Speech and Language Therapist (Outdoor Learning Focused)

Blossom House School is excited to recruit for a Speech and Language Therapist for our new provision for pupils aged 10-16 years. We are designing a bespoke learning curriculum based around outdoor learning, which will be hands-on and functional with less of an academic focus. The applicant will need to be comfortable around handling and caring for animals and someone who is a keen to get their hands dirty.

This will be a highly therapeutic environment, where communication support is central to its success. We will follow the SCERTS framework (Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transition Support) to support our assessment, target setting and maintenance of a high quality, communication friendly environment. Close multi-disciplinary team work, is one of our core values, and we are very proud of our dynamic team of specialist teachers, therapists and learning support assistants, who work very closely together to ensure our students experience a meaningful, holistic timetable of activities to optimise their independence and emotional well-being.

We are looking for someone who shows initiative, is organised, enjoys the outdoors and believes in our ethos of ensuring our young people are happy, fulfilled and safe. The applicant must be passionate about working with young people with complex social communication difficulties and have experience working within a multidisciplinary team to provide the best support possible for the learners.

The ideal candidate:

• Supporting our students can sometimes be challenging, mental and physical resilience are qualities necessary for all our staff.

• Be a minimum of Band 6 NHS equivalent.

• Have direct experience with children with significant social communication needs, familiar with a range of AAC.

• Someone who wants to work in a transdisciplinary way, and who can hold a good sense of their role and responsibilities as the Speech and Language Therapist whilst being willing to blur the boundaries re delivery of learning / Occupational Therapy / SaLT input.

• Someone who has a real focus and love of functional communication and supporting development of skills for independence and functional living skills, and who can plan and deliver ways of supporting development of skills in real life contexts, and who can plan and support generalisation of skills within the wider community setting.

• Someone who loves the outdoors and animals, and who is comfortable with assessing, and managing risks in order to keep students safe whilst also allowing them to try new things and develop independence.

• Someone who enjoys working collaboratively in a team, and who will be a supportive member of what will initially be a small, close team of staff.

• Knowledge of clinical assessment, treatment planning and implementing, preferably paediatric, therapy programmes.

• An independent approach and be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of standardised assessment and clinical observation.

• The ability to promote positive behaviour in a nurturing environment is essential.

The role is a Permanent, Full-Time or Part-time role (minimum 3 days a week)

Monday to Friday: (08:30am – 17:00pm)

Salary from: £36,500 to £43,000 full time equivalent depending on experience and skills (plus bonus and benefits)

To Start: September 2024

Closing date: Please apply asap

Early applications are encouraged

The role is currently based at our Motspur Park school with regular travel to various outdoor venues. Eventually the role will be based in rural Surrey.