Mainstream Schools Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

As a result of collaborative working and investment from the Change programme, we are looking for a Speech and Language therapist to join our established community therapy team working within mainstream primary and secondary schools in Bedford Borough.

This is a fixed term post until December 2025.

We need:

Confident, motivated and enthusiastic therapists.

Experience of working in mainstream schools with a wide range of SLCN

Someone looking to develop their clinical knowledge and skills

You will:

Manage a caseload providing targeted, evidence-based assessment and therapy

Work closely with colleagues in Health and education

Participate in training to parents and other professionals around SLC needs

Support junior staff within the service

As a Service we provide:

A welcoming and supportive team

Formal and informal training, including shadowing opportunities

Regular robust clinical supervision and a mentoring system

Regular whole team in house CPD days as well as in service and external courses

Collaborative working with system partners including 0-19 team, Community  Paediatrics and education settings

Reflective clinical forums and buddying systems

Regular whole service and locality meetings

Career development opportunities including clinical and professional development

Main duties of the job

The post holders will provide specialist clinical input to mainstream schools.

Working as part of the community schools’ team, you will provide speech and language therapy support to children with a wide range of SLC needs including statutory provision.

You will provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support children’s language and communication needs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To independently identify, assess and diagnose speech, language and communication impairments and select appropriate patients and type of therapy for effective treatment.

To make a differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment, and design appropriate treatment based on analysis of profile of need seeking advice as appropriate.

Be responsible for delivering specialist speech and language therapy input to school age children and young people of all ages, covering a range of disorders of communication.

To provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support children’s language and communication needs.

Make independent decisions about caseload management, including discharge.

To plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical.

To use clinical skills to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues.

Gain extensive clinical experience and expertise to improve and further develop specialist skills through training, support and study.

To have appropriate knowledge or an awareness of low tech AAC, for example PECS.

To have knowledge of and contribute to the EHCP process within the given timescales, including preparing reports with outcomes and targets for the initial report and for annual reviews as required.

To provide second opinions and shadowing opportunities for less experienced colleagues.

To seek out second opinions from more experience colleagues as required.

To make referrals onto specialist services as required, including Health, Education and / or Social Services.

To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with and without support and reflect on and evaluate training provided.

To contribute to the support of newly and recently graduated SLT Staff.

To support and take part in the induction and training of new staff to the service.