Job overview
Islington Additional Needs and Disability Service (IANDS) has a vacancy for a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant to join the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) team.
ELSEC is a pilot initiative designed to support education settings in identifying and supporting children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The programme focuses on children accessing the Islington Universal Offer in mainstream schools. Funded until March 2026, (with a likely extension to August 2026 and possibly beyond), ELSEC is testing a new model where a team of Speech and Language Therapy Assistants (SLTAs) delivers universal and targeted support directly to schools. The aim is to build school staff confidence and capacity to continue supporting children’s language development during and after the programme.
The successful candidate will receive full training and support to deliver screening assessments and interventions to children and provide training, modelling and coaching to education staff.
Following a successful pilot in Barnet in June 2024, the programme is now expanding to Islington and Enfield.
To learn more about the programme, please visit the Department for Education.
website:
Main duties of the job
1. Deliver screening assessments and provide training and coaching to staff in Early Years and Primary School settings. This includes training staff on how to carry out screening assessments and deliver targeted interventions. Work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, and other allied health professionals to support implementation. Regularly report on progress and share updates with senior Speech and Language Therapists.
2. To use effective communication tools, verbal and non-verbal, to communicate with children who may have barriers to communicating or understanding.
3. To help the team with both administrative, and clinical work, thereby supporting the smooth running of the team.
4. To be responsible for making resources, maintaining equipment, keeping clinical notes, and keeping clinical and office spaces in good condition.
5. To be responsible for organising and prioritising your own work and adhering to Trust policies and procedures, especially in relation to child safeguarding.
6. To have a duty to report any accident/incident via Trust procedures.
7. To monitor and record children’s progression towards therapy aims.
Working for our organisation
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
See attached job description for further information:
Leadership
1. To participate in the development of an effective team and the development of productive working relationships throughout the Trust.
2. To actively promote integrated health professional working internally and externally.
3. To facilitate the development of a positive and ‘supportive’ team culture by taking responsibility for dealing effectively with potential conflict.
4. To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the Trust to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols and guidelines.
5. To contribute to the transformation, change and development in services.
6. To participate in the audit process, linking in with the clinical governance agenda.
Clinical Skills
1. Further professional knowledge will have been gained through accredited courses workshops, study and in house training programmes.
2. To develop own skills and knowledge and provide information to others to help their development.
3. To be responsible, and accountable, for service delivery to clients/patients under the supervision of a Speech and Language Therapist.
4. To provide patients and relatives with information and education thus ensuring they have meaningful choices that promote dignity, independence, and quality of life.
5. To work frequently without direct supervision in a variety of community settings e.g. community clinics, nurseries, children’s centres, schools, homes, etc.
6. To use judgement to modify and adapt activities to suit each situation.
Computer/Administration
1. To be computer literate and encourage implementation of the Trust’s IM&T Strategy.
2. To ensure accurate recording of actions, and updating patient’s records, maintaining confidentiality at all times.
3. To take part, and assist, in the planning and administration relating to day to day running of the caseload.
Communication
1. To have a wide range of knowledge in approaches to communicating and managing patient care.
2. To be able to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers, senior managers and clinical leads within the Trust.
3. To anticipate barriers to communication (internal and external) and take action to improve communication (in self and others)
4. To develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations.
5. To be able to communicate patient related information facilitating positive outcomes and ensuring collaborative working.
6. Participate in the review and development of clinical policies and identifies improvements to service provision
7. To be proactive in seeking out different styles and methods of communication to meet needs of clients and others
Training
1. To ensure own continued professional development and support a culture of lifelong learning in self and others.
2. To undertake, and assist, in the planning of own mandatory training and workshops.
3. To undertake a regular appraisal, developing a personal development plan that includes clinical competencies reflecting the health needs of the local population and relates to Trust strategy.
4. To support new staff and their integration within the team and to actively provide learning and development opportunities to others
5. To support training as part of the role including changes to professional development and implementation of new policies and guidelines.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
1. •Relevant prior experience related to Job description and working with children
Desirable criteria
2. NVQ level 2/3 or minimum of 5 GCSE’s or equivalent
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
3. Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
4. Good organisational skills
5. Able to communicate effectively particularly where difficulties in understanding exist
6. Demonstrates awareness of standards of record keeping
7. Able to identify own strengths and needs
8. Able to identify when to seek support
9. Demonstrates the ability to reflect on practice with peers / clinical supervisor
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
10. At least two years experience working with Children and Young people
11. Evidence of continued development and learning in a therapy area
12. Working in education and/or working alongside colleagues in education
13. Experience of working effectively in a team
14. Experience of delivering interventions to children following the advice of another professional
Desirable criteria
15. •General Knowledge of child development
Other
Essential criteria
16. To be aware and demonstrate the trust values
17. To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
18. Excellent interpersonal skills, able to listen well
19. Able to demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues
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:
20. 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.
21. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
22. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
23. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
24. Participate in required training and supervision.
25. 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.