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Job summary

Main area
Children's Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 22.5 hours per week
Job ref
083-7743042-WW
Employer
Sirona care & health CIC
Employer type
NHS
Site
Eastgate House
Town
Bristol
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
05/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Sirona care & health CIC logo

Speech and Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 4

Please note that if you apply for a position with Sirona care & health, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac Account and email accounts.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received prior to the advertised closing date.

Job overview

The Sirona Speech and Language Therapy School Aged Team is a friendly and supportive team that deliver a variety of core and commissioned clinical Speech and Language Therapy Services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

We offer regular training opportunities to our staff, a buddy system for new starters, regular line management, whole team and smaller team meetings. A large and supportive team means that there is plenty of opportunity for development and progression internally.

You will work as a Band 4 Speech and Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner working in a Special School with children with complex communication needs associated with severe disability. You will also be supporting children using high tech communication aids across a number of primary and secondary schools.

You will work with Specialist Speech and Language Therapists to support the students and staff. The post holder should have interest and/or experience in alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), and supporting children/YP in both primary and secondary schools.

Please do contact us to find out more detail about the position.

Main duties of the job

You will be working within the School Aged Speech and Language Therapy Service working across both primary and secondary schools in Bristol. You will work with Specialist Speech and Language Therapists. Main duties of your role will be to: 

  • Work within primary and secondary schools (specialist and mainstream) to deliver specific skilled support along with speech and language therapy programmes to children/young people and their families to improve their outcomes and support children/young people to reach their full potential.
  • Monitor children/young people's response to therapy intervention and feedback to the therapist, jointly setting new targets as required.
  • Work closely with the Speech and Language Therapists in the Special School and AAC Support Team. 
  • Prepare equipment, materials and make resources to support the Speech and Language Therapy team. 

Working for our organisation

Ever dreamt about a career that sparks excitement and fosters your professional growth? Picture yourself waking up eager to make a real difference in our community, surrounded by teams who value your unique ideas.

We are Sirona care & health – England’s largest provider of Adult’s and Children’s Community Services and we’d love for you to join us in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.

Agenda for Change Salary, full NHS benefits, 27+ days’ annual leave, and participation in the NHS Pension Scheme – just a glimpse of the benefits you’ll receive.

We welcome and encourage all applicants. We are committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities we support and are proactively seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce. We know diversity fosters creativity and innovation.

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We aim to draw upon the widest possible range of views and experiences to meet the changing needs of our colleagues, partners and communities we serve.

Whether you're starting your journey in healthcare, looking for a fresh challenge within the NHS, or contemplating a career change, don't be daunted by the prospect of something different – we create development opportunities for all our colleagues and apprentices.

Interested? View our benefits leaflet which you can find attached to this vacancy.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities before applying for this position.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for this role and can only accept applications from UK based applicants.

If you currently require a visa to work in the UK, there must be a minimum of 14 months remaining on your visa.  Please provide the end date in your application.

If you refer to employment history and qualifications within your supporting statement that are not reflected in your application form this informatiom may be discounted. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Recognised childcare / health care / social care qualification at NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification or experience
Desirable criteria
  • Training in Makaton / Hanen / Attention Autism or other relevant SLCN interventions

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Relevant experience of working with children in an Early Years , educational or health setting
  • To be able to work without direct supervision carrying out observations and / or therapy activities in clinic / educational settings and/or home settings as required
  • To be able to demonstrate therapy programmes and use of equipment to others (parents and educational staff)
  • Ability to relate to children and their families with special needs, cultural and language difficulties, and/or challenging behaviour.
  • To be able to communicate effectively with therapy colleagues, members of the multidisciplinary team, and other agencies (e.g. education, social services)
  • Experienced with technology - comfortable using a range of computer software
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working with children and young people presenting with difficulties in the areas ocommunication, social communication and activities of daily living, (or any combination of these) and their families.
  • Experience of working as an assistant practitioner
  • To be familiar with a range of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) such as Makaton signing, Voice Output Communication Aids, low tech communication aids.
  • Experience of working with children/ young people who require adapted / alternative methods of communication (e.g. Makaton)
  • Experience of Communicate in Print software

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerApprenticeships logoPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in People: GoldCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Happy to Talk Flexible WorkingQNIInclusion UK

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
katy waddington
Job title
Speech and Language Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07766992235
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