Speech And Language Therapist

Blackstone Education are working with a client based in West London who are looking to recruit a Permanent Speech and Language Therapist to join their team. 

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Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist – AAC and Complex Needs Specialist

£46,292-£52,250 per annum – 11-month working year (August not worked)
Permanent, full-time position (37.5 hours per week)

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and dynamic Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly and supportive team.

We are looking for an experienced therapist with extensive knowledge and clinical experience in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), alongside a strong understanding of supporting children and young people with complex communication needs.

You will support children and young people across our clinic and school services, providing specialist assessment, intervention and consultation.  Alongside your clinical work, you will take the lead on AAC and complex needs, supporting our therapists to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence, while helping us to further develop the way we support children, their families and education settings.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about high-quality, evidence-informed practice, enjoys sharing their expertise and has the initiative to develop services and make a real difference to the children and families we support.

Purpose of the Role

The postholder will be an experienced Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist with extensive knowledge and practical experience in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and in supporting children and young people with complex
communication needs.

The role combines a substantial clinical caseload across WLSLT’s school and clinic services with dedicated leadership responsibility for AAC and complex needs across the organisation. Clinical work will include children across a broad age range, including very young children with complex communication needs attending the clinic.

The postholder will act as a source of specialist clinical expertise, supporting therapists through mentoring, consultation, joint working and training, while developing resources, pathways and approaches that strengthen WLSLT’s provision. They will contribute to wider clinical leadership and service development and will be expected to demonstrate the leadership skills, initiative and judgement required to lead others effectively.

Key Working Relationships
• WLSLT Directors and clinical leads
• Speech and Language Therapists and other WLSLT colleagues
• Occupational Therapists and other MDT professionals
• Children and young people, parents and carers
• Education staff and school leadership teams
• Administrative staff
• Local authority staff and other professionals involved in children’s care and education
• AAC specialist services and other external agencies

Duties:

1. Specialist Clinical Practice: 

-Manage a substantial clinical caseload across WLSLT’s school and clinic services, working independently within professional scope of practice.
• Provide specialist assessment, intervention, review and consultation for children and young people with complex communication needs, including those who use or may benefit from AAC.
• Support children across a broad age range and in different contexts, including very young children attending the clinic and school-aged children receiving education-based provision.
• Maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge of paper-based and power-based AAC, including assessment, access, implementation, modelling, partner training, review and evaluation.
• Develop and evaluate individualised communication systems and intervention programmes in partnership with children, families, education staff and other professionals.
• Provide specialist advice, consultation and second opinions to WLSLT colleagues and other professionals.
• Work collaboratively with Occupational Therapists and other professionals where multidisciplinary assessment, intervention or problem-solving is appropriate.
• Provide specialist advice and recommendations for education planning, statutory assessment and EHCP processes where appropriate.
• Attend and contribute to reviews, case discussions, multi-agency meetings and other meetings relevant to children on the caseload.
• Write clear, high-quality clinical reports, programmes and recommendations in line with WLSLT standards and professional requirements.
• Use appropriate outcome measures and clinical evaluation to monitor effectiveness and inform ongoing intervention.
• Work in a neurodiversity-affirming, evidence-informed and child- and family-centred way, supporting meaningful and functional communication in whatever form communication takes.

2. AAC and Complex Needs Leadership

• Act as WLSLT’s clinical lead and source of specialist expertise for AAC and complex communication needs across both school and clinic services.
• Develop and promote a consistent, high-quality approach to assessment and support for children with AAC and complex communication needs across WLSLT.
• Act as a resource for therapists working with children with AAC and complex needs, providing case discussion, joint working, shadowing, second opinions and specialist advice.
• Support therapists to develop confidence and competence in AAC and complex-needs practice through mentoring, informal supervision, peer learning and targeted support.
• Identify learning and development needs across the team and contribute to the development and delivery of relevant CPD and training.
• Develop and maintain practical guidance, templates, resources and clinical tools to support consistent practice.
• Develop and maintain an accessible bank of AAC and complex-needs resources for WLSLT clinicians, families and education settings.
• Promote effective communication-partner training and approaches that enable children to use their communication systems across environments.
• Build and maintain appropriate links with external AAC services, specialist teams and other relevant professionals.
• Champion high-quality AAC and complex-needs practice across WLSLT and advocate for communication access and meaningful participation for children and young people.

