Skills to promote the service to the public and other health, education and social service professionals.
• In around 100 words please describe what Equality & Diversity means to you and why they are important.
• In around 100 words please describe what motivates you to work in the field of AAC?
• In around 100 words please describe an example of where you have helped to make an improvement in a service
• In around 100 words please describe how you ensure you contribute to a well functioning team?

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.