Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

This role has a competitive starting salary of £40,761 per annum, based on 36 hours per week across 42 weeks a year (equivalent to a Band 6 NHS post) pro-rata to £43,996 full-time equivalent.

We can offer great opportunities to join our skilled, supportive and solution-focused team where you will develop the speech, language and communication skills of children with a range of clinical diagnosis e.g. developmental language disorder, severe and complex learning difficulties, dysphagia, autism.

Posts can be mixed based on interests, including mainstream schools and colleges, specialist schools as well as developing a specialism in deafness or dysphagia. We currently have opportunities in South West Surrey, covering the Guildford & Waverley areas.

Rewards and Benefits

• 42-week contract, working across term-time and an additional, flexible 15 days for CPD, project work and supervision activities as well as 10 weeks holiday in non-term time
• Comprehensive clinical supervision programme including a buddy, extensive training programme, access to clinical effectiveness groups, case study groups and enhanced probation support, termly whole-team study days
• Opportunities to develop management skills by taking on line management of assistants or experienced autonomous therapists and taking students
• Paid RCSLT membership and HCPC fees
• Extensive Employee Assistance Programme to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• 2 paid volunteering days per year

About the Team

We are a large team of both qualified therapists and non-qualified therapy assistants working in mainstream and specialist provisions through primary, secondary and colleges, with some opportunities for a preschool caseload. We have excellent supervision and CPD models plus a rolling in-house training programme; we are committed to continuous learning and development.

We champion our team and one of our Therapists was voted People's Choice in the Surrey Stars Awards receiving over 500 votes showing just how well the service is regarded in the organisation! We are a forward thinking service and were involved with the RCSLT and Reading University around the dysphagia competences linked to student placements.

We are part of Surrey's local offer to support the special educational needs and disabilities of children and young people within mainstream schools and specialist provision. This Service is part of the Inclusion & Additional Needs Team in Surrey's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate, and as such works collaboratively with other teams such as Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers and SEN teams.

We aim to deliver the right support at the right time, through assessment and intervention; equipping families and professionals with the skills and resources to work together to support children with SLCN. We offer universal, targeted and specialist support for children, families, and the school workforce; working with children and young people with EHCPs and those at SEN support following Surrey's Graduated Response. We also have a specialist dysphagia service and specialist deaf service.

About the Role

Your main duties in the role of Specialist Speech and Language Therapist will include:

• Clinical decision making in conjunction with school/college staff around the level of support needed to achieve the best possible outcome for the children and young people on your defined caseload
• Working with assistants, setting targets for the children and young people they are supporting, and monitoring of the delivery and outcomes of their work
• Assessment, advice and intervention for children with a range of speech, language and communication needs within your caseload
• Supporting junior members of the team, line managing others and taking on students
• You will work in partnership with other colleagues to ensure a holistic and child centred approach to identifying and meeting children and young people's needs

Some examples are:

• Working in the community in close partnership with Advisory Teachers of the Deaf and the wider Physical and Sensory Support team to deliver a service to preschool deaf children and their families in their homes and in nursery settings
• Working with occupational therapists in our feeding pathways and MDT working in Specialist schools
• Joint assessments with educational psychologists
• Supporting the development and delivery of the annual service plan linked to the organisational aims and strategies

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy and a minimum of 2 years' experience working as an SLT (slightly less with signed off completion of NQP competencies may be considered)
• Registration with the HCPC and RCSLT, and permission to work in the UK
• An understanding of the English education system including the National Curriculum and SEND code of practice
• Enthusiasm to support the development of the team and service
• Experience of leading and supporting others including newly qualified therapists, assistants, students, work experience placements
• A range of evidence-based interventions used to support children and young people
• For consideration for working in our specialist dysphagia service you will need experience of working with children with eating and swallowing disorders
• For consideration for working in our school based/college service with children needing support with speech, language and communication within a range of diagnoses you will need experience of working within school/college environments and age groups
• Therapists will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel.
• An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.