Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Surrey County Council : Job Details

This role has a competitive starting salary of £40,761 per annum (including market supplement), 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.

We are an expanding service with exciting career opportunities where posts can be mixed based on interests, including mainstream schools and colleges, specialist schools as well as developing a specialism in deafness (which could also include an early years caseload) or dysphagia.

We have posts in:

• North West Surrey (Woking, Runnymede, Surrey Heath)
• South West Surrey (Guildford and Waverley)
• North East Surrey (Spelthorne, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell)
• South East Surrey (Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge)

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, 1:1 meetings with line manager, extensive in house training programme and formal external training opportunities, access to clinical effectiveness groups, case study groups and enhanced probation support, termly whole-team study days, encouragement to join and attend CEN's relating to practice
• Opportunities to develop management skills. Training and support is provided
• Paid RCSLT membership and HCPC fees
• An 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
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year

About the Team

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 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.

The Specialist Service for deaf children

An innovative Surrey wide service for school-aged deaf children and young people in mainstream schools and 5 Specialist Resource Bases. The team is also commissioned to support preschool deaf children who meet criteria.

We have locally defined specialist competencies in relation to deafness with in-house clinical supervision, team meetings and shadowing to share knowledge and expertise of working in this field. Team members are encouraged to be part of service wide initiatives and to contribute to ongoing research and publications.

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. For children and young people on your caseload who are considered to have complex needs and where a joint multidisciplinary approach is essential to achieving the best outcome for these children and young people, you will be supported by your clinical team leader
• 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.

Shortlisting Criteria

• 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
• Experience of leading and supporting others including newly qualified therapists, assistants, students
• A range of evidence-based interventions used to support children and young people
• Working in our specialist deaf service you will need experience of working with deaf children
• Working in our specialist dysphagia service you will need experience of working with children with eating and swallowing disorders
• 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

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 18.07.2024 with interviews to follow.