Job summary
- Main area
- CYPIT East Berkshire
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- 22.5 hours per week (TERM TIME HOURS ONLY.)
- Job ref
- 371-CFS365
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Kennel Lane School
- Town
- Bracknell
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 per annum, pro rata (inc. of HCAS) + 5.5% 2024/25 Pay Award
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- Today at 23:59
Employer heading
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
Band 4
Job overview
This post is for 22.5 hours per week, term time only, permanent role, based out of Kennel Lane School, Bracknell.
If you have experience in working with children, this is an ideal opportunity for you to develop your skills further. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, creative and flexible who is qualified to NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) to work within our Children and Young People’s Integrated Therapies (CYPIT) team. The successful candidate would work with the Speech and Language Therapy team working alongside therapists delivering therapy sessions in special and mainstream school settings.
Main duties of the job
A key member of the CYPIT team providing essential support to Speech and Language Therapists, enabling the service to deliver a high-quality therapy service to children.
A Speech and Language Therapy Assistant carries out a range of work tasks and interventions independently under the direction of a CYPIT Therapist (with and/or without direct supervision).
This role contributes to and delivers support and training to educational staff, parents and carers as part of service delivery, is responsible for a specific defined caseload and supports assessment of children under the supervision of a qualified clinician, as well as provision of direct therapy.
This position involves planning, organising and documenting of key activities, as well as supporting any project work or service development.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.
We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer. We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you’ll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.
Benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
If you share our values and would like to come and work for us, please submit your application as soon as possible as we'll occasionally close roles early that have a high number of applications.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
- Excellent communication skills
- An ability to interact effectively with children and their families
- Able to work as part of a team
- Car driver and ability to use car to drive to various educational settings
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips – see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.
If you’re someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Nicki Thorpe on 07866 003162 or email: [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Education to a sufficient level to give evidence of ability to absorb and interpret complex information e.g. (GCSE/A levels) NVQ level 3 in a relevant subject or equivalent)
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Evidence of accredited training or equivalent e.g. - Supporting Children and Young People with Physical Difficulties with and without associated learning difficulties - PECS - Makaton - Assistant training
- Well-developed literacy and numeracy.
- IT skills – proficient in the use of word/ e-mail
Desirable criteria
- A CPD portfolio which demonstrates attendance at short courses, formal training, and experience in addition to NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Minimum 3 years’ experience working with school age children.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with children and young people, in particular those with special needs (e.g. LSA, voluntary work, nursery, previous assistant experience etc.)
- Experience working with children in an educational setting for at least one year and/or previous experience supporting Physiotherapy and/or Occupational Therapy, and/or Speech and Language Therapy.
- Experience of working with families from a wide variety of backgrounds including age and ethnicity.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Evidence of a value system which puts the child at the heart of actions
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people in a broad sense
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of the therapy role within specialist paediatrics
- Knowledge of the English education system
- Able to use IT to support and innovate development
- Succinct communication skills
- Ability to work in a calm and confident manner in stressful situations
- Ability to work successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to self-motivate
- Willingness and ability to take direction from others, and also to recognise when can act autonomously
- Ability to work across professional boundaries to effect seamless family care
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Car Driver with access to own car and willingness to work across East Berkshire, as required
- Good interpersonal skills
- Willingness to attend additional training to support service delivery
- Able to work with children and young people who may have behavioural challenges and learning and/or physical difficulties
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nicki Thorpe
- Job title
- CYPIT Lead for School age services East
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07866 003162
List jobs with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors