Job Details

Division The Bridge School - Preparatory

Business Unit Lonehill

Minimum experience Associate

Company primary industry Education Management

Job functional area Education

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities:

Clinical Responsibilities

Plan and deliver a student-centred speech therapy service to a personal caseload of students and their families/carer to promote social engagement and interaction, speech and language development and alternative and augmentative communication.
Assess students applying for future placements and identify their needs and make recommendations based on outcomes.
Gather data using a range of speech and language, and communication assessments, to ensure an accurate understanding of the nature of a child’s communication difficulty.
Provide specialist differential diagnosis of specific communication disorders in children.
Formulate intervention plans from thorough assessment results with individuals and their family and carers as required to bring about positive change.
Development of oral motor programmes to promote safe and appropriate eating and drinking skills.
Develop treatment plans consistent with the Individual Educational Plan (IEP).
Review therapy goals and objectives and make recommendations for changes as appropriate.
Recommend and implement support/intervention plan based on individual needs.
Discuss treatment proposal with parent/carer and obtain informed consent for interventions.
Monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
Prepare written evaluations and maintain records for each case as per the HPCSA’s requirement.
Effectively communicates test results, diagnosis and proposed treatment plans to parents and Principal.
Operate and maintain a variety of therapeutic equipment and train others in use of the equipment as necessary.
Assess, select and develop augmentative and/or alternative communication systems and provides training in their use.
Participate in hearing screening programs to identify and refer students with suspected hearing impairment and/or middle ear disorders.
Communicate with students who have disorders of communication, their families, carers and other service providers relative to the student's disability and its management.
Assist in development of classroom activities to meet the communication needs of the student.
Communicate with appropriate agencies, schools and other organisations as needed in order to meet the needs of students with communication disabilities.
Assist with transitions to primary, intermediate and secondary schools and to environments beyond school following best practice.
Provide support, advice, and guidance to other specialist teachers working with children with special needs.
Provide advice and/or guidance to staff and administrators in learning facilities, carers and other client groups as required.

Communication

Communicate and liaise effectively with other professionals, students, family/carers and other agencies to ensure an integrated pattern of service delivery. Use formal and informal reporting mechanisms to ensure effective communication.
Use verbal and nonverbal communication to receive and disseminate clinical information, acknowledging sensitivity and complexity e.g. adult/ child safeguarding issues, and using approaches appropriate to the context or culture. Use effective interpersonal skills to encourage students’ and families’/carers’ active participation in the speech therapy process.
Attend and contribute to department meetings, including multi-disciplinary- and Therapy team meetings, and progress meetings relating to clinical caseload.
Record students’ treatment and other related activity in accordance with professional and departmental guidelines.
Build and sustain relationships as an independent practitioner and collaboratively as a member of the team.

Professional Development

Remain informed on developments and trends in speech therapy practice by study of the current literature available and to adapt own working practices accordingly.
Develop clinical, managerial and teaching skills via continuous professional development (CPD), including maintenance of an up to date CPD portfolio.
Attend and contribute to regular supervision sessions and participate in performance reviews.
Attend mandatory training for moving and handling, first aid, and safeguarding children.
Remain current concerning instructional and technological advances and other matters concerning speech-language therapy. Attend and participate in professional workshops and conferences. Provide in-service training to other professionals and paraprofessionals.
Maintain own professional registration as a practicing professional with the Health Care Professions Council as a Speech Therapist.

Service Development and Delivery

Collect, collate and analyse workload statistics required for departmental purposes and for service reviews.
Report to Principal of changes in trends related to caseload activity.
Provide services which are sensitive to the needs of the culture and diversity of individual students and their families/ carers.
Advise and collaborate with the Principal in further development/consolidation of services, to contribute to service reviews, and to hold responsibility for defined projects.
Lead and contribute to the development of collaborative working practices with team and other therapy staff.
Develop and consolidate protocols and guidelines regarding service delivery.

Competencies (Skills and Behavioural Attributes) - Please note: The norm in the industry is to not have more than 7 Skills and Behavioural Attributes per job profile.

Minimum Requirements:
Education (Formal Qualification Required)

Minimum
BA or BSc Speech-Language Pathology

Legal Requirements (e.g. Driver’s License, Blasting Certificate, etc.)

Minimum

Professional Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) or South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SASLA)

Training and Knowledge (Should the current incumbent leave)

Minimum
6 months
Ideal

Experience (Minimum Experience Required – type and number of years)

Minimum

Speech-Language Pathology and experience with special needs pupils - 3 years
Senior Speech Therapist - 5 years
Beginner Speech Therapist - 1-3 years

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