Speech & Language Therapist Band 6

2. Job Purpose To provide a Speech & Language Therapy (SaLT) Service within Dysart School, for children and young people, aged 4-19 years, who have severe learning difficulties (SLD), the majority of whom have an autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and associated communication impairments. Some children may also have physical disabilities, challenging behaviour and/or sensory needs and/or eating, drinking and swallowing needs (EDS). 3.
Dimensions To have a knowledge and understanding of the strengths and needs of children and young people, who have severe learning difficulties, ASC and a variety of associated communication disorders, in order to support their developing skills within their educational settings. To have knowledge and understanding of others areas of need that may impact on the children and young people with severe learning difficulties and/or ASC, such as physical disabilities, challenging behaviour and/or sensory needs and/or eating, drinking and swallowing needs (EDS), e.g. Dysphagia and/or Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - ARFID. To have experience of or interest in managing a caseload of children/young people with Dysphagia needs.
To work as part of the Dysart Speech and Language Therapy team, supporting the Band 7 Speech and Language Therapists in ensuring the delivery of effective clinical services to the children and young people with communication and EDS needs. To be an active member of the Childrens Speech and Language Therapy Team, committed to initiate developments and improving services. To contribute to the evidence-base of clinical effectiveness for interventions and strategies that support children and young people in specialist educational settings. 4.
Key Result Areas/Principle responsibilities Patient/client care: To have knowledge, experience and understanding of the strengths and needs of children and young people with a variety of communication disorders in order to support their developing skills within educational settings. To have knowledge and understanding of others areas of need that may impact on the children and young people with severe learning difficulties and/or ASC, such as physical disabilities, challenging behaviour and/or sensory needs and/or eating, drinking and swallowing needs (EDS). To have knowledge and experience in supporting children and young people with EDS needs or an interest in developing these skills, in their home and education environments. To contribute to the development of specialist Speech and Language Therapy programmes and provision of appropriate evaluation of outcomes for the management of children and young people with complex needs.
To contribute to service development that reflects the needs of the children/young people, their carers/parents and considers the needs of other professionals involved in their care. To assess, interpret results and differentially diagnose the communication and EDS needs of children and young people on the caseload. To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and/or their carers to engage in the therapeutic process. To provide specialist advice and training to significant others e.g.
parents, teaching staff and support staff as appropriate in the delivery of the service, in order that opportunities for communication and/or EDS development and reinforcement of newly acquired skills are carried over into everyday life. To produce meaningful and useful reports, when required, that summarise the childs needs and indicate a proposed plan and monitoring arrangements, including reports submitted to Education as formal advice as part of the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process. To be competent in understanding the process and deliver Education, Health and Care Plans according to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (Childrens Act 2014). 10.
To work closely with our Multi-Disciplinary Colleagues (MDT) and carers/parents involved in the child/young persons care and outcome setting, ensuring that holistic approaches are used, therapy programmes are focused according to main areas of need and managed effectively and in a timely way to improve outcomes. Setting and reviewing of individual outcomes collaboratively with members of the multi-disciplinary team, child/young person and carers/parents to ensure outcomes have incorporated the child/young persons preferences and carers/parents preferences and that they are meaningful and functional. To demonstrate a high level of clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice, SLT plans and outcome measures, which involve monitoring and reviewing the childs progress against the Speech and Language Therapy plans and outcomes set. To have knowledge and experience of using clinical interventions such as MAKATON, PECS, VERVE, Attention Autism, Intensive Interaction and Alternative and Augmentative Communication systems (AAC).
To be able to support others to develop skills in these interventions, including devising and delivery training presentations/workshops. To demonstrate empathy and adapt practice to meet individual clients circumstances. Ensuring that effective communication is achieved particularly where barriers to understanding exist, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences. To reflect on clinical practice both individually and with peers identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical judgements.
To ensure that clients are referred to other services as appropriate, if necessary, as part of their care. Policy/service development and implementation: 17. To contribute to reflective clinical practice both individually and with peers, identifying strengths and needs to support the teams development of the current evidence base and to support effective clinical decision making. To provide supervision and support to Speech and Language Therapy Assistants within the Dysart Speech and Language Therapy team and wider Childrens Speech and Language Therapy Team, as required.
19. To use Speech and Language Therapy plans and outcome measures, e.g., TOMS, and contribute to the collating of outcome measurement data. To develop and maintain clinical expertise, consulting with other Speech and Language Therapists as necessary, keeping up to date with new techniques and developments, for the promotion and maintenance of good practice and your own personal and professional development as evidenced by Continuing Professional Development (CPD). 21.
To adhere to policies, guidelines and professional standards. To use knowledge and experience to inform service/policy developments and contribute to future service design to support the service offer and improve the outcomes of children and young people, ensuring that these reflect local health, education and social care priorities, policies and legal issues. 23. To contribute to innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards and clinical effectiveness in conjunction with peers and supervisors in order to ensure a safe, effective and efficient service.
To have knowledge of considerations in service delivery in education, e.g., National Curriculum and SEND code of practice. Financial and physical resources: To oversee the maintenance of speech and language therapy equipment and resources used in clinical service areas and advise Team Leads of equipment needs. To develop specialist resources in collaboration with teaching staff. Human resources: 27.
To undertake the clinical supervision of speech and language therapy students on placement, for some sessions per week, attending teaching sessions and meetings organised by the education establishments as necessary. 28. To provide support and supervision to members of the Speech and Language Therapy team, teaching staff within educational settings, and volunteers as required. To effectively work with a range of professionals and ensure work undertaken is suitable to their level of skills, knowledge and expertise and measuring effectiveness and quality through regular observation, supervision and appraisal.
30. To identify/coordinate and provide regular specialist training both for education staff groups, parents and the Speech and Language Therapy team on a range of topics that will support the development of the children on the case load and SLT team members professional development. 31. To contribute to the induction of new members of the team.
32. To keep up to date with current clinical developments through reading, attendance at courses, meetings and Hubs and share this information with other colleagues. Information resources: 33. To maintain childrens clinical notes in line with the organisations Standards and Policy.
34. To carry out administrative duties including data collection; managing appointments and maintaining general equipment. 35. To maintain up to date records of annual leave and other absence.
Research and development: 36. To contribute to audits and the design and interrogation of data in order to inform the evidence base for clinical effectiveness with this client group (complex needs population with SLCN and EDS). 37. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training provided.
38. Understand, plan, do and review the service that you are providing. 39. To contribute to action research design and outcome measurement in the area of SLT delivery to mainstream settings.
Freedom to act / decision making: 40. To manage a complex case load (with support from the Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist), advising Team Leads of shortfalls or difficulties as they arise and identify initiatives / plans in order to manage these shortfalls or difficulties and contribute to decision making for future service developments.