Speech & Language Therapist

Come and join a School where, Children make exceptional progress from their starting points. The education and care staff have a seamless approach to supporting and caring for children. As a result, children are able to flourish and are supported in their aspirations for the future. (Ofsted 01 February 2024)

Find out what we’ve been up to on our Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/RSDDOfficial and/or why not come and see for yourself? Contact us on 07500 878565 (voice/text/BSL) to visit in person or book an informal chat about the role

We are looking for an additional Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly, passionate and inspiring Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) and audiology team. Our curricula and practice are research based, innovative, fun and embedded into the everyday experiences of children and young people. The SaLT team are established and at the forefront of the school’s approach to communication which values British Sign Language and English (spoken and written) equally. As part of a wider highly specialist team around the child our assessment, diagnosis, insights and ambitions for children are valued by staff, children, young people and their families.

The successful applicant will enjoy an individualised continuing professional development plan led by an in-house Highly Specialist Lead SaLT. This includes weekly Band 5 competencies training and a range of in depth internal and external development activities led by specialist professionals in their field. The role provides time for both hands on and development work within a nurturing and stimulating SaLT team. Our school’s own British Sign Language Team ensure all staff become proficient British Sign Language users through focussed training schedules leading to nationally accredited BSL qualifications.  You will be part of the Audiology team promoting access to optimum hearing technology, and supporting the school Audiologist in their work.

As a band 5 SaLT you will have opportunities to

·        Undertake interventions with small groups and individual children providing a perfect springboard to develop hands on therapy skills.  

·        Work with children and young people across the whole school age range from Early Years to post 16, building skills and knowledge about communication, language, literacy, thinking and learning. 

·        Become highly competent in both formal and informal assessments as part of the annual review process for children and young people. This includes the skills needed to administer assessments robustly and to interpret the outcomes in order to provide insights to staff and families about a child’s language development and learning skills. 

·        Learn how to write assessment summaries and detailed outcomes reports. 

·        Work with students with a broad range and level of communication and language skills. The profile of complex needs includes Disproportionate Language Difficulties (DLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Speech Apraxia, Articulation and phonological difficulties, Dyslexia, language delay, social communication difficulties. 

·        Learn about audiology and have hands on experience of maintaining optimum hearing technology and facilitating listening opportunities for these children. 

·        Work as part of an in-house SaLT team and the wider team around the child including audiology, subject specialist teachers of the Deaf, Art therapists, Deaf CAMHS, social care workers, qualified and experienced education assistants and communication support workers. 

Applicants must have a passion for hands on working in a specialist educational setting, be eager to work collaboratively and to learn about deafness as a specialist area together with a keen interest in developing their skills and knowledge. 

Royal School for the Deaf Derby is ambitious to be an employer of choice and committed to a positive work life balance for all staff. The post is contracted as annualised hours with 13 weeks holiday and salaries following the Agenda for Change framework.                                                                                 

This role is a Regulated Activity under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act and subject to safer recruitment checks. These include an enhanced criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended)  Please see our policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders available on our jobs pages. Following changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education RSD Derby will also undertake an online search as part of due diligence checks on shortlisted candidates to help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available.

Further job details and application documents can be downloaded from our website at, https://www.rsdd.org.uk/careers  You can also request these and/or arrange an informal discussion or visit by contacting Nicola Hardy, Administration Lead & PA to the Headteacher, at Royal School for the Deaf Derby Ashbourne Road, Derby DE22 3BH Voice: 01332 362512 Email: nicola.hardy@rsdd.org.uk