Job overview
Islington Additional Needs and Disability Service (IANDS) provides a multi-agency team approach to working with babies, children and young people who present with complex disabilities.
We are seeking a Band 6 SLT to join our supportive Special Schools Team. Our IANDS Special Schools Team covers Richard Cloudesley school, Samuel Rhodes school and Bridge Academy. All three schools have been rated outstanding.
The postholder will be responsible for providing a clinical Speech and Language Therapy service through a tiered model (universal, targeted, and specialist provision) for school-aged children who have special educational needs (SEN) related to autism spectrum condition, learning disability, physical disability, sensory impairment and social and emotional behaviour difficulties
They will have access to regular clinical supervision from a senior therapist and management support from the team lead. The post holder will jointly work with a senior therapist with a supervised dysphagia caseload, working towards developing their own dysphagia competencies in this clinical area, following RCSLT dysphagia competencies framework.
The post holder will work in the multidisciplinary and multi-agency environment including working with, specialist teachers, social workers, therapy assistants, psychologists, dieticians, paediatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other professionals.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is an autonomous practitioner and is responsible for organising and managing a defined caseload of children.
The post holder will provide a universal and targeted speech and language therapy service which includes the advising, training and upskilling of parents, carers, and school staff to support children with complex communication needs. They will also provide direct interventions including assessment, liaison, and episodes of face-to-face therapy for individual/groups of children and young people as well as work within the MDT. The post holder will devise and provide individualised care plans that are evaluated through outcome measures. They will employ specialist communication strategies used with the client group as appropriate. They will liaise with educational colleagues in order to undertake joint planning and reviewing of targets, production of reports, contributing to EHCP processes and staff training.
The post holder will provide support to less experienced colleagues.
The post holder will have excellent communication skills and the ability to empathise, taking into account the barriers to communication presented by the diverse caseload. They will be skilled in working in and liaising within a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.
Working for our organisation
As an integrated care organisation, Whittington Health provides both hospital and community services, and offers a range of development opportunities along with attractive benefits to staff at all levels of our organisation.
Within Whittington Health, the Islington Additional Needs and Disability Team is a multidisciplinary service for children and young people 0- 19.
We work in integrated teams which are made up of a range of healthcare professionals including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dietitians, clinical psychologists, specialist nurses, family counselling, therapy assistants, health care assistants and specialist key workers. Our integrated service allows professionals to work holistically and to provide a responsive and streamlined family centred service.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
CLINICAL
To demonstrate clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of, language and communication difficulties in children and young people providing appropriate specialist intervention and evaluating outcomes.
To demonstrate specialist knowledge in special educational needs including learning disability, autism, sensory and physical disabilities, underpinned by current evidence based practice and outcome measures.
To demonstrate a developing specialist knowledge in AAC assessment and interventions.
To carry out supervised practice in the area of paediatric dysphagia, until full competencies for autonomous independent practice have been achieved.
To demonstrate highly developed perceptual skills in the assessment and treatment of young people with special educational needs.
To make appropriate specialist clinical decisions on evidence from assessment of complex cases, seeking advice as appropriate.
To develop knowledge and skills in managing children with special educational needs, seeking training, support and supervision from clinical supervisor as appropriate.
To develop clear care plans based on best practice.
To demonstrate clinical effectiveness reflecting on evidence based practice and outcome measures.
To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of children with communication difficulties.
To communicate complex condition related information to carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions, demonstrating empathy and ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.
To work closely with clients, carers, MDT and families, in order to agree plan of management.
To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.
To demonstrate excellent communication skills.
To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and /or parents/carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of children with special and complex needs and their carers, in particular when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the client’s difficulties and implications of the same.
To demonstrate the ability to manage children with behaviours that challenge including the application of appropriate management strategies as stipulated in their behaviour support plan.
To monitor and review the progress of children and young people against the targets set and agreed, and to modify targets as appropriate.
To adapt practice to meet individual client circumstances.
To reflect on clinical practice both individually and with peers identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical judgements based on research and the evidence based practice.
To develop the ability to reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of client’s communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness.
To be aware of legal requirements relating to the provision of a speech and language therapy service.
To maintain up to date and accurate case notes and write reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge, ensuring that they meet departmental standards and are in line with local Trust Policy, and RCSLT professional standards.
To demonstrate knowledge of current policies and practice in education and incorporate these into the model of working as appropriate.
To manage and prioritise a complex and specialist caseload independently, advising line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc.
To demonstrate skills in dealing with complex issues to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management.
To contribute to multi-agency assessment procedures as required.
To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, recognising and resolving potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs.
To ensure that children and young people are referred to other services as appropriate.
To monitor and evaluate specialist service delivery and provide progress reports as required.
To demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with clinical governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to, and implementation of service and service area and Trust policies, National and Local guidelines and RCSLT Professional and Clinical and Guidelines.
To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including: Safeguarding Children, SEN procedures, working with Vulnerable Adults and other legal frameworks.
To be accountable for professional action and recognising professional boundaries, and working within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
To work independently accessing appraisal within an Personal Development Review at pre-determined intervals.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. BSc. Speech Path or Equivalent (including Dip. CST)
2. HPC Licence to practise and registered member of RCSLT
Desirable criteria
3. Successful completion of specialist CPD courses relevant to field e.g. autism/dysphagia/AAC/ Physical disability/ Education/ coaching
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Writing EHCP reports/ advice
Desirable criteria
5. working in a special schools setting
experience of
Desirable criteria
6. Experience supervising an SLT student or junior member of staff
7. assessing and managing children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs
Knowledge of
Essential criteria
8. Specialist range of assessment tools and procedures to evaluate communication, speech and language skills relevant to school age children with learning disabilities and other co-occuring conditions
9. The roles of other professionals and approaches to working in an MDT team
Skills
Essential criteria
10. Skills in delivering presentations and training including adapting how information is presented to meet the needs of the audience
11. Able to reflect on practice
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:
12. 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.
13. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
14. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
15. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
16. Participate in required training and supervision.
17. 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.