Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a newly qualified, current band 5 or a returning to practice therapist to join an innovative and dynamic team of professionals. Our team supports children and their families with their speech, language and communication needs in Havering, London’s eastern-most borough. The role involves close collaborative working with multi-disciplinary colleagues in Health and Education, alongside parents and carers where your skills will be nurtured by supportive and experienced colleagues. While consolidating your training and gaining experience managing a general paediatric caseload, this post offers opportunities to develop your knowledge of a wide range of specialisms such as stammering, speech disorders, AAC, selective mutism, complex needs and autism.

Based in Romford alongside colleagues in Paediatrics, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapies and CAMHS, staff benefit from established transport links from London, Essex and Kent, including the Elizabeth Line. 

The successful applicant will be responsible for a clinical caseload providing assessment of mainstream primary pupils in schools, planning interventions, group and individual therapy to pre-school children with their parents in clinic and identifying and meeting training needs and providing specialist advice. We work closely with colleagues in education to develop their expertise in supporting children with communication needs in a culturally diverse outer London borough.

Main duties of the job

You would be joining a very friendly, dynamic team which operates in an inclusive and supportive manner to passionately advocate for the needs of our clients. All our therapists benefit from a programme of regular clinical, safeguarding and peer supervision. In-house and external training is encouraged to maintain expertise and further develop skills, while ad hoc support and advice from experienced colleagues is accessible whenever required. The benefits of flexible and home working are recognised for experienced therapists, and we actively encourage the development of special interests and self-directed learning. There are also opportunities to support service-development alongside colleagues in the wider team. We welcome applicants who wish to develop their clinical skills and feed their professional curiosity as a valued member of a vibrant and supportive team, and would be pleased to offer the opportunity for graduating students to join us as a Band 4 while awaiting their registration.

Working for our organisation

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff)

Starting with NELFT 

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London 

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735). Pro rata for Part-time staff.

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

The expectation of this post holder will be to support their team, department and organisation to achieve the Trust’s Values in their day-to-day work. 

The post holder will achieve this by working as a member of the Speech and Language team working across a designated area. You will provide clinical input to a defined caseload of children with delays and disorders of speech, language and communication. You will also work independently on a daily basis with support from a designated supervisor Senior Therapist. 

Key Responsibilities:

·To manage a case load that includes providing assessment, diagnosis, therapy and advice to clients at various locations.The post holder will have access to a second opinion from more senior therapists if identified by the post holder.

·To devise appropriate intervention/care plans for clients and provide suitable and timely intervention.

·To provide therapy care plans to be carried out by a Speech and Language Therapy assistants while retaining overall responsibility for the clients.

·To provide feedback, guidance, advice and training to parents, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team in all aspects of the development of speech, language and communication.

·To provide written reports and undertake appropriate liaison with medical staff, families, voluntary organisations.

Person specification

Qualification

Essential criteria

Qualified SLT Member/ Student member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Desirable criteria

HCPC registration

Experience

Essential criteria

Relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary team Experience of assessing and using specialist equipment Experience of early intervention and early interaction approaches Show active interest in continuing professional development in line with RCSLT guidelines

Desirable criteria

Working collaboratively with parents/carers and other professionals. Experience of working with educational staff, and providing modelling/ training strategies for use in class or small group Show active interest in continuing professional development in line with RCSLT guidelines Evidence of being self-motivated to remain updated with professional practice and new research

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Child development and its application to speech and language therapy Familiar with a range of assessments for speech and language (including standardised) and treatment techniques in paediatrics. Understanding of Safeguarding and expected processes

Desirable criteria

Government policy and legislation and how this may affect service delivery NHS priorities and awareness of changing needs of the health service

Skills

Essential criteria

Basic awareness of IT and IT skills Organise and manage own caseload and delegate to less senior members of staff. Formulate care programmes and identify goals using good organisational and prioritisation skills. High standard of communication skills including observation, listening and empathy. Present information written and orally in a clear and logical manner. Work flexibly and be responsive to change. Work on own initiative. Demonstrate clear clinical reasoning based on evidenced based practice within paediatrics

Desirable criteria

Able to communicate information from assessment and therapy in verbal and written form to parents, carers and education staff

Other

Essential criteria

To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area

Trust Values

Essential criteria

Putting people first, Prioritising quality, Being progressive, innovative, and continually improve, Being professional and honest, Promoting what is possible, independence, opportunity, and choice.

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.