Senior Speech and Language Support Practitioner

Main Duties and Responsibilities To devise (when appropriate), implement and carry out or model therapeutic interventions which have been set by the SLT with patients with a range of communication difficulties and complex needs. To carry out specified observation (auditory and visual) and information gathering to contribute to the SLTs assessment. To demonstrate input to other educators and parents / carers. To design, prepare and organise therapy activities, resources, training materials and equipment for own or others therapy, within the programme agreed by the supervising SLT. To plan a timetable of activities for therapy sessions. To review and extend a programme, within their clinical skills and knowledge, following analysis of a patients response to the intervention and providing feedback to the SLT for further clinical decision making. To use own initiative within sessions and to work independently and unsupervised when appropriate. To recognise appropriate opportunities to independently extend advice and strategies for patients and recognise when to refer patients back to the SLT for this advice. To recognise potential conflict when it occurs and seek advice and support from your supervisor or line manager to find a resolution. To form productive working relationships with service users who may be under stress and / or have challenging communication difficulties and to motivate them to engage in work programmes. To oversee, monitor and manage the caseload and activities allocated to the Support Practitioners and to distribute this equitably within a specific locality team or across the localities, working to the service priorities at that time. To contribute to overall caseload management by updating waiting lists appropriately with and without support from the SLT as required. To provide shadowing opportunities and training for other Support Practitioners and to participate in the induction of new Support Practitioners to the team. To provide mentoring and supervision to Band 3 colleagues as required. To complete case notes, collaborative working documents and other record keeping requirements following clinical sessions, liaison meetings and patient contacts. To deal with queries and questions received by email or phone from parents / carers or professionals. To support the administrative work of the Speech and Language Therapy service and initiate appropriate administrative tasks when required. For more details, please refer to the attached JD & PS