Job summary
1. To provide support and assistance to therapists working with children in the London Borough of Bexley.
2. To carry out specific therapy and communication programmes with children and their parents/carers on a 1:1 basis and in small groups.
3. To carry out specialised techniques and procedures under the direction of a Speech and Language Therapist.
4. To support parents/carers to enable children to fulfil their developmental potential.
5. To assist with administration duties as required by the team and service including electronic case records, paper records, typing reports, therapy programmes, preparing and making therapy resources, photocopying, and data collection.
6. To prepare and clear therapy spaces as required.
Main duties of the job
7. To implement individual and group interventions as recommended by the Speech and Language Therapists, making modifications using own initiative as necessary to suit child's needs and environment.
8. To decide on appropriate activities to meet the aims of individual or group interventions. To modify and use supports as necessary for the child or group.
9. To work independently giving advice about therapy programmes to parents, early years settings and education staff.
10. To record activity within sessions in case notes, written and electronic.
11. To provide advice to others regarding the intervention plan of children with SLCN within your boundaries of competence.
12. To contribute to discussion about the effectiveness of provision by using outcome measures.
13. To contribute to reports and programme planning taking into account child strengths and needs.
About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
14. We're Kind
15. We're Fair
16. We Listen
17. We Care
Job description
Job responsibilities
18. To work within a management plan guided by a Speech and Language Therapist, making modifications using own initiative to suit clients needs and circumstances.
19. To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
20. To work under the supervision of a therapist accessing appraisal within a Personal and Professional Development Review framework at pre-determined intervals.
21. To demonstrate an understanding of child development and apply to daily care of children.
22. To demonstrate/develop knowledge of specific therapeutic techniques and develop skills to assist/carry out these techniques under the supervision of a therapist.
23. To identify personal/professional development evidenced by Personal Development Plan developed within an appraisal framework.
24. To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain skills and knowledge required of a Therapy Assistant working in the field of children with speech, language and communication needs.
25. To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with support from the Therapist.
26. To keep up to date with new techniques and developments for the promotion and maintenance of good practice in the field of children with disabilities and additional needs.
27. To attend relevant courses and meetings.
28. To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including: Safeguarding Children, Special Educational Needs.
29. To arrange appointments in order to maintain an effective service.
30. To plan activities to meet the aims of the management plan devised by the therapist making modifications using own initiative as appropriate.
31. To support the collection of outcome measures data to support the maintenance/increase of quality of service provided.
32. To contribute to teams by discussing own input around clients and families needs.
33. To communicate communication related information to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions through the implementation of a management plan devised by a therapist.
34. To work with other professionals within health, education and the voluntary sector contributing to the national and local objectives.
35. To work closely with clients, carers/families and other professionals, contributing to decision making/target setting relevant to the patient/client management.
36. To attend case conferences/discussions/educational reviews and other multi-disciplinary meetings to provide information related to the implementation of the management plan devised by a therapist.
37. To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist using a range of augmentative communication signs and, symbols as appropriate.
38. To develop skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic and developmental process.
39. To develop negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
40. To deal with complaints following the Trusts complaints process passing onto a therapist.
41. To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.
42. To attend staff meetings, team meetings and other meetings within the therapy services/other teams/school as appropriate.
43. To employ excellent communication skills.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
44. 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English or equivalent qualifications
45. Courses/Workshops in working with young children who have speech, language, communication difficulties including social communication differences
Experience
Essential
46. Relevant experience of working with children aged 2 to 11 years and their families (may not have worked over entire age range).
47. Experience of working with children with a range of communication and/or developmental difficulties
48. Experience of working in educational setting or health care settings.
Skills / Abilities / Knowledge
Essential
49. Fluent spoken and written skills in English
50. Excellent verbal and written communications skills
51. Able to prioritise and plan delegated work from a variety of sources, meet deadlines and perform effectively under pressure
52. Able to use IT independently including email, electronic case notes, word documents, excel documents, other digital equipment and specific computer software