Speech and Language Therapist
As a speech and language therapist (SLT), you'll provide treatment, care and support to students and young adults at our School, between the age (14-25) who are individuals with special education needs, Autism, LD, MH conditions and with a range of other conditions, including problems with palate, stammering, language delay and voice disorders. These can be caused by a range of issues, including:
- developmental delays
- injury
- illness
- learning disabilities
- mental health conditions; and
- physical disabilities.
You'll usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside Teachers, TAs, other Therapists, Support workers, Academic and School administrative team and will often liaise with students’ family, and carers when developing treatment and support plans.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES- identify the speech and communication difficulty or disorder
- assess the cause and nature of the problem, for example, congenital problems (such as cleft palate) or acquired disorders after a stroke or injury, or a developmental delay due to LD or MH conditions
- devise and deliver a suitable treatment programme, working on a one-to-one basis or in groups, to enable each of the students to improve as much as possible
- review and revise the programme as appropriate
- advise carers and family on implementing a treatment programme and train other professionals in therapy delivery
- monitor and evaluate students' progress
- write confidential case notes and reports for the students, as well as information for students, carers and other professionals
- work within the School team to improve effectiveness of service delivery.
- conduct personal development reviews with colleagues
- support other team members in meeting with the objectives set in relation to speech and language development.
Additional requirements
To practise as a SLT you must be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and must have completed an HCPC-approved undergraduate or postgraduate degree in speech and language therapy.
You must also be/have:
- Compliant with governmental healthcare regulatory requirements.
- Possess up-to-date knowledge of treatment practices and therapy programs.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to take care of clients with different personalities.
- Comfortable using a computer for various tasks.
- Excellent communication and listening skills, to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds, motivate students and gain trust. Students may not be co-operative because they're frightened, frustrated or disorientated by their situation or their mental conditions
- Patience, as progress may be slow - involving repetitive exercises to aid students who have problems memorising, processing and retaining information
- Creativity and problem-solving skills, to design programmes appropriate for different learning styles and communication issues
- Ability to work in a team, for interacting with Teachers, TAs, Support staff and other professionals
- Organisational skills and flexibility, to deal with a range of students in varied settings
- Counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- Basic knowledge of psychology
- Concise and accurate record keeping skills