Job SummaryWe're Growing Come Grow With Us!
Are you an experienced Band 5 ready to take the next step, or a Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist looking to further develop your specialist skills? Join the London Borough of Merton's expanding Speech and Language Therapy Service and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to provide assessment, diagnosis and intervention for pupils with a range of speech, language and communication needs, including Autism and complex needs, within educational settings. You'll work as part of a highly supportive, multi-disciplinary team, collaborating with schools, families and professionals to promote inclusion and improve outcomes for children and young people.
At Merton, we are committed to investing in our staff through regular supervision, excellent continuing professional development opportunities, specialist clinical leadership and flexible working arrangements. Whether you are stepping into your first Band 6 role or bringing existing specialist experience, you'll be supported to grow your expertise, develop your interests and contribute to service innovation.
If you are passionate about delivering high-quality, evidence-based practice and want to join a friendly, inclusive and forward-thinking team, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the jobAs a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, you will support children and young people with a range of speech, language and communication needs, including Autism and complex SEND, within educational settings across Merton.
You will work collaboratively with schools, families and multi-disciplinary colleagues to help children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes. The role involves delivering specialist assessment and intervention, providing advice and consultation to education staff, supporting inclusive practice, and contributing to statutory processes where required.
You will also play an important role in building the confidence and skills of school staff through training, modelling effective strategies and developing resources. Working as part of a friendly and supportive team, you will contribute to service development, share specialist knowledge and help shape high-quality provision for children and young people with SEND across the borough.
This is an excellent opportunity for a therapist who is passionate about collaborative working, evidence-based practice and improving outcomes for children and young people through inclusive education.
About usMerton Speech and Language Therapy Service is a friendly, supportive and growing team within the London Borough of Merton's Children, Lifelong Learning and Families Directorate. We provide specialist speech and language therapy services across mainstream schools, specialist provisions, the Youth Offending Team and the Virtual School for Children in Care. Our goal is to improve outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs through inclusive, evidence-based practice.
We pride ourselves on working collaboratively, valuing new ideas and creating an environment where staff can develop and thrive. Therapists benefit from regular clinical supervision, peer support, specialist clinical leads, funded continuing professional development and opportunities to contribute to service development.
Based at Merton Civic Centre in Morden, we support flexible working where service needs allow. We reimburse professional registration fees and approved travel costs incurred while working across schools and settings.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Our Cultural Diversity Network provides opportunities for shared learning, support and open discussion, helping colleagues feel valued and respected.
Join us and become part of a dedicated team committed to making a positive difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Merton.
Job responsibilitiesMain PurposeTo provide a specialist Speech and Language Therapy service for children and young people attending schools and educational settings within the London Borough of Merton. The postholder will assess, diagnose, plan and deliver specialist interventions for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, contributing to improved educational outcomes and inclusive practice for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Key Responsibilities- Assess, diagnose and provide specialist speech and language therapy interventions for children and young people with a range of speech, language and communication needs, including language disorders, speech disorders, autism, social communication difficulties, hearing impairment and complex developmental needs.
- Undertake differential diagnosis and develop appropriate intervention plans.
- Monitor and evaluate outcomes of intervention and adapt programmes as required.
- Provide specialist reports and advice to support statutory assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
- Attend tribunals where required and provide professional evidence and clinical opinion on behalf of the Local Authority.
- Deliver specialist support, consultation, training and advice to schools, SENCOs, teaching staff, support staff and other professionals.
- Support schools and educational settings to develop inclusive practice and provision for pupils with SEND.
- Carry out observations, assessments and intervention planning within mainstream schools, specialist provisions and Additional Resource Provisions (ARPs).
- Develop resources and programmes that can be delivered by education staff and families.
- Work in partnership with parents and carers, providing advice and support to promote communication development.
- Liaise effectively with colleagues across education, health and other partner agencies to ensure coordinated support for children and young people.
Professional Responsibilities- Maintain accurate and timely clinical records, reports and data in accordance with professional standards and Council policies.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy.
- Provide supervision, support and advice to student Speech and Language Therapists and junior staff as required.
- Supervise Band 5 therapists following completion of competencies and probation requirements.
- Participate in peer supervision, service meetings, professional development and training activities.
- Share specialist knowledge and deliver training to colleagues on developments within areas of expertise.
- Maintain HCPC registration and membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
General Duties- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery.
- Work in accordance with safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety and other organisational policies and procedures.
- Use ICT systems effectively and contribute to service monitoring and performance reporting.
- Work collaboratively as part of the SEND Inclusion Service and wider multi-disciplinary teams.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and responsibilities of the post.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- Qualified Speech and Language Therapist.
- Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) or equivalent professional body.
Desirable- Post-graduate training or specialist training in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Social Communication Needs, or Complex SEND.
ExperienceEssential- Experience of working in a multi-professional context.
- Experience of training and supporting Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) in delivering Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) programmes.
- Experience of working with and enabling parents and or carers of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
- Experience of working with pupils with Autism and complex needs.
- Experience of working with pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
- Experience of devising speech and language resources for others to deliver.
- Experience of delivering speech and language assessment, intervention and support within educational settings.
- Experience of working collaboratively with schools families and other professionals to support children and young people.
Desirable- Experience of supervising student Speech and Language Therapists on placement.
- Experience of delivering training to school staff and wider professionals.
- Experience of working in Additional Resource Provisions ARPs specialist provisions or special schools.
- Experience of contributing to statutory assessment processes and preparing Speech and Language Therapy reports.
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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