Job Description

If you have experience in working with children, especially those with special needs, this is an ideal opportunity for you to develop your skills further. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic , creative and flexible and who is qualified to NVQ level 3 to work within our Children, Young People's Integrated Therapies Families (CYPIT) service. We have a Speech and Language Therapy A ssistant post available in West Berkshire schools and special schools. The role involve s working largely with Speech & Language Therapists to carry out communication interventions but also will involve liaison and work with Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. This is a part time role (22.5 hours per week) working all year round.



Our CYPIT service supports children and young people from birth to 19 years of age across Berkshire. We are an integrated therapy service, offering easy access to services through a single point of access and web-based advice via an on-line resource. We are establishing integrated approaches to the care that we offer families and the successful candidate would be able to take an active part in ongoing service developments.



Our teams are enthusiastic, flexible and forward-thinking, embracing the use of social media to engage with our service users and exploring digital solutions to make us more accessible to children and their families.



The successful applicant will support therapists to provide a service which promotes the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families.



You will work collaboratively with the therapists in your team as well as families and other professionals to deliver effective and safe integrated therapy.



A key member of the CYPIT service providing essential support to therapists, to enable the service to deliver a high-quality therapy service to children and young people in Berkshire .



Carry out a range of work tasks and interventions independently under the direction of a CYPIT Therapist (with and/or without direct supervision)



Contribute to and deliver support and training to schools, parents and carers as part of service delivery.



Responsible for a specific defined workload as agreed with your allocated supervisor. This will involve planning, organising and documenting of key activities, as well as supporting any project work or service development.



Contribute to the assessment of children under the supervision of a qualified clinician, as well as provision of direct therapy and training.



Provide leadership and training as agreed with supervisor to junior staff, patients, carers and other professionals as relevant to your skills and knowledge.



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. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

Caring for and about you is our top priority



Committed to providing good quality, safe services



Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions



Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the 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

The "must haves" for this role:

NVQ level 3 (or equivalent)



Proficient IT skills (e.g. using a range of software, Word, Excel)



Minimum 3 years' experience working with children, in particular those with special needs



Ability to self-motivate



Car driver with ability and readiness to travel to multiple sites



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 .



We're c ommitted to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditation s: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed .



We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Caroline Pethick on 07795 617511 or email: Caroline .pethick@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.



Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.