Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist - Complex needs and Dysphagia

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a qualified Speech and Language Therapist to assess and treat children and young people with complex needs, including eating and drinking difficulties. Excellent communication and a full UK driving license are essential to support a flexible service across Berkshire.

The role involves collaboration within a multi-disciplinary team, delivering evidence-based SLT interventions, and contributing to service development.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Post-graduate clinical experience with children and young people.
• Understanding of diverse needs of children and young people.
• Knowledge of up-to-date speech and language interventions and service issues.
• Ability to apply impact-based care planning.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Multi-disciplinary team

Driving licence

Education

Qualified SLT

Tools

IT for clinical development

Job description

The "must haves" for this role:

1. Be a qualified Speech and Language Therapist, with experience in assessing and treating children and young people across a range of settings with complex needs including eating and drinking difficulties
2. Excellent communication skills
3. Hold a full UK driving license, with access to using a vehicle for work purposes

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it's important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Sarah Baker on 0300 365 4000 or email: [e-mail] who'll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person specification

Education, qualifications or training

Essential criteria

• Professional qualification
• Professional knowledge acquired through degree
• Post graduate clinical experience in relevant professional background
• Ability to demonstrate required clinical knowledge of up to date speech and language interventions and service issues
• An understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people

Desirable criteria

• Clinical Educators course

Continuous Professional Development

Essential criteria

• Recognised CPD in relevant Children's therapy interventions

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience
• Experience of working with families from a wide variety of backgrounds including age and ethnicity
• Experience with developing and delivering training programmes to support service delivery
• Experience of evaluating and managing a range of developmental speech, language and communication conditions
• Able to demonstrate a clinical knowledge and familiarisation with a range of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools relevant to speech and language therapy interventions
• Experienced and able to demonstrate a commitment to integrated working and close partnership working with external partners

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential criteria

• Evidence of a value system which puts the child at the heart of actions
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people
• Evidence of an understanding and application of impact based Care Planning approaches, and evidence of a belief in its value
• Able to use IT to support and innovate clinical development
• Excellent, succinct written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in a calm and confident manner in stressful situations
• Ability to work successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Knowledge of current professional and statutory issues
• Ability to work across professional boundaries to effect seamless family care
• Ability to self-motivate
• Ability to act as a role model to others in adopting change

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria

• Car Driver with access to own car and willingness to work across Berkshire, as required
• Excellent communication skills: both written and verbal
• Able to deliver presentations to a high standard

Our Trust's vision is 'To be a great place to get care, a great place to give care.'

This vision guides everything we do - for our patients, their carers, their families, our staff, and our partners. To achieve it, we are committed to a strong set of values that underpin the way we work:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority - we put people at the centre of everything we do.
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services - we strive for excellence in care and in our ways of working.
• Working together with you to develop innovative solutions - we collaborate with patients, carers, colleagues, and communities to deliver care that makes a difference.

These values are brought to life through our four Trust Behaviours, which are essential to how we work and the culture we create:

• Compassionate - Motivated to positively impact the wellbeing of self and others.
• Curious - Listening, learning and exploring new ideas and ways of working to continually improve what we do.
• Inclusive - Valuing diversity and championing equity by ensuring everyone feels recognised.
  able to contribute and committed to actively addressing unfairness.
• Perseverance - Demonstrates resilience and flexibility even during periods of uncertainty, to achieve goals that contribute to high-quality care and services.

At Berkshire Healthcare, we foster an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

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