Our values:
Compassion
Supportive and caring, listening to others.
Open
Communicating openly, honestly and sharing ideas.
Trust
Trusted to deliver, feeling valued and safe.
Wirral Community Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust provides high quality community health and care services which are responsive to the needs of our local population. Services are delivered by our dedicated and innovative multi disciplinary professionals and supported by equally committed staff behind the scenes. We strive to continue developing and improving our services by working with and listening to our populations, partners, commissioners and staff.
WCHC offers you a great opportunity to be a part of a talented, passionate and committed team delivering excellent community based services across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Job overview
We are looking for confident, enthusiastic assistants to support in providing skilled clinical assessment and intervention with children and young people who have an EHCP.
The role will involve working independently, under the direction of a therapist and will involve working with children in a variety of settings including special schools, mainstream schools and community clinics. There will be a requirement to document progress and report back to therapists and families on outcomes achieved.
We are looking for assistants who have confidence to collaborate with other professionals, provide advice, deliver intervention and promote good communication practices.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for applications for Senior Speech and Language Therapy Assistants to join our community team. The role includes supporting therapists with the delivery of speech, language and communication interventions for children and young people who have an EHCP. The role will also involve supporting both parents and colleagues in other professions within the graduated approach in Wirral.
Applicants should:
·have a minimum of 2 years in a post where % of working time was spent supporting children with communication difficulties
·be an effective communicator
·be good at listening
·have GCSE English or equivalent
·have an appropriate NVQ 3
Being a car driver and having access to a car is essential to the role.
Working for our organisation
As a team, we are always looking at ways to further improve the quality of our care and we encourage members of our team to share ideas for service development.
HOW WE WILL SUPPORT YOU:
1. We have a strong support network for both clinical work and wellbeing. Wellbeing is a strong focus within our team and we strive to support each other at all times.
2. We will provide opportunities to learn from highly experienced team members, including regular meetings and CPD sessions.
3. We will provide both clinical and management supervision.
4. We will provide opportunities for you to develop skills across a range of clinical areas.
5. We have opportunities to access external training if relevant to your role.
6. We have free onsite parking and business miles can be claimed.
7. We will provide role essential equipment such as laptops.
8. We support hybrid working with a mixture of working from clinics/schools and working from home.
Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by CQC (Dec 3) with some outstanding areas.
As an aspiring outstanding Trust we have numerous policies and procedures in place which provide standard organisational ways of working, in line with organisational objectives, relevant legislation and requirements. Policies allow for continuity and consistency within the Trust. Employees must abide by and adhere to all Wirral Community NHS Trust’s policies, at all times.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for more details about this exciting role
Person specification
Qualifications and Professional Training
Essential criteria
9. NVQ 3 or similar equivalent experience
10. GCSE or equivalent in English
Desirable criteria
11. Evidence of formal short courses on child development
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. Minimum of 2 years in a post where % of working time was directed at children with communication difficulties.
13. Have assisted and/or led training sessions.
14. Have an established knowledge of the normal development of speech and language in children.
15. Have awareness of the difficulties faced by parents in dealing with the challenges of caring for children.
Desirable criteria
16. Additional work experience with members of the public.
17. Awareness of child protection/vulnerable adults issues
18. Some clerical experience
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
19. Awareness of boundaries within a given role.
20. Manage workload unsupervised
21. Demonstrate ability to devise activities for clients
22. Proven ability to be an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team
23. Some computer skills
24. Ability to produce own equipment using photocopier, laminator, computer graphics.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
25. Convey ideas and information in a confident and easily understood manner, to a range of people with differing perspectives.
26. Adaptable to a varied and frequently changing work environment.
27. Can work in difficult, distracting environments, with very young clients, where there is a requirement to give intense concentration.
28. Car driver
Important Information
By applying for this post you are agreeing to Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record system.
For further information explaining how we use your information in line with GDPR please see our ‘Guidance for applicants’ document under the section 'Additional documentation'.
We are a Disability Confident and Mindful Employer. WCHC is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of disability, age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, maternity/pregnancy, marriage/civil partnership or transgender status. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We actively encourage BAME, LGBTQ+ and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce and are keen to support reasonable adjustments to support our new and existing staff.
We are proud to support our Armed Forces Community as a Veteran Aware NHS Trust and are pleased to share that we recently achieved Bronze Award accreditation, in the. We support the armed forces as an employer; recognising the experiences and skills ex-military personnel have gained through their service.
Further Information:
Closing Dates: Candidates are advised to apply early. The Trust reserves the right to close a vacancy prior to the closing date if a high number of applications are received.
Reference Information: Please ensure your application is submitted with referees who can verify your employment/ education history over the last three years and include valid business email addresses for them. The Trust will not accept personal references from friends or family.
Salary Expectations: The Trust pays staff in line with national NHS Terms and Conditions. Relevant experience may be considered when salary offers are made. For all part-time positions, salaries are pro-rata.