Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

This role involves supporting delivery of a Speech and Language Therapy service to adults with learning disabilities. The post holder will use clinical, administrative, organisational and communication skills to provide direct and indirect input to service users, their carers and professional networks, as well as providing support to other members of the team. Please see job description and person specification for full details.

The post holder will support the work of the Speech and Language Therapy team in learning disabilities in the London Borough of Camden. They will carry out tasks to facilitate the communication skills of clients with a combination of direct and indirect supervision from a speech and language therapist. The postholder will work indirectly with clients support networks including family and paid carers. A significant part of the postholders work will consist of supporting carers to implement therapy approaches. They will undertake informal observation assessments as part of a broader client assessment protocol, and report back the results to the supervising clinician and will write these up in the clients case notes. They will complete comprehensive and timely documentation of input with the support and supervision of a speech and language therapist. This may include contribution to clinical reports, letters and case notes. They will prepare visual support materials eg communication books, communication passports etc, implement speech and language therapy packages of care, and assess the clients response to communication tools and strategies sessions. They will undertake administrative duties including managing the organisation of training courses.

As a result of experience and formal training, they will have a basic theoretical knowledge and understanding of the range of communication difficulties associated with people with learning disabilities, and of the appropriate communication approaches and techniques.

The post holder will work both indirectly and directly with young adults and adults with learning disabilities who have associated syndromes and complex needs such as autism.

The post holder will have good communication skills. This will mean that they are able to communicate factual information to a diverse range of clients, staff and their family/paid carers in a sensitive and reassuring manner, displaying an awareness and sensitivity to social, cultural and economic issues. In particular the post holder will be skilled at adapting their communication to meet the needs of clients with communication difficulties. They will be supported to develop their knowledge of signing and symbol systems to support communication.

They will provide information on communication sessions to others, in addition to providing basic information on good practice regarding communication. They will be able to contribute to the induction of new speech and language therapists, other staff in the multi-agency team and staff in other settings such as the further education college and supported living houses, and provide support for these staff.

The post holder will contribute to the design of training programmes, and assist in the provision of training for staff and colleagues with support from a speech and language therapist.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

CLINICAL

1. The post holder will carry out prescribed tasks to facilitate the communication skills of clients with support from a speech and language therapist. These tasks will be part of a total care plan devised by the speech and language therapist.

2. To undertake routine therapy sessions with individual clients, setting activities to meet goals as specified by the supervising therapist, evaluating session outcomes and discussing these with that therapist on a regular basis.

3. To follow therapy goals when implementing a therapy programme, with support from a speech and language therapist

4. To prepare appropriate materials and equipment to support the clinical caseloads of the whole Speech and Language Therapy team, under the supervision and guidance of the speech and language therapist.

5. To prepare appropriate materials and equipment for therapy sessions within the speech and language therapy department in discussion with a speech and language therapist.

6. To run groups with support from a speech and language therapist.

7. To develop suitable tasks and materials for therapy sessions with individuals and groups, following appropriate training, in discussion with a speech and language therapist.

8. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on own clinical practice in discussion with a supervisor.

9. To undertake informal observation assessments under the supervision of a speech and language therapist.

10. To understand and work with the full range of communication difficulties related to the client group following completion of appropriate training courses.

11. To identify and adapt communication strategies to meet the needs of clients with communication difficulties.

12. To communicate factual information to clients, using persuasion, reassurance, tact and sensitivity, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.

13. To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Qualification/training

Previous experience

Skills

Knowledge

Previous experience

Skills

Other requirements

Knowledge

Skills

Other requirements