Senior Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

Job Introduction

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £27,513 per annum based on a 36 hours per week, across 42 weeks of the year, pro-rata to £29,697. The role is term-time, plus an additional 15 days per year.

Our innovative and supportive school-based Speech and Language Therapy service is looking for two Senior Speech and Language Therapy Assistants, one role will be based in the South East of Surrey and one in the North East of Surrey. You will be joining a supportive network of Speech and Language Therapy Assistants who meet regularly for learning and peer support. You will have a main Surrey County Council office base and work across schools in your agreed area.

Rewards and Benefits

• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

The School-Aged Speech and Language Therapy Service is part of Surrey County Council's support for children with Additional Needs and Disabilities, working collaboratively in the Inclusion and Additional Needs team in Surrey's Children, Families and Learning Directorate, along side other teams like Educational Psychology, and specialist teachers.

We aim to deliver the right support at the right time, through assessment and intervention, and by equipping families and professionals with the skills and resources to work together to help and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). We offer universal, targeted and specialist support for children, families, and the school workforce, and work with children and young people with EHCPs (Education, Health & Care Plans) and those at SEN (Special Education Needs) support.

Working under the supervision of Speech and Language Therapists, your main duties in the role of Senior Speech and Language Therapy Assistant will include:

• Working individually with a child or young person within a school
• Modelling strategies to class teachers and teaching assistants
• Working with small groups of children and young people
• Creating helpful resources for the therapy team
• Giving both verbal and written feedback to school staff and parents
• Keeping accurate written case notes
• Offering shadowing opportunities and peer support to less experienced Therapy Assistants

This is a great opportunity to work across schools in Surrey. The post will include a mixture of mainstream and specialist schools and centres work.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• 2 years' experience of working with children and young people as a SLT Assistant as part of a Speech and Language Therapy Team either within mainstream or specialist schools and centres.
• Evidence of working independently and flexibly.
• Experience of using a range of communication approaches used in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Evidence of use of IT systems such as word and excel, outlook and Teams.
• Evidence of supporting others.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a defined geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Contact Us 

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Rachel Brown (SE) or Melissa Sartin (NE) on MS Teams or by email.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 04/05/2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.