Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

Changing the lives of children and young people with communication difficulties across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 Speech and Language Therapy Assistant to join an integrated speech and language therapy service across our two trusts. The post-holder will be based in Cambridge.

If you have proven experience of working with children and young people, strong communication and interpersonal skills and enjoy working flexibly with various teams, we’d love to hear from you.

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated speech and language therapy assistant fora Band 4 post, based in Cambridge. The successful applicant will provide intervention to children who have a range of speech, language and communication needs under the direction of a speech and language therapist. They will also provide vital admin support to the speech and language therapists in the locality.

Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There’s one reason why our services are outstanding - and that’s our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

**Children and Young People’s Services**: provided in partnership by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

**Job Purpose**:

- The post holder will be responsible for assisting the speech and language therapists in their clinical and administrative work, including data entry. S/he will implement intervention programmes. This work will be managed rather than supervised. The client group is children who have difficulties in understanding and/or using speech and language.

Main

**Responsibilities**:
Clinical(approximately 60% of working hours)
1. To implement speech and language therapy packages with children and make modifications as necessary for child or circumstances, and to assist in the planning of routine activities. This includes children of pre-school and school age on the community caseload in location. To assist SLTs in running groups as required.
1. To monitor the children’s progress and assess their progress in response to treatment.
2. To make observations about children’s communication skills and responses to activities and use initiative to change intervention in order to assist in assessment and therapy. The speech and language therapist will be available by phone to discuss changes to therapy packages.
3. To contribute to administrative duties connected with the caseload including updating children’s case records, following service standards.

Administrative(approximately 40% of working hours)
1. To carry out clerical and administrative tasks supporting the delivery of clinical work. These may include arranging appointments, data collection and entry (manually and/or using IT), filing, photocopying and typing of clinical reports, letters and treatment plans
2. To ensure that agreed data is collected and entered onto the SLT database
3. To organise and prepare treatment materials, including communication aids

Communication

1. To communicate effectively with children who have a range of difficulties with speech, language and communication in a variety of settings (e.g. clinics and schools)
2. To communicate effectively with other professionals responsible for the care of the child, and exchange patient information with colleagues.
3. To recognise how and when information may be shared within the bounds of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
4. Contribute to CCS’ internal communication strategies ensuring effective two-way communication and engagement within the organisation
5. Contribute to CCS’ external communication strategies working with the Head of Communications to raise awareness and promote the reputation of CCS’ services

Human Resources

1. Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal process. Day to day supervision of less experienced staff.

Training
1. To assist the SLTs in the organisation and delivery of training to other professionals and parents as appropriate
2. To actively participate in in-service training and other courses as appropriate in order to develop and maintain knowledge and skills as appropriate and identified through objective setting and personal development review. This will include either NVQ IV or Elklan level 3.
3. To attend all PCT mandatory training

Clinical and Practice Governance

1. Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line w