Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Details
- Reference: SCC/TP/287912/1775
- Positions: 2
- Salary: £43,996 per annum
- Category: Speech and Language Therapy
- Contract type: Permanent
- Working hours: 36 hours per week
- Posted on: 30 August 2024
- Closing date: 29 September 2024
- Directorate: Children, Families & Lifelong Learning
- Location: Woking and Reigate, Surrey
Description
We are excited to be able to offer a great opportunity working in our Youth Justice Service and SEMH Specialist Schools!
This role has a competitive starting salary of £43,996 per annum (including market supplement) based on 36 hours per week, across 52 weeks a year (equivalent to a Band 6 NHS post).
Are you an enthusiastic, qualified Speech and Language Therapist with over 2 years' experience looking make a difference to young people's lives?
If so, we can offer an opportunity to join our skilled, supportive and solution-focused team where you will develop the speech, language and communication skills of children and young people in our specialist schools for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and for young people in our Youth Justice Service.
'Impressive' Surrey Youth Offending Service rated 'Good' (re: inspection 2021)
Surrey Youth Offending Service (YOS) has received an overall rating of 'Good' following an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation. This follows an inspection in 2019, when the service was given an overall rating of 'Inadequate'.
Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: "To go from an 'Inadequate' to 'Good' rating in just a few years is quite an achievement. Surrey YOS is now an organised and focused service that understands the children under their supervision. They have an impressive range of innovative services for each child, which look to deter them from further offending at the earliest opportunity."
We have a post in each of the following areas:
- North West Surrey (Woking, Runnymede, Surrey Heath)
- South East Surrey (Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge)
Rewards and Benefits
- 26 days' holiday rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
- Paid RCSLT membership and HCPC fees
- Comprehensive clinical supervision programme including a buddy, 1:1 meetings with line manager, extensive in house training programme and formal external training opportunities, access to clinical effectiveness groups, case study groups and enhanced probation support, termly whole-team study days, encouragement to join and attend CEN's relating to practice
- Opportunities to develop management skills by taking on line management of assistants or experienced autonomous therapists (NQPs who have completed competencies) and taking students. Training and support is provided
- An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
- 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
About the Team
The Surrey SLT service is a large team (over 160) of both qualified therapists and non-qualified therapy assistants working in mainstream and specialist provisions through primary, secondary and colleges, as well as working with our Youth Justice Team.
We have excellent supervision and CPD models plus a rolling in-house training programme; we are committed to continuous learning and development. We champion our team and one of our Therapists was voted People's Choice in the Surrey Stars Awards receiving over 500 votes showing just how well the service is regarded in the organisation!
We are a forward thinking service and have been involved with the RCSLT and Reading University around the dysphagia competences linked to student placements and currently supporting with the rewriting of NQP competencies. There is close working with the Youth Justice team with additional support provided by their service.
The Speech and Language Therapy Service is part of Surrey County Council's local offer to support the special educational needs and disabilities of children and young people within mainstream schools and specialist provision. This Service is part of the Inclusion & Additional Needs Team in Surrey's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate, and as such works collaboratively with other teams such as Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers and SEN teams.
We aim to deliver the right support at the right time, through assessment and intervention; equipping families and professionals with the skills and resources to work together to support children with SLCN. We offer universal, targeted and specialist support for children, families and the school workforce; working with children and young people with EHCPs and those at SEN support following Surrey's Graduated Response. We also have a specialist dysphagia service and specialist deaf service.
About the Role
Your main duties in the role of Specialist Speech and Language Therapist will include:
- Clinical decision making in conjunction with school/college staff around the level of support needed to achieve the best possible outcome for the children and young people on your defined caseload
- Working with assistants, setting targets for the children and young people they are supporting, and monitoring of the delivery and outcomes of their work
- Assessment, advice and intervention for children with a range of speech, language and communication needs within your caseload. For children and young people on your caseload who are considered to have complex needs and where a joint multidisciplinary approach is essential to achieving the best outcome for these children and young people, you will be supported by your clinical team leader
- Supporting junior members of the team, line managing others and taking on students
You will work in partnership with other colleagues to ensure a holistic and child centred approach to identifying and meeting children and young people's needs. Some examples are:
- Providing training for magistrates and other court users
- Developing communication passports and sharing these with and training youth practitioners to use
- Working with the MDT working in Specialist schools for children with SEMH
- Contributing to the service clinical group case studies, data collection and service improvement for SEMH and Youth Justice
- Supporting the development and delivery of the annual service plan linked to the organisational aims and strategies
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your CV and personal statement should evidence the following:
- Degree in Speech and Language Therapy and a minimum of 2 years' experience working as an SLT (slightly less with signed off completion of NQP competencies may be considered)
- Registration with the HCPC and RCSLT, and permission to work in the UK
- An understanding of the English education system including the National Curriculum and SEND code of practice
- Enthusiasm to support the development of the team and service
- Experience of leading and supporting others including newly qualified therapists, assistants, students, work experience placements
- A range of evidence-based interventions used to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
- Experience of working within a specialist school for children and young people (CYP) with social emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties or working with a caseload CYP with SEMH as a primary need
- Experience of working within Youth Justice or an ability to demonstrate transferrable skills to this client group and field of work
Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Speech & Language Therapists will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Rachel Brown by e-mail at rachel.brown@surreycc.gov.uk or Sarah O'Driscoll by e-mail at sarah.o'driscoll@surreycc.gov.uk
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 29.09.2024 with interviews to follow.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:
- The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
- The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.
We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
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