3. Clinical Leadership, Mentoring and Team Development

• Demonstrate confident and positive clinical leadership and act as a role model for high-quality practice.
• Support, mentor and inspire colleagues, helping therapists to develop clinical reasoning, specialist knowledge, confidence and independence.
• Contribute to supervision, peer review, reflective practice, case discussion and clinical education as appropriate to the role.
• Support the development of less experienced therapists and students through teaching, joint working and clinical education where appropriate.

• Communicate clearly and constructively and build effective relationships across the SLT team and wider multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate initiative, sound judgement and the ability to identify and address clinical or service issues proactively.
• Contribute to a positive culture of collaboration, learning, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate the ability to balance clinical responsibilities with leadership and service-development activity and to prioritise effectively.

4. Service Development, Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement

Identify opportunities to improve WLSLT’s provision for children with AAC and complex communication needs across school and clinic services.
-  Contribute to the development of clinical pathways, service models and standards within the specialist area.
- Lead or contribute to relevant working parties, clinical projects, audits and quality-improvement initiatives.
- Support consistent implementation of evidence-informed practice and agreed WLSLT clinical standards.
- Monitor and evaluate specialist provision using appropriate activity and outcome data and use learning to inform service development.
- Contribute specialist advice to the Directors regarding service development, clinical quality, emerging needs and opportunities for innovation.
- Develop and deliver training for therapists, education staff, families and other professionals, and evaluate its impact.
- Contribute to the development of policies, guidance and resources that improve consistency and quality across WLSLT.

5. Professional Practice, Governance and Safeguarding

- Be fully accountable for own professional actions and work within professional competence and scope of practice.
-  Maintain HCPC registration and practise in accordance with HCPC standards and relevant RCSLT professional and
clinical guidance.
-  Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and reports in accordance with WLSLT policies and professional standards.
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with UK data protection legislation and WLSLT information-governance procedures.
- Comply with WLSLT safeguarding procedures and maintain the required level of safeguarding training.
- Attend mandatory training and maintain relevant professional knowledge and skills through continuing professional development.
- Contribute to clinical governance, risk management, infection prevention and health and safety requirements.
- Use reflective practice to identify strengths, development needs and opportunities to improve clinical practice.

6. Information, Resources and Equipment

- Maintain accurate activity and outcome information required for service monitoring, quality assurance and clinical
governance.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of a central store of specialist information, resources, templates and
training materials.
- Monitor specialist AAC and complex-needs equipment and resource requirements and make recommendations for
purchase or replacement where appropriate.
- Ensure the safe, secure and appropriate use of clinical equipment and IT systems.

7. Freedom to Act and Accountability

- Independently manage a complex caseload and prioritise clinical work appropriately.
-Make specialist clinical decisions using professional knowledge, evidence and clinical reasoning, seeking advice where
necessary.

-Be accountable for own professional actions and recognise professional boundaries.
- Work within WLSLT policies, procedures, agreed service standards and professional frameworks.
- Raise concerns and provide constructive advice to Directors regarding clinical, operational or service-development issues.
- Take responsibility for identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing agreed changes within the specialist area.

Essential Criteria 

- HCPC Registration 

- Minimum 6 months experience with substantial Paediatric experience 

- Extensive knowledge and practical experience of AAC assessment, implementation, intervention, review and communication-partner training, across a range of AAC approaches.

Interviews taking place WC 2nd or 9th November where possible. 

Apply now or contact Kirsty at Blackstone Recruitment.