Job Description

ADVANCED SPECIALIST PAEDIATRIC SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST

Service: / Children and Young People
Job Title: / Advanced Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist
Responsible For:
(through line management structure) / Specialist Paediatric Therapists, Therapy Assistants, Students and Volunteers
Responsible To:
(through appraisal process) / Therapy Team Coordinator
Job Purpose: / Provision and delivery of a specialist therapy service to children with Cerebral Palsy and similar neuro-developmental conditions generally aged up to 5 years through holistic child/family centred approach
Job Context: / White Lodge Centre is an independent voluntary organisation working with children and adults with disabilities. All staff must adhere to its agreed aims and objectives.

White Lodge Centre General Employment Policies

  1. To work within the context of all the organisations policies and procedures.
  1. To work in a way consistent with the principle of equal opportunities, giving each person using the service practical skills and social status that are valued within their communities, ensuring anti-racist and anti-sexist work practices which help service users value anti-discriminatory attitudes and behaviour.
  1. To be aware of and sensitive to the impact of class, gender, race and prejudice on attitudes, professional relationships and professional judgement and be willing to intervene.
  1. To maintain confidentiality at all times and to ensure respect for, proper observance of and adhere to the organisation's confidentiality policy for all staff.
  1. To ensure all relevant aspects of Health and Safety requirements are known and adhered to, ensuring the health and safety of staff and volunteers at all times.
  1. To undertake any other duties which are consistent with the post.
  1. This job description is subject to periodic review and it is expected the post holder will contribute to the active development of the role as the needs of the organisation alter and to be available and willing to undertake training as appropriate.

Revised November 2013
Job Description: Advanced Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist / Page 1

Advanced Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist:

Accountabilities and Tasks

Main Duties as a part of a trans/interdisciplinary team using a holistic child/centred family approach:

  1. Hold clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of babies and children and manage this efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities.
  2. Assess each child and their family’s needs using interviewing skills, medical notes, clinical observation and handling in a variety of everyday environments with emphasis on communication, feeding, posture and play.
  3. a.) Use highly skilled and sensitive physical handling techniques .

b.) Further develop and maintain clinical handling skills, to practice at an advanced specialist level, incorporating knowledge of impaired neurological function on movement and muscle tone and motor development and the impact this has on communication, feeding, play, social, cognitive and sensory development.

  1. Adjust communication according to the age and comprehension level of the child including use of gesture and augmentive communication aids.
  2. Plan, implement and evaluate treatment and management plans and authorise discharge, considering both the short and long term needs of the child and their family/carers.
  3. Identify and review treatment goals (long and short term) using individual, joint and group sessions.
  4. Initiate, co-ordinate, implement and evaluate individual, joint and group treatment sessions within the centre and at external settings.
  5. Communicate and discuss the child’s needs with their families/carers and other involved practitioners and teach them therapy programmes using verbal, written and/or pictorial representations.
  6. Have an extensive knowledge of suitable equipment and its use. Arrange and take part in the transdisciplinary assessment for specialised equipment.
  7. To set up and adapt communication and feeding equipment, show families/carers how to use it safely, advise on when and how often it should be used and monitor it as the child grows/changes and monitor the effect of the equipment once provided.
  8. Refer to health, education and social services for the procurement of equipment and advise families of sources of equipment and funding.
  9. Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of work including management and paperwork of the children and the families within the White Lodge Centre, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT) policies and guidelines.
  10. Attend and give professional advice in annual reviews, team around the child (TAC) meetings, health reviews and other meetings to further support the child’s diagnosis, development, general well being and educational requirements. Attend educational or other tribunals at the request of the education or health authority or parents.
  11. Provide clinical supervision for peers, specialist Speech & Language Therapists, assistants and students.
  12. Be actively involved in the recruitment of staff.
  13. Actively promote and contribute to the smooth effective working of the trans disciplinary team both within White Lodge Centre and with external agencies through joint working and conflict resolution.

Advanced Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist:

Personal Requirements for the Role

  1. A comprehensive and specialist knowledge of the causes, diagnosis and presentation of cerebral palsy and its associated and similar conditions in babies and young children.
  2. Expert skills in facilitating holistic family centred intervention including planning and management of therapy intervention in complex family situations.
  3. To be able to demonstrate empathy and high level communication skills when explaining complex and sensitive issues to children and families/carers.
  4. A thorough understanding of treatment interventions from a wide range of clinical options according to the child’s and family’s needs including Bobath or similar Neuro Developmental Treatment techniques, Sensory integration, 24 hour postural programme, Dysphagia management and Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) approaches and the clinical reasoning behind their use.
  5. A thorough theoretical knowledge of the practical application of specialist paediatric standardised assessments and the ability to apply these.

6.To have a thorough understanding of health and safety in the work place.

Legislation and Health and Safety

  1. Actively ensure speech and language therapy is carried out in accordance with the policies and procedures of White Lodge Centre, current legislation and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT) policies, developing and changing practice as needed.
  2. Undertake or ensure that appropriate risk assessments are complete.
  3. Ensure that all therapy equipment, materials and tools are clean and safe and fit for purpose.

The Child and their family

  1. Be proactive in working with young children and their families.
  2. Have expert knowledge on the impact of disability on the child and their family and guide the child and family/carer in planning for a future that maximises their independence.
  3. Be aware of safeguarding children issues and act promptly regarding any concern in accordance with guidelines.
  4. Identify when children and families need to access other services both internally and externally and refer accordingly.

Continuing Professional Development of Self and Others

  1. Be responsible for your own continued professional and personal development.
  2. Attend and actively participate in regular supervision, appraisals and staff meetings.
  3. Attend external and internal courses, feeding back new knowledge through in-house training and making appropriate changes in service delivery.
  4. Demonstrate increasing expert and specialist knowledge through improving and advancing own practice and contribute to the promotion of practice across the service.
  5. Actively explore the use of new treatment approaches and assessments and implement and evaluate them as appropriate.
  6. Actively seek out new research to increase White Lodge evidence base for clinical practice and to influence changes in service delivery.
  7. Provide training both internally and externally to parents, carers, students and practioners.
  8. Actively contribute to the service outcomes and policies.
  9. Record your own personal development through a reflective portfolio in accordance with the current HCPC and RCSLT guidelines.

Person Specifications

Requirements / Essential / Desirable
Qualifications: / BSc Degree in Speech & Language Therapy or Equivalent
Registration: / HCPC & RCSLT / Special Interest Groups
Post Graduate Training: / Post Basic Paediatric Dysphagia Course
Neonate/Infant Dysphagia Course to Specialist Dysphagia Practitioner Level (See RCSLT Inter Professional Dysphagia Framework) / AAC training including Makaton, Grid 2 etc.
Post Graduate Experience: / Substantial experience in assessing and treating pre-school children with complex neurological conditions. To meet both their Dysphagia and communication needs
Able to work autonomously and manage own caseload / Experience of implementing change and service development.
Communication Skills: / Excellent verbal & written communication skills
Ability to work in an MDT setting
Teaching to other professionals within organisation / Able to establish strong links with community teams
IT Skills (Outlook/ Word/Excel/ Powerpoint)
Special Aptitudes: / Excellent interpersonal skills
Highly organised
Excellent Time Management / Able to lead and motivate staff
Developing a vision for future direction of services
Awareness of Quality Assurance/ Policy and practice.
Personal Qualities: / Dependable
Confident/ self-reliant
Highly flexible/ adaptable and forward-thinking
Able to work in busy environment
Car owner & driver
Revised November 2013
Job Description: Advanced Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist / Page 1