Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist

Loughborough

Banding: Band 6/7 Location: Loughborough Start Date: ASAP Duration: 3 months Salary: £24.00–£40.00 per hour Working Hours: Part time – 1 day per week

We are currently seeking a dedicated and experienced Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) to join a mainstream secondary school in Loughborough on a locum basis. This is an excellent opportunity for a Band 6 or Band 7 therapist to provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy support one day per week across Key Stages 3 and 4, with occasional support for post-16 students.

The school has a large and growing SEND cohort, including a significant number of pupils with communication and interaction needs. The successful therapist will provide targeted specialist input, supporting pupils who require a more detailed assessment and intervention while also helping the school develop its own capacity to support communication needs.

The role will involve a combination of direct clinical work and a consultative approach, including staff coaching, training and advice to promote consistent communication-supportive strategies across the school.

In this role, you will:

• Assess pupils where a clearer understanding of their speech, language and communication profile is required.
• Deliver individual and small-group Speech and Language Therapy interventions tailored to pupils' needs.
• Support pupils presenting with receptive and expressive language difficulties.
• Provide specialist input for pupils with social communication and interaction needs.
• Support pupils experiencing difficulties with complex language, vocabulary, language processing, inference and understanding implied meaning.
• Support pupils with emotional communication needs, including difficulties expressing their needs appropriately.
• Provide assessment and intervention for pupils with autism or those awaiting autism assessment who have associated communication needs.
• Contribute to EHCP outcomes and reviews, particularly where Speech and Language Therapy provision is specified.
• Provide practical advice and strategies to teaching staff to support pupils' communication needs within lessons.
• Deliver staff coaching and training to develop the school's confidence and capacity to support communication needs between therapist visits.
• Work collaboratively with school staff to identify which pupils require specialist Speech and Language Therapy input and which needs can appropriately be supported through school-led intervention.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records in line with professional standards.
• Work collaboratively with the wider school and SEND team to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting pupils.

To be considered for this role, you must have:

• A recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy (or equivalent).
• HCPC registration and eligibility for membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
• Previous experience working with children and young people, ideally within a school or educational setting.
• Experience supporting children and young people with SEND and communication and interaction needs.
• Strong knowledge of receptive and expressive language, social communication and language-processing difficulties.
• Experience delivering individual and small-group interventions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with pupils, families and education professionals.
• The ability to provide practical advice, coaching and training to school staff.
• A proactive, collaborative and reflective approach to professional development.

From the moment…