Speech and Language Therapist

Company Description
**Speech and Language Therapists, Discover a new kind of career in healthcare as a disability assessor**

Working in healthcare, and looking for a change? If you’re a Speech and Language Therapist and looking for a change of direction, you could use your skills in a different way as a disability assessor. At Capita PIP, we provide unbiased, comprehensive assessments for claimants of the Government’s disability allowance (Personal Independence Payments), over the phone or in-person, either at one of our clinics or virtually. At present due to Covid restrictions we are not currently completing Assessments in Claimant’s homes.

Our disability assessors write reports which help the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) make important decisions about a person’s health and care. So maybe you’re a Speech and Language Therapist right now and you’d like to move away from direct care or use you current skills in a different way, in a different setting? The extensive training and development this role offers will give you the chance to not only improve your assessment skills, but also to use your knowledge and experience to make important clinical recommendations. We’re looking for people with the compassion and experience to understand our claimants’ health conditions/disabilities and how they impact their lives. And we need people who can balance that with great computer skills, impartiality and strong time management.

It’s a challenging role and can be quite different from other healthcare professions, and that’s why we take your training and development seriously. You’ll begin with a five-week, classroom-based training programme (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) with one hour set aside for self-development learning each day. After this, you’ll enter a 12-week learning pathway. The first six months can be the most difficult, so we’ll be there to support you, with close mentorship provided as you work on your ongoing development. We offer a starting salary of £34,000 (rising to £35,000 once you gain department-approved status) with up to an extra £3,600 quality bonus available if you excel in your report writing.

Overall, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your healthcare knowledge, and gain skills and experience which could open new doors for you. Many of our assessors go on to become team managers, clinical trainers, clinical coaches and quality auditors.

If you’re looking for a change, including more regular working hours, a competitive salary and a host of other benefits, and are ready to expand your skills and experience, this could be the role for you.

**Job Description**:
**What you’ll be doing**:

- conducting face-to-face, virtual or telephone assessments to evaluate how a claimant’s health condition or disability affects their day-to-day life
- observing and reporting on an individual’s ability to carry out activities
- analysing and interpreting clinical information and supporting evidence
- creating three comprehensive reports of the evidence gathered for each claimant, each day
- ensuring enough detail, evidence and justification are given to support the DWP in making decisions
- developing your clinical knowledge and learning about the health conditions which are less familiar to you.

**Qualifications**:
**What we’re looking for**:

- two years’ post-registration experience as Speech and Language Therapist supporting Adults 16+
- BSc in Speech and Language Therapy or MSC/PGDip in Speech and Language Therapy
- fully registered with a relevant UK regulatory body (HCPC), without restriction or conditions and with a valid PIN
- excellent observational and communication skills, giving you the ability to listen, empathise and dig deeper
- the ability to work quickly, producing reports in a timely manner and hitting targets
- solid experience with using IT and Microsoft Office, as well as remotely accessing systems

Additional Information
**Your working hours**:
While you’ll be contracted to work 7.5 hours per day, 37.5 hours per week, you’ll be able to agree your actual working hours with your line manager. We’ll consider your work-life balance, as well as the needs of the business, to try and create a working pattern that benefits both of us.

Working patterns can be between the hours of 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday and include an hour for lunch. For example, 8am - 4:30pm or 9am - 5:30pm. We’ll also try to give you a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice of any changes to your rota if they are needed.

**About Capita PIP**

At Capita, we’re carrying out Personal Independent Payment (PIP) assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) across the Midlands and in Wales, and on behalf of the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland. PIP helps people with a wide variety of disabilities cover the extra costs that they may face when trying to lead full, active and independent lives. Join us and discover how you can use your c