Job summary The East Hampshire & Portsmouth Children's Therapy team is looking for an innovative and proactive Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist who would like to develop their clinical skills within community paediatrics. If you have excellent organisational, communication and problem solving skills and are able to quickly gain a good rapport with people from a range of backgrounds, we would like you to be part of our team. You will be working in an integrated Children's Therapy service which consists of Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Podiatrists, Therapy Assistants and administration staff. As part of a multi-disciplinary and multiagency team, you will provide services for children with developmental concerns over a wide range of conditions and will have opportunities to gain experience across various settings including community clinics, special and mainstream schools, preschools and home visits. The successful candidate will be expected to work across the locality of East Hampshire and Portsmouth. The Children's Therapy service in East Hampshire is based over a number of sites including Battenburg Avenue Clinic in Portsmouth and the brand new Fareham Hub due to open in March 2025. We are an experienced and supportive team that creates innovative ways of working together to better meet the needs of the child and their family/ carers. We greatly value our staff and can support you to develop your skills. Main duties of the job To formulate, evaluate and review individual specialised speech and language therapy management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of diagnosis and a wide range of treatment skills appropriate to children and young people with communication difficulties, working at all times in partnership with parents, preschool/school staff, and if appropriate the children themselves. About us Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve. Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working. Date posted 24 January 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 5 Salary £29,970 to £36,483 a year based on full time hours Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 449-CFS-6884 Job locations Fort Southwick James Callaghan Drive Fareham Hampshire PO17 6AR Battenburg Avenue Clinic Battenburg Avenue Portsmouth Hampshire PO2 0TA Job description Job responsibilities Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible. We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. Clinical and Professional To be an autonomous practitioner, professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work including the assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and discharge of children on a designated caseload. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the children under your management, adhering to agreed departmental standards, national protocols/policies and the Professional Code of Conduct. To use clinical knowledge and experience to undertake the comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of children with the full range of speech, language and communication difficulties, requiring the ability to make sound clinical decisions To formulate, evaluate and review individual SLT management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of diagnosis and a wide range of treatment skills appropriate to preschool and school aged children, working at all times in partnership with parents, school staff, and if appropriate the children themselves To demonstrate highly developed auditory, perceptual and analytical skills required for the assessment and management of children with a range of communication impairments To become competent in the management of children with feeding and swallowing difficulties, in line with Communicating Quality 3 and the Trust's Dysphagia Policy To enable others (e.g. parents, class teachers, learning support assistants) to deliver effective therapy programmes by identifying barriers to understanding and using highly developed persuasion, negotiation and teaching skills to gain consent, cooperation and develop competence To ensure that all children are enabled to communicate to the best of their ability within developmental guidelines, including the introduction and successful use of alternative and augmentative systems of communication where appropriate e.g. Makaton, high/low tech communication aids etc To effectively manage own caseload of children, including responding to urgent requests/referrals, prioritising clinical work and balancing other patient related and professional activities in accordance with service standards and patient needs To provide advice to school staff and other agencies including the voluntary sector on the development of policies and practice to facilitate communication, aiming for inclusion, socialisation and the maximisation of education for all children with speech, language and communication difficulties To maintain accurate and comprehensive case notes and records which would stand up to legal scrutiny and provide a full account of the child's care To ensure that all those involved in a child's care i.e. school staff, other professionals, parents are kept fully informed of the service provided and the progress made through the provision of regular and timely reports and input to the LEA Annual Review process To support the LA in fulfilling their statutory duty to meet the needs of each child in accordance with their Education, Health and Care plans. To provide professional advice on contentious cases, writing witness statements and attending tribunals if required, with the support and guidance of senior staff. To manage conflict, challenging conversations and potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner, avoiding escalation where possible, complying with the Trust Complaints Procedure at all times. To be able to work in a variety of environments including clinics, schools, playgroups and children's homes which will involve the necessity for on-site risk assessment and compliance with lone working guidelines To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or having difficulty in accepting a diagnosis To employ appropriate strategies to manage children who may present with unpredictable and/or challenging behaviour To demonstrate a working knowledge of legislation and guidelines pertaining to the field of paediatrics and SLT including SEN procedures, Child Protection Job description Job responsibilities Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible. We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. Clinical and Professional To be an autonomous practitioner, professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work including the assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and discharge of children on a designated caseload. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the children under your management, adhering to agreed departmental standards, national protocols/policies and the Professional Code of Conduct. To use clinical knowledge and experience to undertake the comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of children with the full range of speech, language and communication difficulties, requiring the ability to make sound clinical decisions To formulate, evaluate and review individual SLT management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of diagnosis and a wide range of treatment skills appropriate to preschool and school aged children, working at all times in partnership with parents, school staff, and if appropriate the children themselves To demonstrate highly developed auditory, perceptual and analytical skills required for the assessment and management of children with a range of communication impairments To become competent in the management of children with feeding and swallowing difficulties, in line with Communicating Quality 3 and the Trust's Dysphagia Policy To enable others (e.g. parents, class teachers, learning support assistants) to deliver effective therapy programmes by identifying barriers to understanding and using highly developed persuasion, negotiation and teaching skills to gain consent, cooperation and develop competence To ensure that all children are enabled to communicate to the best of their ability within developmental guidelines, including the introduction and successful use of alternative and augmentative systems of communication where appropriate e.g. Makaton, high/low tech communication aids etc To effectively manage own caseload of children, including responding to urgent requests/referrals, prioritising clinical work and balancing other patient related and professional activities in accordance with service standards and patient needs To provide advice to school staff and other agencies including the voluntary sector on the development of policies and practice to facilitate communication, aiming for inclusion, socialisation and the maximisation of education for all children with speech, language and communication difficulties To maintain accurate and comprehensive case notes and records which would stand up to legal scrutiny and provide a full account of the child's care To ensure that all those involved in a child's care i.e. school staff, other professionals, parents are kept fully informed of the service provided and the progress made through the provision of regular and timely reports and input to the LEA Annual Review process To support the LA in fulfilling their statutory duty to meet the needs of each child in accordance with their Education, Health and Care plans. To provide professional advice on contentious cases, writing witness statements and attending tribunals if required, with the support and guidance of senior staff. To manage conflict, challenging conversations and potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner, avoiding escalation where possible, complying with the Trust Complaints Procedure at all times. To be able to work in a variety of environments including clinics, schools, playgroups and children's homes which will involve the necessity for on-site risk assessment and compliance with lone working guidelines To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or having difficulty in accepting a diagnosis To employ appropriate strategies to manage children who may present with unpredictable and/or challenging behaviour To demonstrate a working knowledge of legislation and guidelines pertaining to the field of paediatrics and SLT including SEN procedures, Child Protection Person Specification Qualifications Essential Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree level qualification or equivalent Registered member Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Registered member of Health and Care Professions Council Desirable Evidence of post graduate study or equivalent experience Experience Essential Experience of a range of paediatric speech and language disorders and delay Experience of receiving clinical supervision Desirable Experience of working in a changing environment Experience of integrated working in multi-disciplinary teams Training and presentation experience Person Specification Qualifications Essential Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree level qualification or equivalent Registered member Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Registered member of Health and Care Professions Council Desirable Evidence of post graduate study or equivalent experience Experience Essential Experience of a range of paediatric speech and language disorders and delay Experience of receiving clinical supervision Desirable Experience of working in a changing environment Experience of integrated working in multi-disciplinary teams Training and presentation experience 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. 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. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Address Fort Southwick James Callaghan Drive Fareham Hampshire PO17 6AR Employer's website https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)