Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist

Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community neurorehabilitation service is seeking a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist to provide care for children with acquired brain injury and neurological conditions. This role offers flexible hours and requires travel across a wide area. Candidates will manage their own caseload within a multidisciplinary team. Essential qualifications include a recognized degree, HCPC registration, and experience with complex pediatric cases. The position is self-employed, requiring registration as a sole trader and indemnity insurance.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Travel time compensated

Work from home

Professional development support

Qualifications

• Experience in paediatric neurorehabilitation required.
• Must hold indemnity insurance and a valid DBS certificate.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessments and therapy for children with neurological conditions.
• Collaborate with families and multidisciplinary teams in the rehab process.
• Develop and implement tailored treatment plans.

Skills

Communication skills

Clinical reasoning

Organisation skills

Time management

Education

Recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy

HCPC registration

Member of RCSLT

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Gmail

Job description

Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist

Totus Neurorehabilitation is a growing community neurorehabilitation service providing brain injury rehabilitation and cognitive assessments throughout the South West of England and South Wales. We provide neurorehabilitation to children and young people across a broad developmental range, following acquired brain injury or neurological illness.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Speech and Language Therapist to join our team. The role is funded on a case‑by‑case basis through individual funding packages (e.g. exceptional healthcare funding, CHC funding) and the working hours will be based on the individual clients’ requirements. This position is ideal for a practitioner working part‑time in the NHS who is looking for one or two additional cases a week.

Because the post covers a large geographical area you will need a full UK driving licence, access to a car for business purposes and the ability to travel long distances for appointments. Travel time is paid at half the clinical rate. You will also work from home and need a confidential space for online sessions and meetings.

This is an Associate position which means the applicant is self‑employed and contracted to the client. You will be required to register as a sole trader with HMRC and submit your own tax return each year. You must hold your own indemnity insurance, a DBS certificate and registration with the ICO.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be part of an interdisciplinary paediatric neurorehabilitation team (including Physiotherapists, Psychologists, and Occupational Therapists) providing evidence‑based brain injury rehabilitation for children and young people in their homes, educational settings, community environments, or outpatient clinics.

You will manage your own caseload within the wider team and work across systems throughout each child’s rehabilitation journey, collaborating closely with families, schools, case managers and statutory services to ensure coordinated, child‑centred care.

You will have experience working with clients who have neurological presentations and cognitive deficits, experience of working within complex psychosocial systems, and the confidence to engage with the multidisciplinary team in complex case formulation. The post is suitable for experienced clinicians.

About us

Totus is a complete neurorehabilitation service, bringing together expert clinicians to support people following acquired brain injury, neurological illness or complex physical trauma. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in neuropsychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics and MS support services. We work closely with case managers, solicitors, families and support teams to deliver coordinated, person‑centred rehabilitation that maximises each individual’s potential. Our values are based in patient‑led rehabilitation, with a community focus; we are funded on transparent communication, evidence‑based treatment and a sustainable rehabilitation model, all aimed to promote the quality of life of our clients and their supporters.

Job responsibilities

Job Summary – The post holder will work from home and provide Speech and Language Therapy assessment and rehabilitation services to children and young people with acquired and traumatic brain injury and neurological conditions, in the clients’ own homes, school/college settings, the community, or at a designated clinic room. You will work in an inter‑service context across several systems, including the child, family and wider caregiving network, case managers, legal services, allied health professionals both within and external to Totus, and with the NHS, education services and statutory agencies. You will operate autonomously to assess and treat clients with complex needs, using developmentally informed practice to support communication, cognitive‑communication skills, swallowing safety where appropriate and participation in daily routines, school engagement, social interaction, play, and transitions. Support for vocational or further‑education communication needs may be relevant for older adolescents and young adults.

Knowledge and Training

• Recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Registered with HCPC and a member of RCSLT.
• Mandatory RCSLT/HCPC CPD hours completed and ongoing supervision from senior professional colleagues.

Clinical Duties

• Manage a defined caseload of children and young people with complex speech, language, communication and cognitive‑communication needs arising from neurological conditions.
• Conduct detailed and developmentally appropriate assessments using formal and informal tools, play‑based assessment, observation and parent/teacher reports.
• Develop and deliver personalised, evidence‑based treatment plans that support participation at home, school and in the community.
• Evaluate outcomes using recognised measures and adjust therapy accordingly.
• Provide therapy across settings including the child’s home, nursery/school/college, community environments and remotely where appropriate.
• Support children, families and education staff with communication strategies, cognitive‑communication approaches and where relevant paediatric dysphagia management.
• Complete risk assessments relevant to home, school and community contexts, ensuring appropriate safety measures are in place.
• Provide education, modelling and coaching to parents/carers, school teams and support staff on the child’s needs and recommended strategies.
• Write comprehensive and clear reports to summarise needs, progress and recommendations, including input for EHCPs where appropriate.
• Write detailed goal plans alongside the MDT that reflect child‑centred, family‑centred and education‑relevant outcomes.

Communication Skills

• Ability to communicate sensitive and distressing information to children, parents and families.
• Summarise and interpret highly complex and sensitive information and produce concise, accessible reports for families, schools and external agencies.
• IT skills to use online systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Gmail, literature search engines and cloud‑based software.

