Speech & Language Therapist

Salary – £29,180 – £40,500 per annum, dependent on qualifications & experience

Full Time Position –  37.5 hours per week (part time hours considered)

Based at Head Office in Dover, Kent

These are exciting times as Channels & Choices continues to expand and develop its Residential, Fostering and Educational services.   We are currently looking to recruit an experienced, innovative and enthusiastic Speech & Language Therapist based within our multi-disciplinary Therapy Team within Channels & Choices Therapeutic Community.

Channels & Choices is a centre of excellence in therapeutic child care.  Our Community based in East Kent is made up of 7 therapeutic residential children’s homes, a SEMH school and a therapeutic fostering service.  As a member of our community you would play a key part in transforming children’s lives and helping them reach their full potential.  Your role would involve working with children across all aspects of the community whilst also supporting the adults who care for the children.

The post is permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week 9am – 5pm). We offer a competitive salary and further benefits include 36 days paid annual leave per year and a loyalty scheme which rewards you with extra annual leave following 2 years of service.

Further benefits include:

• 36 days paid annual leave per year and a loyalty scheme which rewards you with extra annual leave following 2 years of service.
• An employee assistance and wellbeing program (EAP) for staff which includes counselling services, debt and finance support which is available to staff and adult family members within the home
• We offer very well supported and manageable caseloads
• Regular Clinical Supervision available
• Opportunity to attend therapeutic training courses, including Attachment & Relationship Based Practice Training run by Professor David Shemmings

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out a range of effective speech and language assessments and interventions relevant to young people with social, emotional, mental health (SEMH) needs
• Provide comprehensive, professional and accurate reports, written and verbal for internal and external colleagues
• Effectively manage a clinical caseload of young people with SEMH needs
• Devise, monitor, supervise and evaluate the implementations of intervention programmes
• Work in partnership with colleagues from across the community by providing direct advice and support to children, residential staff and foster carers
• Provide specialist education and training to staff and carers across the community
• Make effective use of supervision, support, training and guidance;
• Knowledge of and commitment to person centered practice in all stages of the Speech and Language therapy process
• Knowledge of the latest research, theory and literature to support evidence based practice
• Knowledge of relevant legislation for children’s social care including safeguarding policies and procedures

Person Specification

Qualifications (Essential)

• Relevant degree level qualification to practice Speech & Language
• Registered with professional body HCPC

Experience (Essential)

• Experience of completing assessments and writing comprehensive reports
• Experience of delivering interventions to children and young people
• Experience in providing consultation and guidance to other professionals and non-professional groups

Experience (Desirable)

• Assessing and working with Children in Care

Skills and Abilities (Essential)

• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and under own initiative
• Ability to build relationships and promote change
• Ability to use the supervision process effectively to process and reflect on the support provided
• Ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to distressing situations and challenging behaviour

Skills and Abilities (Desirable)

• Ability to develop and facilitate training courses

Knowledge (Essential)

• Good understanding of child development
• Knowledge of theories, practice and research in the field of Speech and Language
• Understanding of Child Protection & Safeguarding
• Knowledge of the mental health needs of children and adolescents

Personal Qualities (Essential)

• Commitment to continued professional and personal development
• Professional credibility
• Commitment to equal opportunities and valuing diversity
• Demonstrate a commitment to supervision and reflective practice
• Warm, engaging and problem-solving approach

Additional (Essential)

• Driver with use of own car

Channels & Choices are committed to ensuring that we are always recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse mix of colleagues who are representative of the diversity in our local community. We actively celebrate our staff’s different abilities, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith, and gender. Everyone is welcome to apply for a job with Channels & Choices and our staff are supported in their development at all stages in their journey with us.

We have a strong commitment to staff development and there will be considerable opportunities for internal and external training and for sharing good practice within the community.

Channels and Choices are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the young people in our care.  Staff are all required to adhere to the organisation’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.  This post will be subject to a clear Enhanced DBS Disclosure, an employment background check, satisfactory references & verification of a right to work in the UK.  As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment, CV’s cannot be considered without a completed application form.