Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Full Time

Reigate, Surrey
Surrey County Council

Are you a Qualified Speech and Language Therapist with over 2 years’ experience?

Are you looking to consolidate and develop specialisms working with school aged or post 16 pupils within mainstream or specialist provisions? Perhaps you have an interest in working with deaf children or those with swallowing disorders?

If this is you, we have some great opportunities to join our skilled, supportive and solution-focused team here at Surrey County Council.

We have posts in each of our Surrey quadrants:

• North West (Covering Woking, Runnymede and Surrey Heath)
• South West (Covering Guildford and Waverley)
• North East (Covering Epsom & Ewell, Spelthorne and Elmbridge)
• South East (Covering Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge)

We can offer mixed posts based on your interests that could include mainstream schools and colleges, Specialist Schools supporting a range of additional needs, dysphagia and deafness.
Full or part time hours can be considered.

We can offer you:

• A starting salary of £36,050 per annum – this is for five days a week, 42 weeks per year (term time + 3 weeks of holiday working) pro-rata to £38,746
• Paid fees for RCSLT membership and HCPC
• Flexible working options
• Mobile and agile working solutions
• Comprehensive clinical supervision programme including a buddy, 1:1 meetings with line manager, extensive in house training programme and formal external training opportunities, access to clinical effectiveness groups, case study groups, termly study days, encouragement to join and attend CEN’s relating to practice
• Opportunities to develop management skills (Training and support is provided)
• Generous Local government salary-related pension and the option to join the car lease scheme
• A mixed and varied caseload across settings and age groups
• A team of students, Therapists and Assistants led by a Therapies Manager who is a Speech and Language Therapist
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing tools to support your mental and emotional well-being, including our free confidential Employee Assistance Programme, a range of mental health apps and support for staff in crisis

Speech and Language Therapy at Surrey County Council

The Speech and Language Therapy Service is part of Surrey County Council’s local offer to support the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities of children and young people within mainstream schools and specialist provision. This Service is part of the Inclusion & Additional Needs Team in Surrey’s Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate, working collaboratively with other teams such as Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers and SEN teams.

At a glance!

• We are a large team (over 150) of both qualified Therapists and non-qualified Therapy Assistants.
• We have excellent supervision and CPD models plus a rolling in-house training programme
• We have been working with the RCSLT and Reading University around the dysphagia competences linked to student placements
• One of our Therapists was voted People’s Choice in the Surrey Stars Awards 2022 receiving over 500 votes showing how well the service is regarded in the organisation

We aim to deliver the right support at the right time through assessment and intervention, and equipping families and professionals with the skills and resources to work together to help and support children with SLCN. We offer universal, targeted and specialist support for children, families, and the school workforce, and work with children and young people with EHCPs and those at SEN support following Surrey’s Graduated Response. We also have a specialist dysphagia service and specialist deaf service.

Your role with us

Your main duties in the role of Specialist Speech and Language Therapist will include:

• Clinical decision making in conjunction with school / college staff around the level of support needed to achieve the best possible outcome for the children and young people on your defined caseload
• Working with Assistants, setting targets for the children and young people they are supporting, and monitoring of the delivery and outcomes of their work
• Assessment, advice and intervention for children with a range of speech, language and communication needs. For children and young people on your caseload who are considered to have complex needs and where a joint multidisciplinary approach is essential to achieving the best outcome for these children and young people, you will be supported by your clinical team leader
• Supporting junior members of the team, line managing others and taking on students

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your CV and personal statement will need to clearly evidence the following:

• You are looking to extend your clinical expertise and independent clinical decision making
• Have the motivation to support the development of the therapy team and service
• Have a recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy and a minimum of 2 years’ experience working as an SLT (slightly less experience with signed off completion of NQP competencies may be considered)
• Are registered with the HCPC and RCSLT, and have permission to work in the UK

We are a friendly team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about the work we do. If you feel like this could be the place to further develop your therapy skills and knowledge, we can’t wait to hear from you!

The closing date for this advert is 23:59 on 17th December 2023 with shortlisting and interviewing taking place throughout.