Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

**Job summary**: The primary purpose of this role is to provide a specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to children and young people aged 0-19 with a range of speech, language, and communication presentations. This community-based role will involve working in a variety of settings, including clinics, mainstream schools, specialist units (SSUs), special schools, nurseries or homes, according to service need. You will: - provide a specialist level of advice, support and training to upskill therapy partners i.e., parents, carers and other professionals working with the child or young person. - manage and prioritise caseloads at a specialist level.
- plan day-to-day service delivery in your designated geographical area as a mini-team lead. - provide leadership, supervision and training for relevant Speech and Language Therapy staff and students. - safeguard children and young people according to policy and procedures. - travel across the county where necessary for carrying out the role.

**Job responsibilities**: Clinical: To provide a specialist level of expertise in the assessment and management of children and young people presenting with a wide range of speech, language and communication difficulties. To determine differential diagnosis, level of need and treatment options, taking account of case history information, and using informal and formal assessment methods. To communicate assessment outcomes verbally and in written reports to referrers, clients, parents and carers, education staff, health colleagues and other professionals. Communication should be completed in a timely manner taking into account confidentiality and the complex, sensitive nature of the information conveyed and the needs of the recipients.

To formulate and implement the most appropriate therapeutic interventions to improve the speech, language and communication profile of service users following departmental criteria, clinical guidance and evidence-based practice. To upskill, engage and motivate the therapy partner (parent, carer, or teaching staff) and in some cases the young person themselves to carry out therapeutic activities in between sessions, to ensure best outcomes. To use therapy outcome measures according to departmental guidance to evaluate therapeutic progress and to assist with clinical decision making. To discharge children or young people in a timely manner when they have met the departmental criteria.

To use interpreters and translation services to facilitate access to the service for those using English as an additional language. To assess and advise on the provision of alternative augmentative communication systems (AAC) adhering to departmental protocols, requesting the involvement of external agencies where required. To support and promote the use of AAC where appropriate for the child or young person. To actively seek second opinions from senior colleagues in all aspects of clinical management.

Education and development To support parents and carers, students and other professionals through education, informal or formal training as requested or as agreed with the leadership team. To provide supervision and clinical experience for speech and language therapy students on placement as required. To participate in career promotion opportunities and offer shadowing to prospective speech and language therapy students as required. To act as a mentor for new members of staff or those returning from a period of absence.

To carry out one to one supervision sessions and appraisals as required To guide and signpost the learning and development of supervisees, students, and therapy assistants. To attend all mandatory training required. To take responsibility for the development and maintenance of own clinical skills by continuing professional development and to disseminate any information from courses attended to colleagues. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on clinical practice, seek and understand feedback provided, make action plans for improvements and carry these out to enhance personal and professional development.

Leadership To be an ambassador for the service, the profession, colleagues, and the Trust by following and demonstrating professional and Trust values. To work in accordance with departmental and service objectives. To use initiative to identify and share ideas for improvements. To take a shared approach to teamwork, understanding your own role and the value of diversity.

To support other team members To enable others to solve problems and signpost to support where appropriate. To proactively manage difficulties as they arise, creating action plans and implementing them. To use active listening skills to deal with complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible. To be compassionate to those in distress or complex situations and maintain productive and effective relationships.

To actively challenge and where necessary report any incidence of abuse or discrimination in line with p