Early Years Speech & Language Therapist

We are excited to offer an opportunity to join our Early Years Speech and Language Team, supporting children under 5 years old with all types of communication difficulties. We would consider applications from both existing Band 5 Therapists looking for a Band 6 role or students graduating this year, who will have the opportunity, in post, to develop into a band 6 position.

We are looking for creative, enthusiastic and motivated Therapists to join an innovative, supportive and welcoming team. We can offer you:

- A commitment to your continued professional development, including a termly journal club looking at articles relevant to developing the service and knowledge of communication difficulties.

- A dynamic, innovative supportive and friendly team committed to providing quality care. The team won the Trust award for innovative services in 2021.

- Staff reporting high levels of job satisfaction with staff turnover figures half the national average figure.

- A strong ethos of collaborative working and user consultation.

- Regular supervision from senior therapists as well as peer supervision in areas such as ASD, safeguarding.

- Flexible approach to meeting your needs within the role Main duties of the job This post is within our friendly, supportive and innovative Early Years Speech and Language Therapy Team. You will work in our core team offering intervention for parents and children under 5 years old in a range of communication difficulties. We work closely with parents and early years practitioners, providing workshops and 1:1 sessions, both virtually and face-face.

You will also be assessing children to determine their correct clinical pathway and providing assessments as part of the EHCP process. In addition, you will be involved in service development and audits.

• To manage a defined caseload of early years children with speech language and communication needs with support from senior colleagues. This includes:
• Gaining appropriate consent
• Assessment and differential diagnosis of individual childrens needs
• Planning, delivering and evaluating treatment programmes in close collaboration with parents and nursery staff to support access to learning and social development.
• Referring on to other services/professionals as appropriate
• Negotiating with CYP parents/carers, and others around individual case management
• Provision of written clinical reports and care plans.
• Seeking support on the management of more complex cases
• To provide advice and programmes to others regarding the management and care of children with speech, language and communication needs
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and manage clinical risk within defined caseload.
• To develop the ability to monitor and reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of clients communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness. This includes adapting and facilitating own communication according to perceived client needs.
• To recommend and implement alternative/augmentative communication programmes and equipment necessary to meet individual needs. This includes sign language, symbol systems and communication books.
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor and seek support as necessary.
• To develop the ability to target training (formal and informal) appropriately to the needs of course participants, in particular parents and early years staff, and to develop the ability to reflect on and evaluate training provided.
• To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies.
• To gather client related activity data accurately and regularly, ensuring the provision of such information.
• Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree (or working towards)
• Registered with HCPC (or application to do so on qualifying)
• Registered with RCSLT (or application to do so on qualifying)

• Attendance at relevant post-grad courses

• Experience of working with early years children who have speech language and communication needs.
• Experience of working with other…