Army - Defence Children Services (DCS) – Speech and Language Therapist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our expanding team of Specialist Support Services. Defence Children Services has a vacancy for a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our Headquarters’ team based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon. We are looking for a passionate, competent and experienced Speech and Language Therapist to provide support, advice and guidance for children and young people based overseas in Defence Children Services schools and settings. This is a dynamic and exciting role providing the opportunity to work with our overseas locations and with the wider Defence community.

Defence Children Services (DCS) is a Defence delivery organisation, subordinated under Army Regional Command. Our Vision is that we Educate the Child – Support the Family – Defend the Nation. HQ DCS is UK based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon and has forward deployed staff all over the world. DCS is responsible for the education and care of children of accompanied Service and Defence entitled personnel in MOD schools and settings; providing advice and guidance in respect of education for service families in the United Kingdom and the wider world.

All our activities are crafted to meet the effective education needs of our children and families, mitigating the challenges of mobility and promoting the positive opportunities of Service life. Your contribution to this is essential and invaluable.

As a DCS Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) your role will be to work alongside the current SaLT to provide a high-quality speech and language therapy service to Service Children based overseas at MoD schools and settings. The role offers opportunities for direct and indirect individual work with children and practitioners, specialist advice and involvement in multi-agency groups and panels, as well as strategic planning at the level of service-delivery. SaLTs will work across early years settings, mainstream primary and secondary schools, with families in a range of settings and/or homes. The role is peripatetic and involves travelling to overseas locations across the MOD overseas footprint.

This post is being offered as either a part time or full time position.

Full time hours- 37 hours per week

Job description

The successful candidate will work collaboratively to provide a high-quality speech and language therapy service for Defence Children Services. They will work within the DCS Educational Psychology and Speech and Language (EPSL) team alongside Educational Psychologists and the Special educational needs and disability (SEND) Advisor and Manager.

The DCS Speech and Language Therapist will independently manage a diverse caseload of children and young people aged 3–18 with a wide range of speech, language, and communication needs across DCS schools and settings overseas. The postholder will assess, manage, and provide clear and timely advice, reports, and therapy programmes integrated into each child’s daily curriculum. The successful candidate will develop and deliver training for schools, contribute to service development through audits and reviews, and support recruitment and professional development through supervision and mentorship.

The EPSL team works in close partnership with DCS schools and settings’ SENDCos and Senior Leadership teams to provide Subject Matter Expert (SME) advice and training on Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and inclusive practice. Speech and language therapists will also be asked to offer guidance on the supportability of children with speech and language needs in overseas locations ensuring inclusivity and alignment with UK best practice.

The roles and responsibilities of the Speech and Language Therapist are as follows:

• Independently assess, review and manage a caseload of children aged 3-18 with a wide range of speech, language and communication needs in DCS mainstream schools and settings overseas.
• Provide advice and guidance to DCS education settings and stakeholders on a range of clinical areas relevant to speech and language needs.
• Provide clear, timely speech and language advice, reports and programmes to be integrated within the child or young person’s daily curriculum.
• Work collaboratively with the wider multi-disciplinary team of teachers, SENDCos, parents and external agencies in supporting children’s education and communication needs. In addition, work with the wider DCS team to develop relevant projects and initiatives. Develop and deliver training packages for DCS schools and settings and associated communities.
• Contribute to service development and review of clinical pathways, audits, and service initiatives in line with current evidence and national policies. Contribute and manage data collection to support service development and assurance.
• Support recruitment efforts in line with MOD Safer Recruitment processes and assist in professional development through clinical peer supervision and mentorship.
• Provide subject matter expert advice about children’s speech and language needs and their supportability in different overseas locations.

Please be aware this role involves regular overseas travel including driving overseas. Working beyond contracted hours is required for travel and reclaimed through TOIL.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

Essential

• In-depth knowledge of assessment tools and experience of applying them, relevant to early years and school-age children with SLCN.
• Experience and knowledge of a wide range of appropriate therapy approaches and experience in using them with children with SLCN.
• Ability to produce high quality written reports as well as communicate with parents and staff.
• Ability to work independently within professional frameworks and manage a caseload of varied needs, while balancing and meeting competing demands.
• Good knowledge of the roles of other professionals relevant to early years and school-age children with SLCN.
• Knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to children with SLCN.
• Knowledge of good practice in safeguarding, equal opportunities and inclusion, and a full commitment to these aspects.
• Able and willing to travel independently to overseas locations.
• Able to make effective use of ICT.
• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development and experiences of further broad training relevant to the post.

Desirable

• An understanding of the military context and the impact of mobility on children, families and schools.
• Membership or involvement with relevant Clinical Excellent Network(s).
• Experience providing training to the wider workforce.
• An understanding of the principles of clinical governance.

Licences

•Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) licence to practice as a Speech and Language Therapist.
•Full UK Driving Licence

Qualifications

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree qualification (minimum of 2:2 or equivalent).
Evidence of qualifications will be required at interview.

Evidence of qualification/Licence/Membership will be required at interview.

All qualifications/licences/memberships declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date.

Memberships

Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Presentation
• Assessed against HCPC standards of proficiency for SaLTS (See attached)

Benefits

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Personal and professional development of skills
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
• Learning and Development
• Access to regular Clinical Supervision in line with HCPC and RCSLT requirements.
• NHS pension

Reimbursement of professional license fees: In Defence, we recognise that becoming a member of a professional body or association can provide professional credibility and recognition for your skills. Civil servants in MOD Main can claim reimbursement of up to two eligible professional memberships per year.

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference, and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career.

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD:

https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Personal Statement and the following Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

CV is to include job history and qualification details.

Your Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) should demonstrate the relevant skills and experience that evidence how you meet the criteria as detailed in the job role and responsibilities, including examples of evidence.

At interview you will be assessed on your experience along with the following Civil Service Behaviours;

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

At interview you will be asked to give a short presentation between 5 -10 mins, without the use of IT, on an area of Speech Therapy. The presentation topic will be provided on invitation to interview.

Alongside the presentation, you will be assessed against the criteria in the person specification, the Civil Service behaviour of ‘Communicating and Influencing’ and Assessed against HCPC (Health and Care Professionals Council) standards of proficiency for SaLTS.

In the event of a high number of applications meeting the threshold for essential criteria; the desirable criteria may be applied to weight the applications.

Interviews will take place in person on Tuesday 31st March at Trenchard Lines, Upavon.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Phillippa James
• Email : Phillippa.James133@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

standards-of-proficiency---speech-and-language-therapists Opens in new window (pdf, 459kB)20241009 - Further Information - External (3) Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)Defence Civil Service Offer (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)