Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 13 May 2025

Job summary

Are you an enthusiastic professional or senior speech & language therapy assistant wanting to use your skills working with children, young people and their families?

The Children Therapies Service are looking for a motivated professional/senior speech & language therapy assistant to join our experienced and friendly Hyndburn , Ribble Valley and Rossendale based locality team.

We work with children and young people aged 0- 19 with well-developed and evidenced based pathways covering the needs of children with communication needs. We can offer clinical and management supervision, specialist support by experienced senior staff, continuing professional development and specialist SLT Forums. The Children Therapies Service has a strong network of clinical leads.

The team comprises of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists and is led by a multidisciplinary management team. We work closely with colleagues in health, education and social care to provide a genuinely child-centred service. We work in a variety of locations, including clinics, children's own homes, nurseries and schools.The successful candidate must be able to effectively manage their own time, and demonstrate excellent communication skills. An interest in working with children and their families is essential.

Main duties of the job

The senior assistant will work within a therapy discipline working with children with complex and additional needs in the community.

They will be an effective member of the Children's integrated Therapy team.

The post holder will have significant experience in working with children with additional and complex needs.

The post holder will work under the direction of a qualified therapist within the Children's integrated Therapy Service. The post holder will be required to carry their own caseload where they will carry out treatment programmes devised by the clinician. The post holder will accept an agreed range of clients and manage a delegated caseload in an appropriate environment e.g. person's home, community settings.

The Senior Assistant will be required to work closely with the client to carry out therapy techniques and treatments, to demonstrate these to clients and carers. The post holder will be required, to carry out detailed observations and feedback the client's response to therapy interventions. The post holder may be working on an individual basis or within a group setting.

The post holder will be required to make/develop and demonstrate resources that support the therapy activities, support delivery of training by the therapy team and will demonstrate safe and effective use of equipment

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-CEN2263-CL

Job locations

Childrens Speech Therapy Hyndburn & Ribble

Preston

PR2 6HT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ 3 in related health/education/care area or hold equivalent knowledge and experience
  • Educated to Diploma level in related health/education/care area or hold equivalent knowledge and experience
  • Good general education including GCSE in English Language or equivalent

Knowledge

Essential

  • Working knowledge of key issues in Additional and Complex Needs
  • Sound working knowledge of professional issues e/.g. confidentiality
  • Good working knowledge of a wide range of therapy techniques relevant to role

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience of working with children with additional and complex needs in a therapeutic/educational environment
  • Significant experience of contributing to therapy assessments
  • Significant experience of handling children in a therapeutic manner to deliver therapy interventions
  • Significant experience of producing information in an accessible format e.g. treatment plans
  • Significant experience of working with people in a person centred way
  • Experience of delivering formal and informal training to carers

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Very good interpersonal & empathy skills
  • Very good oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work under supervision and independently
  • Ability to recognise own competencies and seek support
  • Ability to prioritise duties and tasks independently
Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ 3 in related health/education/care area or hold equivalent knowledge and experience
  • Educated to Diploma level in related health/education/care area or hold equivalent knowledge and experience
  • Good general education including GCSE in English Language or equivalent

Knowledge

Essential

  • Working knowledge of key issues in Additional and Complex Needs
  • Sound working knowledge of professional issues e/.g. confidentiality
  • Good working knowledge of a wide range of therapy techniques relevant to role

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience of working with children with additional and complex needs in a therapeutic/educational environment
  • Significant experience of contributing to therapy assessments
  • Significant experience of handling children in a therapeutic manner to deliver therapy interventions
  • Significant experience of producing information in an accessible format e.g. treatment plans
  • Significant experience of working with people in a person centred way
  • Experience of delivering formal and informal training to carers

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Very good interpersonal & empathy skills
  • Very good oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work under supervision and independently
  • Ability to recognise own competencies and seek support
  • Ability to prioritise duties and tasks independently

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Childrens Speech Therapy Hyndburn & Ribble

Preston

PR2 6HT


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Childrens Speech Therapy Hyndburn & Ribble

Preston

PR2 6HT


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Lead

Caroline Mercer

caroline.mercer@lscft.nhs.uk

01254283814

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-CEN2263-CL

Job locations

Childrens Speech Therapy Hyndburn & Ribble

Preston

PR2 6HT


Supporting documents

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