Job summary
Are you a qualified Speech and Language Therapist looking for your next career opportunity? Due to additional investment in our Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service, we are delighted to be recruiting to a number of new Band 6 posts across our service in the London Borough of Redbridge. These new positions provide exciting opportunities for therapists to develop specialist skills while helping us expand and enhance the support we offer to children, young people and their families.

We are recruiting Speech and Language Therapists to work within the following specialist pathways:

• Mainstream Schools and Speech Sound Disorders
• Mainstream Schools and Selective Mutism
• Early Years
• Complex Needs and Preschool Social Communication Team

These posts are available as Band 6 positions, and we will also consider applications for a Band 5-6 Development Post. Applicants for the Band 5-6 Development pathway must have successfully completed their RCSLT Newly Qualified Practitioner (Band 5) Competencies and be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and clinical experience required to progress towards Band 6 practice through a supported development programme.

At NELFT, we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements wherever possible, so please let us know if there is a working pattern that would help you balance your professional and personal commitments.

Redbridge is a great place to live and work - a thriving community with an abundance of amenities and good transport links. You can find out more about the area and the services that we provide to local residents on our careers website – www.careers.nelft.nhs.uk.

You will be joining a friendly, supportive and highly experienced team, delivering services to children and young people with a wide range of speech, language and communication needs across community clinics, early years settings, preschools and schools. The role includes assessment, intervention, consultation and training for parents, carers and education staff. There are excellent opportunities for continuing professional development and specialisation, including Autism, AAC, speech sound disorders and complex communication needs.

These roles would suit:

• Experienced Band 5 Speech and Language Therapists who have completed their RCSLT NQP (Band 5 SLT) competencies and are looking to progress through a supported Band 5-6 development pathway.
• Established Band 6 Speech and Language Therapists seeking a new challenge, specialist pathway or leadership opportunities within a growing service.

Main duties of the job
Speech and Language Therapists are core to the efficient service delivery that we provide to our patients.

As a Speech and Language Therapist in our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team, you will deliver care to service users in the community, clinics and education settings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The main responsibilities of the post:

• To provide a comprehensive Speech and Language Therapy Service to clients referred with social communication needs and speech and language disorders in a range of settings such as schools, early years settings, community clinics and the child development centre to include assessment, diagnoses and treatment.
• To be responsible for organising and prioritising own workload in the day-to-day allocation of work.
• To deputise when required in the team managers absence and delegate appropriately to junior colleagues.
• To contribute to multidisciplinary support for clients with a range of speech, language and communication difficulties.
• To provide feedback and advice to parents/carers, family members, and members of the multidisciplinary team regarding communication needs and strategies to facilitate development.
• To develop and deliver training and support packages.
• To regularly attend supervision and commit to the supervision process as a means for developing reflective and clinical decision-making skills.

Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.

Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High-Cost Area Supplement
This post also attracts payment for High-Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,870 and a maximum payment of £6,137) pro rata for part time staff.

Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Working for Us
Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, as well as staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent.
• Please refer to the Job Description for further details about the role and its responsibilities.

Desirable

• Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Please refer to the Job Description for further details about the role and its responsibilities.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in education settings and community clinics with children who have speech, language, communication and/or feeding difficulties.
• Please refer to the Job Description for further details about the role and its responsibilities.

Desirable

• Experience with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) approaches low and high tech.
• Please refer to the Job Description for further details about the role and its responsibilities.

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.

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