Assistant Practitioner for Speech and Language Workforce Pilot-0-19

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000

Job description

Assistant Practitioner for Speech and Language Workforce Pilot-0-19

We are excited to announce the Start 4 Life workforce pilot in Tower Hamlets has been extended by 9 months. We are looking to recruit an additional Assistant Practitioner to join our team. We have 4 pathways (perinatal, immunisation plus, communication, social prescribing) and this role will be supporting the communication pathway and supporting families in the first 1001 critical days.

We are looking for a practitioner who has experience working with young children and would like to work in partnership with families to build confidence in play and communication with their babies and toddlers.

This is a fixed term role ending in December 2025.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Main duties of the job

• Triage 12-month review for social communication difference / speech & language needs.
• Deliver early support for social communication difference (e.g. iBASIS-VIPP) to targeted allocation on a monthly basis one-on-one level, as per agreed pathway.
• Work with Family Hub practitioner in facilitating low to moderate group intervention for the Little Talker programme.
• Develop, manage, and maintain positive, trusting relationships with families, demonstrating respect, kindness, compassion, and empathy.
• Sensitively communicate with and provide emotional support to distressed patients/relatives, always demonstrating empathy.
• Escalate in situations where the post-holder feels that families are not being supported adequately.
• Provide impromptu advice to families and be a source of knowledge in school and in the home.
• Make follow-up phone calls and visits to families as required.
• Communicate with children and relatives using verbal and non-verbal skills acknowledging sensitivity and utilizing approaches appropriate to the complexity of the context or culture. This will include people who may have difficulties understanding or communicating.
• Work jointly with interpreters and advocates as required facilitating effective communication to children, their families, and other carers.
• Use effective interpersonal skills to encourage children, parents, and carers to become active participants in their care.

Job responsibilities

• Understands a range of organisations in the local area across health, education, social care, and charities and signpost or refer families appropriately.
• Develop a basic-level understanding of all the common developmental difficulties that children and young people who access our service have.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the relevant developmental difficulties within the area of work assigned to the post-holder.
• Complete training in specific therapy skills and techniques to assist children to reach their full potential. These techniques require skill, accuracy, and therapeutic handling.
• Participate in Clinical and management programmes to receive direction and support.
• Maintain own caseload of allocated children as delegated by the SLT Lead, acting within the advice and guidance given by the therapist.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date daily client records in line with national legislative policies, professional standards, and local procedures, under the supervision of a supervisor or independently once a specified standard has been achieved.
• Conduct initial interviews with parents and other carers gathering information in a structured way, making sure this is recorded in the patient management system.
• Participate in research and quality improvement activities.
• Complete complex research activities including data collection and analysis.

Person Specification

Experience

• A sound understanding of child development and parenting.

Abilities

• Experience of working within a community setting.

Qualifications

• NNEB or Diploma in Childcare & Education (CDE) awarded by CACHE or NHC in Childcare & Education (Scotland)/Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Early Years (DEXCEL)/Nursing Associate.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work on own initiative and manage own workload.
• Ability to demonstrate good interpersonal skills to develop and maintain positive working relationships with professional and non-professional colleagues and clients, providing advice and guidance with tact and sensitivity.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This 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.