Speech and Language Therapist in Leeds

Would you like to deliver more specialist therapy to children and families? We are calling all SLTs looking for a new role. Our therapists work closely with schools and families to develop strong communication provision and provide continuous support.

ChatterBug Limited is a National Social Enterprise providing a range of Speech and Language Therapy services. We believe in providing high quality, evidenced-based input that provides real results. At the core of our service we have four values that form our ChatterBug Constitution and guides how we conduct ourselves. These are:

• Open
• Connected
• Dependable

Job Purpose: The postholder will plan, develop and deliver effective, evidence based Speech and Language Therapy services across private clinic, school and community based settings, contributing to high standards of professional practice, safe service delivery, and positive outcomes for children and young people.

Brief Job Description: The postholder will deliver high-quality, evidence based Speech and Language Therapy services in line with the needs of the client base, working across a range of settings. They will contribute to the assessment and diagnosis of children and young people with a variety of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), and provide professional support to students, apprentices, and Speech and Language Therapy Assistants.

The role also requires active involvement in the wider development of Chatterbug, including representing the organisation at local and national levels and working flexibly across locations as required. This is a dynamic role within a growing social enterprise and will involve contributing to service development and organisational initiatives alongside core clinical work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical

• To assess, diagnose and provide support to children with a range of SLCN, including a range of needs, with appropriate supervision.
• To ensure a client-focused assessment and approach to treatment.
• To represent the service at health and education panels where required.
• To provide assessment and advice on optimising the client’s communicative environment taking into consideration the communication skills of parents/guardians, carers and other professionals.
• To develop and implement speech and language therapy treatment and programmes and to measure and evaluate outcomes.
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness through the use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.

Communication

• To employ excellent verbal/written communication skills.
• Communicate information from assessment and treatment to clients, carers and other professionals effectively.
• To produce detailed reports, reflecting knowledge regarding clients’ needs and summarising proposed treatment plans.
• To provide verbal and written advice and programmes to parents/guardians, carers and other professionals regarding the management and care of children – these will be accessible to a range of audiences and easy to understand.
• To ensure that clients/parents/teaching staff are involved in the planning and prioritisation of the treatment plans.
• To contribute to legal documents such as Education Health and Care Plans, Individual Education Plans and Annual Reviews as appropriate.
• To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and service policies.
• To share information with clients, carers and other professionals, observing current data protection guidelines.

Clinical Governance Requirements

• To gather statistical data punctually.
• To participate in service research as required.
• To undertake Clinical Governance/audit projects within the local service as required.
• To have a working knowledge of relevant procedures including safeguarding children, SEN procedures, and other legal frameworks.

Information Governance

• Comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR rules.
• The postholder must not; either during the course of their employment, or following termination of their employment, disclose any information relating to service users or employees, or of the lawful business practices, of the organisation.
• The postholder will be required, when and where appropriate to the role, to comply with the processing of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• The postholder must comply with ChatterBug policies that protect the information assets of the organisation from unauthorised disclosure, modification, destruction, inappropriate access or use and must pay due regard to the requirements of the Confidentiality policy.
• The postholder will be responsible for maintaining the clinical and or corporate records that fall within the remit of this role to the organisations standard, and data quality processes and standards.

Continuing Professional Development

• To identify personal/professional development evidenced by the Personal Development Plan/ Professional Portfolio developed within an appraisal framework, including objectives.
• To demonstrate a passion and commitment to the profession through self-guided study.
• To participate in an individual performance review, ensuring that the objectives set reflect the service and trust plans, including objectives relevant for SLCN.
• To demonstrate knowledge of and adhere to RCSLT Professional and Local Clinical Guidelines.
• To attend relevant in service training and meetings.
• To demonstrate knowledge of, and adherence to RCSLT Professional and Local Clinical Guidelines and best practice.
• To take responsibility for maintaining and continually developing professional skills and knowledge in SLCN.
• The postholder will engage with contemporary clinical tools, digital systems and service models that support evidence based practice, outcome measurement and continuous improvement.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice independently, with peers and mentors to identify own strengths and development needs.
• To demonstrate a well-developed ability to integrate information taking account of all aspects of the client’s communication including verbal, non-verbal and environmental.
• To anticipate and take appropriate steps to prevent the breakdown of relationships with parents/ guardians and other professionals.
• To make appropriate clinical decisions following assessment, seeking support and advice from a specialist as appropriate.

Responsibility for Client Care and Contact with Carers

• To demonstrate the well-developed ability to manage people with communication disorders and challenging behaviour.
• To work closely with clients, carers and other professionals to negotiate and agree on client management.
• To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where significant barriers to understanding exist.
• To respond sensitively at all times particularly when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the clinical difficulties and their implications.
• To demonstrate expert skills in motivating clients, carers and other professionals to engage in the therapeutic process.
• To adapt the practice to meet individual client’s circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.

Service Development & Organisational Contribution

• Contribute to service development, quality improvement and organisational initiatives in line with the needs of a growing social enterprise.

Physical Skills

• To demonstrate highly developed auditory and perceptual skills in the assessment diagnosis and treatment of clients.
• To demonstrate knowledge of correct moving/handling clients with disabilities.
• To use equipment with due care.

Responsibility for Equipment or Financial Resources

• To be responsible for the security, care, maintenance and delivery of equipment ensuring standards of safety are maintained, including equipment loaned to clients.
• To monitor stock/equipment levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate.

Freedom to Act

• To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking support as appropriate.
• To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and a professional code of conduct.
• To discharge appropriately, agreeing on a point of closure with the clients and carers and informing other professionals.

Health & Safety

• Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the postholder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Mental Capacity Act 2005

• The Mental Capacity Act 2005 applies to all Trust staff. It is the responsibility of every person to ensure that they keep up to date with the Act and that the delivery of patient care/services is conducted in line with local and national policy and the MCA Code of Practice.

Safeguarding is Everyone’s Business

ChatterBug has a responsibility to ensure that all children/young people and adults are adequately safeguarded and protected. As a consequence, all employees are required to adhere to national and local safeguarding policies/procedures and to act upon any concerns in accordance with them.

Equality and Diversity

It is the responsibility of every person to act in ways that support equality and diversity and work within the spirit and detail of legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. ChatterBug is an Equal Opportunities Employer and aims to challenge discrimination, promote equality and respect human rights.

This job description acts only as a guide and is not an exhaustive list. This role may be allocated additional tasks in line with the business needs and developments.