Children's Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified and HCPC registered Band 5 Children's Speech and Language Therapist to join our innovative Children's Speech and Language Therapy Team in Wigan. The role will suit a newly qualified practitioner or a therapist with more experience.

NHS experience is essential (whether on placement or via employment)

This vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Main duties of the job

• Assess and diagnose children’s speech, language and communication needs with a varied range of clinical presentations including children with special educational needs and agree functional goals for the child with relevant parties as appropriate.
• Use evidence based practice to support parents and the wider children’s workforce to develop children’s speech, language and communication skills in an inclusive environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To assess and diagnose children with communication disorders, including those with special needs
• To develop and implement Speech and Language Therapy treatment and to evaluate outcomes
• To take clinical responsibility for a varied paediatric caseload of differing complexities and to organise this effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
• To ensure that clients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their treatment plans wherever possible.
• To provide advice and coaching to others regarding the management and care of clients with communication difficulties
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures
• To produce reports regarding client’s needs and summarising proposed care plans
• To contribute to legal documents such as Education Health and care Plans, Individual Education Plans and Annual Reviews
• To adapt practice to meet individual client’s circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences
• To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies
• To identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of communication, both verbal, non- verbal and environmental
• To assess and advise on optimising the client’s communicative environment, taking into consideration the communication skills of carers and other professionals
• To assess the capacity of the child or young person to give valid, informed consent. To be able to work within a legal framework with children and parents for consent to treatment.
• To use highly developed auditory and perceptual skills in the assessment diagnosis and treatment of clients.
• To discharge appropriately, agreeing a point of closure with the clients and carers and informing other professionals
• To identify personal / professional development by Personal Development Plan /Professional Portfolio developed within an appraisal framework.
• To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of a generalist therapist and maintain up to date HCPC and RCSLT registration.
• To demonstrate knowledge of, and adhere to RCSLT Professional and Local Clinical Guidelines.
• To attend relevant courses, in service training, meetings and clinical excellence networks.

Planning and Organisational Duties

• To be aware of and adhere to service plans and policies
• To manage and prioritise own workload.
• To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
• To manage and prioritise own caseload independently in conjunction with senior SLT staff
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor and to identify own strengths and development needs.
• To demonstrate the ability to integrate information taking account of all aspects of the client’s communication including verbal, non verbal and environmental
• To make appropriate clinical decisions following assessment, seeking support and advice from a supervisor as appropriate
• To make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from assessment seeking advice as appropriate

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• To share information with clients, carers and other professionals, observing data protection guidelines
• To contribute to multi and uni-disciplinary teams to ensure a client focused approach to treatment
• To communicate complex information from assessment and treatment to clients, carers and other professionals
• To communicate effectively with the child or young person and their carers to maximise treatment potential and ensure understanding of their condition. Addressing physical, psychological and emotional barriers to effective communication will be regularly required.
• To work closely with clients, carers and other professionals to negotiate and agree 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 motivate clients, carers and other professionals to engage in the therapeutic process
• To use negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible, in line with Trust policy.
• To foster productive relationships with others who have challenging communication difficulties and may be under stress
• To supervise the work of assistants
• To participate in student placements as appropriate.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

• Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder 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.

Responsibility for Teaching

• To participate in the development and delivery of training to others with support.
• To target training appropriately to the needs of course participants.
• Reflect on and evaluate training provided

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.