Job summary
We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and creative Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to be part of our well established service within the beautiful and diverse county of Hertfordshire. This post is based in Hemel Hempstead and comes with numerous opportunities to develop your specialist skills that suit your preferences and professional background. You will be joining an innovative and agile Children and Young People's Therapies (CYPT) service committed to delivering high quality care and transforming lives.
There are also opportunities to work with children and young people from 0-18 in preschool, clinic, mainstream schools and colleges including opportunities in specialist provisions for CYP with learning disabilities and complex needs.
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our integrated service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning . We are jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings.
Main duties of the job
You will work with children and young people (CYP) from 0-18, working collaboratively within settings, providing assessment and therapy to meet the needs of CYP. You will also have opportunity to further develop specialist clinical skills in areas such as DLD and speech disorders, stammering, ASD and cleft palate. As a specialist speech and language therapist you will use your skills and experience to support the wider SLT team.
We offer:
- Regular group supervision, managerial supervision and a well-established appraisal system
- CPD opportunities such as Bitesize tutorials, peer review and locally hosted CENs for DLD and ASD
- Opportunities to develop leadership skills and to supervise less experienced members of staff
- Being involved in local and service wide projects with your colleagues
- Mobile working
- Opportunities to work alongside other therapists/assistants to deliver evidence based episodes of care to children/young people requiring specialist support
- A 2 week induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow your team, including access to a buddy
Interviews will take place on 23 May.
About us
A big thank you for considering joining us at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
You'll find it a great place to work with many benefits offered to you as a member of our staff
We put our patients, their families and carers at the centre of our vision - Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities
Our staff are proud to be Innovative, Caring and Agile in their work to help achieve the Trust vision
We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds and ages
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust has excellent opportunities to develop your career, we're proud to be able to offer a range of services to develop your skills such as our Making Things Better toolkit, our Culture Leadership Programme as well as a range of other training opportunities to develop your leadership and clinical skills.
You've made a great decision to apply to join to HCT - we're looking forward to taking the next steps of the journey with you.
Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post. Also attached is the Person Specification.
Successful candidates will need to be enthusiastic and motivated. Good communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of your patients.
Applicants wanting to work full time or part time will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet childrens needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.
Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post. Also attached is the Person Specification.
Successful candidates will need to be enthusiastic and motivated. Good communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of your patients.
Applicants wanting to work full time or part time will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet childrens needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.
Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Recognised SLT degree qualification or equivalent (Post Graduate Diploma or MSc in Speech and Language Therapy leading to registration with HCPC)
- HCPC Licence to Practice
- Fully Registered member of RCSLT
- Post graduate training in area of work, internal or external
Desirable
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Well established knowledge of assessments and interventions for client group
- Familiar with policies and procedures relating to Child Protection
- Knowledge of NHS, Education and Social Care policy and directives where these impact on area of specialism or service delivery
- Experience of managing own caseload
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with parents, carers and other professionals
- Experience of providing training and support to SLT students, SLTAs, professionals and carers
- Ability to assess, analyse, interpret and compare complex information and make decisions on appropriate course of action
- Work with a wide range of diagnosis groups, including learning disability, physical and neurological impairment
- Highly developed auditory and perceptual skills for specialist assessment, differential diagnosis and treatment of clients
- Ability to act swiftly to react to the needs and actions of all age ranges e.g. challenging behaviours.
- Able to switch between different techniques and models of service delivery within a short time frame.
- Able to contribute specialist knowledge as part of legal proceedings involved in child protection and educational tribunals when required.
Other
Essential
- Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Recognised SLT degree qualification or equivalent (Post Graduate Diploma or MSc in Speech and Language Therapy leading to registration with HCPC)
- HCPC Licence to Practice
- Fully Registered member of RCSLT
- Post graduate training in area of work, internal or external
Desirable
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Well established knowledge of assessments and interventions for client group
- Familiar with policies and procedures relating to Child Protection
- Knowledge of NHS, Education and Social Care policy and directives where these impact on area of specialism or service delivery
- Experience of managing own caseload
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with parents, carers and other professionals
- Experience of providing training and support to SLT students, SLTAs, professionals and carers
- Ability to assess, analyse, interpret and compare complex information and make decisions on appropriate course of action
- Work with a wide range of diagnosis groups, including learning disability, physical and neurological impairment
- Highly developed auditory and perceptual skills for specialist assessment, differential diagnosis and treatment of clients
- Ability to act swiftly to react to the needs and actions of all age ranges e.g. challenging behaviours.
- Able to switch between different techniques and models of service delivery within a short time frame.
- Able to contribute specialist knowledge as part of legal proceedings involved in child protection and educational tribunals when required.
Other
Essential
- Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
