Job overview
Would you like to be part of a well established multi disciplinary health and social care team? Would you like to help to support and improve the lives of adults with learning disabilities within the London Borough of Islington? The Speech and Language Therapy team at Islington Learning Disabilities Partnership are looking for a part time Speech and Language Therapy assistant. The post holder will be key to supporting the speech and language therapists in a variety of ways, including delivering communication intervention programmes, making resources and supporting delivery of dysphagia and communication training for paid and family carers, local community day and residential/supported living services. You will be part of a well established speech and language therapy team and will be offered supervision to develop in the role.
Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
For any queries or informal discussion, please contact Radhika Lingham, Clinical Lead SLT at r.lingham@nhs.net or on 07516 900 138
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role.
Working for our organisation
Working for your organisation (‘About Us’)
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full Job Description and Person Specification attached for further details.
The post holder will support the work of the Speech and Language Therapy teams in learning disabilities in the London Borough of Islington. They will carry out tasks to facilitate the communication skills of clients with a combination of direct and indirect supervision from a speech and language therapist. The postholder will work indirectly with clients’ support networks including family and paid carers. A significant part of the postholder’s work will consist of supporting carers to implement therapy approaches. They will undertake informal observation assessments as part of a broader client assessment protocol, and report back the results to the supervising clinician and will write these up in the client’s case notes. They will complete comprehensive and timely documentation of input with the support and supervision of a speech and language therapist. This may include contribution to clinical reports, letters and case notes.They will prepare visual support materials eg communication books, communication passports etc, implement speech and language therapy packages of care, and assess the client’s response to communication tools and strategies sessions. They will undertake administrative duties including managing the organisation of training courses.
As a result of experience and formal training, they will have a basic theoretical knowledge and understanding of the range of communication difficulties associated with people with learning disabilities, and of the appropriate communication approaches and techniques. The post holder will work both indirectly and directly with young adults and adults with learning disabilities who have associated syndromes and complex needs such as autism.
Person specification
Education /Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Experience or NVQ in relevant field for children or adults with disabilities
Desirable criteria
2. Training relevant to client group, eg Makaton, Intensive Interaction
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
3. Good verbal communication
4. Good written communication
5. Good Microsoft Office – Word skills
6. Good listening skills
7. Good problem solving skills
8. Good organisational skills
9. Awareness of adapting communication styles with different people
10. Awareness of the need to gain support from supervising clinician
11. Commitment to continuous professional development with the support of clinical supervisor
12. Flexibility
13. Able to take initiative
Desirable criteria
14. Good Microsoft Office - Excel and Powerpoint skills
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
15. Experience of adults (16+) with learning disabilities
16. Experience of 1 or more of these specific approaches eg communication passports, communication books, visual timetables, Makaton signing, electronic aids, sensory approaches
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
17. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
18. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
19. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
20. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
21. Participate in required training and supervision.
22. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.