School Age Speech and Language Therapist

Clinical Responsibilities To exercise full responsibility for a designated caseload of school-aged children. To use highly developed interpersonal skills to: facilitate communication so that the needs of the child and family are central to the clinical process play a pivotal role in ensuring effective joint working for children with communication difficulties and their families To prioritise own caseload and manage own workload effectively and efficiently. To assess and analyse complex information related to childrens speech, language and communication using specialist knowledge to select appropriate formal and informal assessments including standardised psychometric tests. To formulate a diagnosis based upon assessment, case history information and information from family and other professionals. To evaluate and make decisions about therapy options taking into account the childs educational attainments, learning style and curriculum requirements. To formulate a detailed individual management plan based upon relevant research and best practice. To agree options in collaboration with all those involved in order to implement the individual management plan, which may include any combination of the following: therapeutic intervention with children individually or in groups (in school or clinic) programmes jointly planned and implemented with teaching staff Supporting others to implement programmes according to individual needs Providing advice on curriculum differentiation through Individual Education Plans (IEPs) Providing advice on specific strategies to employ in the classroom and/or at home. Advising referral to other professionals where indicated To provide demonstration / training on how to maximise communication opportunities for the individual. To provide individualised packages of care for children with a range of complex needs To plan and deliver high quality training to enable settings to provide the optimum language learning environment To manage childrens behaviour and motivate them to achieve positive therapy outcomes including those who have severe/complex difficulties or who may be challenging. To recognise potential conflict or breakdown in the above process and use negotiation and problem-solving skills to reach agreement. To communicate complex and specialist information to others by way of written reports and face-to-face discussions, adapting own communication style and content to the needs of the situation. To form productive relationships with families, recognising the need for and ensuring sensitivity and care where: There may be emotional stress Difficult or potentially distressing news to be given There are potential barriers to communication To contribute to Special Educational Needs &

Disability (SEND) including providing

Assessment and support at the Targeted and Specialist level as set out in the Warwickshire SEND Provision Matrix Specified and quantified advice for Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) as required by the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and Children & Families Act (2014) To attend Annual Reviews and termly reviews of targets as required