Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Do you have a passion for supporting children with complex needs and their families to develop communication and feeding skills? Do you enjoy working flexibly across home and community settings as part of a skilled multidisciplinary team?

We are seeking an experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join our Complex Needs and Feeding Team on a full-time, fixed-term basis (maternity cover - 12 months from March The role primarily focuses on children aged 0–5 with complex developmental needs, including dysphagia and eating and drinking difficulties. You will provide assessment, advice, therapy support, and training to families and partner professionals, working closely with our experienced and supportive team of dysphagia-trained therapists who are passionate about this specialist caseload.

There will also be the opportunity to contribute to the school-age pathway for one day per week, supporting interventions and involvement in Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) processes. The post offers valuable opportunities for joint working, supervision, and continued professional development within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment.

To independently assess , diagnose, manage and evaluate outcomes for children and young people presenting with a range of speech, language, communication needs/eating and drinking difficulties, some of which may be highly complex.

To hold a caseload of children under 5, presenting with a range of speech, language, communication needs/eating and drinking difficulties, some of which may be highly complex.

Provide second opinions as required.

Contribute to successful child centred, multi-disciplinary assessment and intervention.

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development

Widening access (anchor institution) and employability

Improving the experience of staff with disability

Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development

Making equalities mainstream

Job Summary:

1. Accountable to the Children and Young People's Therapies Manager

1. To provide as part of the Community Children and Young People's Speech and Language Therapy service a comprehensive and inclusive speech and language therapy service for children and young people referred to this service. The children may present with a range of speech, language and communication/eating and drinking needs of varying severity.

2. To contribute to successful child centred, multi-disciplinary assessment and intervention.

3. To independently assess, diagnose, manage and evaluate outcomes for children and young people presenting with a range of speech, language, communication needs/eating and drinking difficulties, some of which may be highly complex, and provide second opinions as required.

4. To contribute to the development and provision of training packages for parents, carers and education and health staff.

5. To participate in the development, testing out and implementing of new ways of working.

6. The post holder will develop a clinical specialism within the broad range of speech, language and communication/eating and drinking/dysphagia needs within the caseload.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

• To contribute to improved patient/client experience
• To manage a complex caseload independently, being accountable for own professional actions.
• To provide effective speech and language therapy assessment and intervention within a team around the child and multi-disciplinary ethos and framework.
• To plan, set up and monitor specialist treatment programmes where required, to be carried out by parents, carers, teaching and support staff within the appropriate settings.
• To monitor and review the progress of children on the caseload ensuring there is evidence of sound clinical practice, with due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.
• To hold an overview of the therapist's caseload, to monitor demand and capacity, identify areas of risk, emerging needs, staffing levels and areas for service development, advising line manager accordingly.
• To ensure strong development of self and contribution to development of others.
• To be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive and specialist speech and language therapy service to children and young people referred to the Community Children and Young People's Speech and Language Therapy Team including those presenting with complex special needs such as learning difficulties, autism and developmental language disorder and eating and drinking difficulties Ensuring that the service provided is integrated, based on evidence based and best practice, equitable, responsive to the needs of the children and their environment and delivered in accordance with service care pathways/protocols and Trust policies and guidelines.
• To use specialist knowledge to independently assess, diagnose and formulate treatment plans, across the full range of speech, language communication/eating and drinking difficulties for the children and young people.
• To support education staff in helping children with speech, language and/or communication difficulties to access the curriculum by advising on adaptation and differentiation to meet needs and by contributing information and recommendations to Education and Health Care Plans and to the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of Individual Education Plans and targets.
• To ensure that clients are referred to other services within and external to the Trust as appropriate for further investigation, support and/or continuity of care e.g. Communication Clinic for diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Audiology, videofluoroscopy.
• To maintain and provide full, accurate case notes and reports reflecting specialist knowledge, and in accordance with Service/Trust guidelines and policies.
• To be accountable for own professional actions and the actions of those working under the post holder's supervision and guidance and recognise professional boundaries through interpretation of clinical and professional policies at a national and local level.
• To be aware of and adhere to Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Speech and Language Therapy protocols and national and local standards and guidelines relating to professional practice.
• To be aware of and adhere to current legislation and employer procedures relating to the post.
• To contribute to the development of service plans, team objectives, care pathways and projects, taking into account the evidence base/best practice, local and national priorities, guidelines and policies.
• To gather and update activity data accurately and regularly in accordance with service guidelines.