About this role
Job summary
We are looking for an experienced, motivated and innovative Speech and Language Therapist to join our Children's Integrated Therapies Service in a newly created Early Years complex needs communication role.
The Children's Therapy Services identify, assess, support and manage the health needs of children and young people aged 0-18 years, working closely with children and their families in health settings and family homes and with education colleagues in early years and school settings.
The successful post holder will be part of a large and supportive team comprising Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, therapy assistants and a well-resourced admin team.
We are part of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust working in the London Royal Borough of Greenwich,serving children, young people and their families.
We have an organisational commitment for CPD to enhance clinician's skills within areas of clinical interest. The service has excellent internal supervision and support structures and provides a friendly environment to develop clinical skills, with opportunities to contribute towards service development projects.
Main duties of the job
The role will primarily, but not exclusively, involve managing a caseload of children aged 0-4 year who have complex communication needs. You will be supporting these children with their communication development and, when qualified, their eating, drinking and swallowing skills. You will be working across the Early Years Communication team and the Dysphagia and Complex Needs Team with support and supervision from senior therapists.
You will take the lead, with support from senior SLTs, in developing evidence based assessment and intervention pathways for children with complex communication and health needs.
You will work across the Royal Borough of Greenwich supporting pre-school children with complex needs and their families in the community. Knowledge of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is important. Dysphagia competencies would be ideal but are not essential to apply.
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're Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will provide an assessment, diagnosis and therapy service for pre-school children with speech and language needs, complex communication needs and eating and drinking needs, referred to the SLT service.
You will support parents, clients and other professionals in all issues related to client management including training as appropriate.
You will have a responsibility for agreed areas of project co-ordination across the Integrated Therapies service. The Specialist Speech and Language Therapist will have a delegated specialist clinical responsibility for an agreed clinical area across the service and dissemination of information and resources as appropriate.
You will assess the need for, develop and implement evidence-based speech and language therapy to children with a wide range of speech, language and communication difficulties.
You will support in the training and development of colleagues within the team.
You will understand and meet professional and legal SEND responsibilities outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014 including contributing to statutory assessments of special educational needs and delivery of Speech and Language Therapy provision as specified in childrens Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
You will liaise with education settings and parents/carers, providing advice and support. You will also liaise with colleagues in health, education, social care and the voluntary sector as required.
You will contribute to Trust, service, and professional wide initiatives.
Please refer to the Job Description for further detail.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- 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
Desirable
- Dysphagia competencies
Experience
Essential
- 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
- Clinical experience of working with children with complex health needs
- Clinical experience of working with children with social communication needs or Autism
Desirable
- Experience of working with children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties
Skills
Essential
- 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.
Desirable
- Working with AAC
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Memorial Hospital (admin base)
Shooters Hill
Greenwich
SE18 3RG
United Kingdom
Employer's website
http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)