Multidisciplinary Working

• Contribute to regular MDT case reviews and collaborative goal setting.
• Work collaboratively with OTs, PTs, Psychologists, dieticians, Case Managers, Carers, Support Workers and Education professionals.
• Liaise with GPs, case managers, CAMHS, families, carers and other external agencies.

Supervision, Training and Support

• Offer advice and second opinions on complex cases within scope of competence.
• Deliver training to MDT colleagues, school staff and external stakeholders when appropriate.
• Participate in peer review, clinical supervision and reflective practice.

Clinical Governance and Service Development

• Ensure all practice complies with professional guidelines.
• Maintain high‑quality, accurate clinical records in line with HCPC and RCSLT standards.
• Participate in data collection for quality improvement.
• Notify the Totus Directors on the requirement and development of clinical protocols and pathways.
• Follow all clinical policies including safeguarding, risk and infection control policies.
• Identify and report risks or safeguarding concerns appropriately.

Key Relationships

• Clients and their families/carers.
• Multidisciplinary team (e.g. OTs, PTs, Psychologists, Nurses).
• Schools, SENCOs, GPs, Community Paediatrics, CAMHS, social care, Case Managers, Solicitors and voluntary agencies.

Working Conditions

The post holder will work primarily from home but will be required to visit children’s homes and educational settings to conduct assessments and interventions. Clinic rooms may also be used where appropriate. The post holder will be required to drive for up to 1.5 hours at a time and often up to 4 hours in a day. There is frequent requirement for VDU and computer use depending on service demands. The post holder is required to concentrate intensely for prolonged periods during individual assessments, family interviews and school observations, sometimes with distressed, fatigued or emotionally dysregulated children. There may be some children requiring assessment who are confused, agitated or behaviourally disinhibited following brain injury.

Person Specification Summary

• Recognised SLT degree and HCPC registration.
• Evidence of post‑qualification experience in paediatric neurorehabilitation, cognitive‑communication work and/or paediatric dysphagia.
• Skilled in delivering complex paediatric assessments and interventions.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a team approach.
• Strong communication, organisation and clinical reasoning skills.
• Commitment to CPD, supervision and reflective practice.

Health and Safety, Confidentiality and Equal Opportunities

It is the duty of every therapist to work in a way that avoids accidents and to maintain a tidy and safe workplace. Each person is responsible for ensuring a secure environment and for reporting any breaches of security to the Totus Directors. Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd operates a Non‑Smoking Policy which limits smoking in the workplace. Failure to observe this policy may result in disciplinary action.

Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd has given full commitment to the adoption and promotion of key principles of equal opportunities contained within current legislation and the Totus Equal Opportunities Policy. All staff hold personal responsibility for the application of this policy on a day‑to‑day basis and should not undertake any acts of discriminatory practice during the course of their employment. They should also highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to the Directors and their supervisors.

Confidentiality – In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about patients, members of staff or other health service business. Under no circumstances must information relating to identifiable patients be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example medical, nursing or other professional staff, as appropriate, who are concerned directly with the care, diagnosis and/or treatment of the patient. If in doubt, seek advice from the Totus Directors. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded as serious or gross misconduct and may result in disciplinary action.

This job description will be subject to review with the post holder to ensure it continues to reflect the requirements of the role.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

• Detailed knowledge of communication and cognitive‑communication disorders in children and young people with neurological presentations.
• Ability to plan and deliver specialist SLT interventions independently.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective time management and caseload prioritisation skills.
• Awareness of safeguarding, consent and capacity legislation (including assent, parental responsibility and Gillick competence).
• Ability to adapt communication methods to different developmental stages, including play‑based and functional approaches.
• Understanding of cognitive‑communication disorders.
• Use of outcome measures and goal‑setting frameworks e.g. GAS, TOMs.
• Familiarity with Qunote or other digital clinical records systems.
• IT skills and use of digital communication tools in therapy.

Experience

• Post‑qualification experience working with children and young people with acquired or traumatic brain injury, neurological conditions or developmental communication needs.
• Experience managing a caseload independently.
• Experience delivering communication and cognitive‑communication interventions to children and young people.
• Multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience working in paediatric community neurorehabilitation settings.
• Experience with swallowing assessments and management.
• Delivery of training to other professionals, education staff or carers.
• Experience contributing to EHCP processes or interagency meetings.

Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances

• Compassionate and child‑ and family‑centred approach.
• Reflective, motivated and committed to learning.
• Ability to work autonomously and within a multidisciplinary team.
• Professional resilience in emotionally challenging work.
• Willingness to travel across regions if necessary for home, school or community visits or meetings.
• Car owner or access to independent transport and valid driving licence for community visits.
• Post holder must have indemnity insurance, a valid DBS certificate and registration with ICO.
• Willingness to adapt to flexible working patterns across localities.
• Engagement in peer supervision or professional networks.
• Experience working with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience working with a wide developmental age range.

Qualifications

• Recognised Degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Member of RCSLT.
• Level 3 Safeguarding Children training (or willingness to complete on appointment).
• Completion of advanced post‑registration training e.g. paediatric neurorehabilitation, dysphagia, AAC.
• Participation in relevant Special Interest Groups.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and, as such, a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) is required to check for any previous convictions.