Job responsibilities
JOB DESCRIPTION
Paediatric Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Community Neurorehabilitation
Location: Community-based eg. client homes, clinics, remote work, South West England and South Wales
Hours: Based on the clients individual funding
Reports to: Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors
Accountable to: Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors
Job SummaryThe post holder will have their working base at home and will provide Speech and Language Therapy assessment and rehabilitation services to children and young people with acquired and traumatic brain injury and neurological conditions, in the clients own homes, school/college settings, in the community, or at a designated clinic room.The post holder will work in an inter-service context across several systems, including the child, family and wider caregiving network, case managers, legal services, allied health professionals both within and external to Totus, and with the NHS, education services and statutory agencies. The post holder will be supported by the Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors to provide a high-quality, specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to children and adolescents with neurological conditions (e.g., traumatic/acquired brain injury, stroke, long-term neurological conditions) as part of a community-based multidisciplinary team.The post holder will work with autonomy to assess and treat clients with complex needs, using developmentally informed practice to support communication, cognitive-communication skills, swallowing safety where appropriate, and participation in daily routines, school engagement, social interaction, play, and transitions. Support for vocational or further-education communication needs may be relevant for older adolescents and young adults.Key ResponsibilitiesKnowledge and Training
The post holder is required to hold a degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
The post holder must be registered as a Speech and Language Therapist with the Health Care Professions Council and be a member of RCSLT.
The post holder must undertake the mandatory Continuing Professional Development hours specified by the RCSLT/HCPC, and must seek and obtain supervision from senior professional colleagues, in order to maintain advanced specialist skills.
Clinical Duties
Manage a defined caseload of children and young people with complex speech, language, communication and cognitive-communication needs arising from neurological conditions.
Conduct detailed and developmentally appropriate assessments using formal and informal tools, play-based assessment, observation and parent/teacher reports.
Develop and deliver personalised, evidence-based treatment plans that support participation at home, school and in the community.
Evaluate outcomes using recognised measures and adjust therapy accordingly.
Provide therapy across settings including the childs home, nursery/school/college, community environments and remotely where appropriate.
Support children, families and education staff with communication strategies, cognitive-communication approaches, andwhere relevantpaediatric dysphagia management.
Complete risk assessments relevant to home, school and community contexts, ensuring appropriate safety measures are in place.
Provide education, modelling and coaching to parents/carers, school teams and support staff on the childs needs and recommended strategies.
Write comprehensive and clear reports to summarise needs, progress and recommendations, including input for EHCPs where appropriate.
Write detailed goal plans alongside the MDT that reflect child-centred, family-centred and education-relevant outcomes.
Communication Skills
Skills in communicating sensitive and distressing information to children, parents and families are required.
Ability to summarise and interpret highly complex and sensitive information and produce concise, accessible reports for families, schools and external agencies.
IT skills to use online systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Gmail, literature search engines and cloud-based software.
Multidisciplinary Working
Contribute to regular MDT case reviews and collaborative goal setting.
Work collaboratively with OTs, PTs, Psychologists, dieticians, Case Managers, Carers, Support Workers, and Education professionals.
Liaise with GPs, case managers, CAMHS, families, carers, and other external agencies.
Supervision, Training and Support
Offer advice and second opinions on complex cases within scope of competence.
Deliver training to MDT colleagues, school staff, and external stakeholders when appropriate.
Participate in peer review, clinical supervision, and reflective practice.
Clinical Governance and Service Development
Ensure all practice complies with professional guidelines.
Maintain high-quality, accurate clinical records in line with HCPC and RCSLT standards.
Participate in data collection for quality improvement.
Notify the Totus Directors on the requirement and development of clinical protocols and pathways.
Follow all clinical policies including safeguarding, risk, and infection control policies.
Identify and report risks or safeguarding concerns appropriately.
Key Relationships
Clients and their families/carers
Multidisciplinary team e.g., OTs, PTs, Psychologists, Nurses
Schools, SENCOs, GPs, Community Paediatrics, CAMHS, social care, Case Managers, Solicitors and voluntary agencies
Working Conditions The post holder will work primarily from home but will be required to visit childrens homes and education settings to conduct assessments and interventions. Clinic rooms may also be used where appropriate. The post holder will be required to drive for up to 1.5 hours at a time and often up to 4 hours in a day. There is a frequent requirement for VDU and computer use depending on service demands. The post holder is required to concentrate intensely for prolonged periods during individual assessments, family interviews and school observations, sometimes with distressed, fatigued or emotionally dysregulated children. There may be some children requiring assessment who are confused, agitated or behaviourally disinhibited following brain injury.Person Specification Summary
Recognised SLT degree and HCPC registration
Evidence of post-qualification experience in paediatric neurorehabilitation, cognitive-communication work and/or paediatric dysphagia
Skilled in delivering complex paediatric assessments and interventions
Ability to work independently while contributing to a team approach
Strong communication, organisation, and clinical reasoning skills
Commitment to CPD, supervision, and reflective practice
Health and Safety, Confidentiality and Equal OpportunitiesHEALTH AND SAFETY/SECURITY
It is the duty of every therapist to work in such a way that accidents to themselves and to others are avoided, and to co-operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimising risk. It is each persons responsibility to ensure a secure environment and bring any breaches of security to the attention of the Totus Directors.
NON-SMOKING POLICY
Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd operates a Non-Smoking Policy which limits smoking in the workplace. Therapists are required to observe the rules laid down in the policy and failure to do so may result in disciplinary being taken.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd has given its full commitment to the adoption and promotion of the key principles of equal opportunities contained within current legislation and the Totus Equal Opportunities Policy.
All staff hold personal responsibility for the application of this policy on a day-to-day basis and should not undertake any acts of discriminatory practice during the course of their employment. Similarly, all staff have a responsibility to highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to the Directors and their supervisors.
Confidentiality
In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about patients, members of staff or other health service business. On no account must information relating to identifiable patients be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, medical, nursing or other professional staff, as appropriate, who are concerned directly with the care, diagnosis and /or treatment of the patient. If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to the authority of a person or body asking for information of this nature, you must seek advice from the Totus Directors. Similarly, no information of a personal or confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded by management as serious or gross misconduct which could result in disciplinary action being taken against you.
This job description will be subject to review with the post holder to ensure it continues to reflect the requirements of the role.
