Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Erith; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to deliver tailored services for children and young people with diverse communication needs, including Autism and learning disabilities. The ideal candidate will possess a relevant degree, HCPC registration, and substantial clinical experience. This full-time position includes planning and delivering therapy interventions while participating in multidisciplinary teams. The role is based in Erith, UK, and aims to improve the communication skills of children in early years and special education settings.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years post-qualification experience in assessment and intervention.
• Experience with Children and Young People (CYP) needing support for communication, including Autism.
• Completion of a range of generic and specialist courses at post-graduate level.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and therapy for speech and language needs.
• Manage complex communication caseload independently.
• Deliver evidence-based therapy interventions.

Skills

Excellent presentation skills

Team player

Fluent spoken and written skills in English

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree qualifications or Equivalent

Registration with HCPC-Licence to Practice

Registered Member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapist

Job description

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

To provide a specialist clinical SLT service to children and young people with speech, language, and communication needs within our special school and early years settings.

To work with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, Autism and learning difficulties/disabilities within special schools in Bexley. To work with children with speech, language and communication needs in the preschool years including children with social communication differences and/or Autism and associated language disorder.

To be an integral member of the multidisciplinary team providing an integrated care pathway.

To participate in the co‑ordination, development and delivery of training programmes and information for early years/school staff, parents and carers and colleagues in health and education.

To work as part of a team with early years colleagues, class‑teachers, learning support assistants, head teacher, therapists, and the child's family / carers.

Main duties of the job

To provide an assessment and therapy service for children with speech and language needs for CYP referred to the early years team and special schools within the Borough of Bexley.

To manage a complex communication caseload independently, accessing clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis and to make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from assessment, seeking advice when appropriate.

To demonstrate specialist clinical skills in the assessment and intervention of autism spectrum disorder, providing second opinions and supervision to other members of the team.

To deliver care in line with the RCSLT/HCPC professional guidelines and standards.

To be responsible for the planning, and evaluation of evidence‑based therapy interventions. To monitor and review the progress of therapy programmes implemented and facilitate modifications of interventions / targets as appropriate.

To maintain professional competence through personal development and training. To be responsible for maintaining own professional registration and meet HCPC Registration requirements maintaining a professional portfolio.

To reflect on clinical practice identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical practice.

To undertake mandatory training in line with Trust Policy and attend updates and study days as appropriate to the post.

To undertake relevant public health skills training and updates as required.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

To provide an assessment and therapy service for children and young people with speech and language, communication needs, and children and young people with social communication differences /Autism and learning needs referred to the SLT service.

To ensure involvement of education staff, the family / carer, other professional staff and the client in the therapy planning and programme. To provide therapy intervention if required.

To work with the education staff/practitioners in promoting the child's speech, language, and communication. To contribute to the setting and review of the child's IEP, individualised work, and / or group work joint planning.

To provide therapy planning and intervention within a multidisciplinary framework wherever possible, working alongside SLT Assistants, Educational Psychologists, Bexley Early Autism Service (BEAS) and therapy colleagues as well as Advisory Teachers. To seek appropriate opportunities to work alongside colleagues in a way that ensure a seamless service for the client.

To support the establishment and maintenance of standard speech language and communication approaches across education settings through developing and leading on standard and bespoke training sessions and reviewing the impact of this training.

To respond to the requirements of relevant Education legislation by providing advice as part of any re‑assessment process and taking part in Annual and Transfer Reviews as appropriate. To write detailed official reports regarding the child's Speech, Language and Communication and the Speech and Language Therapy advice for Statutory assessment including Education, Health and Care plans.

To maintain and develop effective and innovative partnership arrangements with other agencies to ensure care pathways for clients are integrated.

To participate in the co‑ordination, development and delivery of training programmes and information packages for colleagues in health, education voluntary sector organisations, and parents / carers.

To maintain a clinical caseload in accordance with priorities of service.

To refer on to other agencies as appropriate including the Autism Assessment Service (AAS), Early Years Specialist Support (EYSS), Occupational Therapy, Audiology etc. as appropriate and services developed to support those requiring Assistive and Augmentative Communication (AAC). To liaise with specialist AAC centres and engage in seek professional updates on alternative and augmentative means of communication including sign, symbols, electronic and digital systems.

To recognise potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and seek advice and support to resolve.

To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies.

To supervise the work of newly qualified therapists, assistants/therapy support staff/administration and clerical staff and learning support assistants.

To explain the role of Speech & Language Therapists to visitors, students, and volunteers.

To monitor and evaluate own service delivery accessing clinical supervision on a planned basis.

To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate through mentoring, peer support, clinical and managerial supervision.

To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.

Please see Job Description for full details.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree qualifications or Equivalent
• Registration with HCPC-Licence to Practice
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapist
• Evidence of successful completion of a range of generic and specialist short courses at post‑graduate level

Experience

• Clinical experience (at least 2 years post‑qualification experience) of assessment and intervention of speech, language communication in education settings.
• Clinical experience of assessment and advice for children and young people (CYP) with speech, language, communication needs, including social communication differences and Autistic CYP (essential) and CYP with learning needs (desirable)

Skills

• Excellent presentation skills, both verbal and written, of complex information to professionals and carers.
• Team player who is keen to be part of service innovation and development
• Fluent spoken and written skills in English.

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.

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist