Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Band 7, School

**Clinical Skills and Responsibilities**: Provide high quality, evidence based and equitable speech and language therapy interventions for children and young people attending The Childrens Trust. Lead the provision of high quality, evidence based speech and language therapy provision for children and young people attending The Childrens Trust School in partnership with other members of the Multidisciplinary Team and Education services. Support the Multidisciplinary Team regarding the impact of tracheostomies, on speaking and swallowing following assessment of laryngeal integrity, secretion management and swallow. Undertake specialist speech and language therapy assessments of children with highly complex needs e.g.
multiple co-morbidities, neurodisabilities and chronic conditions, through standardised and non-standardised assessments and clinical observations. Devise suitable, individual, speech and language therapy plan that fit within the childs daily routine, whether to be carried out by parents or members of the Multidisciplinary team; these should be monitored, evaluated, and adjusted appropriately according to the needs of the child. Be an autonomous practitioner with responsibility for assessment, treatment, and planning for an allocated caseload of children/young people. Be a key point of support and advice for the speech and language therapy team and Multidisciplinary team.
Work closely with all members of the Multidisciplinary team, as well as the child and family, to provide a fully integrated approach to the overall management of the child. This will include any home/school visits, professional child related meetings and / or appointments, as required. Liaise with all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by The Childrens Trust, visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics with the child as required. Contribute to the assessment and discussion of new referrals to The Childrens Trust, carrying out off site referral assessments around the United Kingdom, as required.
Contribute to child related reports, including looked after children and annual review reports as required, and assist with the collation of these as and when required, in a timely manner and in line with organisational targets. Utilise patient reported and standardised outcome measures for each allocated child/young person and complete in a timely manner. Assess, evaluate, and recommend discharge/transition plans for children/young people within the multidisciplinary team framework. Provide assessment and management guidelines for young people with assistive technology needs, sharing information with the assistive technology team, and referring to national hubs where appropriate.
Provide assessment and intervention in the clinical area of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) for school, teaching and integrating skills with members of the Multidisciplinary and educational teams. Support the Multidisciplinary and Education team with measuring short term targets through using the IMpacts curriculum, therapy outcome measurement tools e.g. Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). Teach, integrate, and monitor speech and language therapy interventions in the childs environment, whether it is carried out by parents, school staff, therapy staff, nursing and care staff or volunteers.
Assess, and organise the provision of necessary speech and language therapy / eating and drinking equipment. Keep appropriate and accurate intervention records, fulfilling legal, professional and all other requirements of The Childrens Trust. Contribute to child related reports, including looked after children and annual review reports as required, and assist with the collation of these as required, in a timely manner in line with organisational targets. Escalate any concerns around dysphagia to our specialist providers and medical teams, where appropriate.
Lead and deliver a tiered model approach for speech and language therapy at The Childrens Trust School, providing regular integrated time to classes and houses. Provide leadership within the context of MDTs in Special Schools internally and externally. Work closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team and the child and family to provide a fully integrated approach to the overall management of the child. This will include any home/school visits, professional child related meetings and appointments as required.
Assess, evaluate, and recommend discharge/transition plans for children/young people within the multidisciplinary team framework. Provide clinical cover across the service during episodes of staff shortage/heavy workload, in order to ensure effective service delivery. Work flexibly in terms of hours, in order to meet the needs of the service, including an early evening (weekly) and one weekend day, per calendar month. Represent the Therapy Team and The Childrens Trust when appropriate, deputising for the Heads of Therapy as required.
Actively participate in and support