Speech and Language Therapist

Location: Children’s Services – Haverhill, Suffolk

School: Independent Special School | Ages 8–16

Working Pattern: 22.5 hours per week, Term Time Only (standard full time is 38 hours per week, 40 days annual leave)

Salary: £38,386.19 - £48,059.49 pro rata (dependent on experience). Annual salary for 22.5 hours, term time only is £20,455.80 - £23,075.14 per annum (dependent on experience)

Make communication meaningful. Make a difference every day.

At Kisimul Group, we believe everyone deserves a meaningful life, with their individual needs, choices and aspirations at the heart of everything we do.

We’re excited to offer an opportunity for a dedicated Speech and Language Therapist to join our new specialist school community in Haverhill, Suffolk.

We are progressing plans to open a new Independent Special School for young people aged 8–16, supporting children and young people who are autistic and may have additional learning, social, emotional and health needs.

With small class sizes and a personalised approach to education, our school will provide an environment where young people can thrive through innovative, therapeutic and person-centred approaches.

Learning will take place both in the classroom and throughout everyday experiences, with a strong focus on functional learning, independent living skills, emotional resilience and preparing young people for fulfilling lives. As part of an integrated multidisciplinary therapy team, you will work closely with education colleagues to embed therapeutically informed practice across the school.

About the role

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide person-centred, evidence-based speech and language therapy and support pupils to achieve meaningful outcomes. This is an opportunity to use your clinical expertise in a specialist setting where your work can have a genuine, lasting impact. You’ll help pupils develop their communication skills, increase independence, access learning and education, and participate more fully in everyday life.

Key responsibilities

• Assess speech, language and communication needs.
• Deliver personalised therapy and intervention through individual and group sessions.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, families and carers.
• Contribute to EHCP outcomes and individual learning plans.
• Provide dysphagia assessment and management where appropriately trained.
• Promote neuro-affirming practice.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and reports.
• Use evidence-based practice to support positive outcomes.
• Contribute to clinical supervision, professional development and service improvement.

About you

We’re looking for an enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapist who is committed to delivering person-centred, evidence-based and neuro-affirming practice.

You’ll need:

• Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Registration/membership with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
• Experience or a strong interest in working with autistic people and people with learning disabilities and associated complex needs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• A commitment to reflective practice, supervision and continuing professional development.
• A compassionate and person-centred approach.

Experience gained through previous employment, placements or relevant life experience in areas such as learning disability, specialist education or mental health would be beneficial.

Experience of dysphagia assessment and management would be valuable. If you don’t currently hold the relevant competencies, we’ll support you to develop these through appropriate training, supervision and competency frameworks.

Why join Kisimul?

At Kisimul, we are committed to helping the people we support develop their skills, abilities and experiences through our Meaningful Life Model. Our approach puts individual needs, values, aspirations and outcomes at the heart of everything we do. As a clinician you will have opportunities to collaborate and engage with continued professional development and supervision with other therapeutic professionals within the multidisciplinary team.

 

Find out more about life at Kisimul

Hear from our teams about what it’s like to work at Kisimul:

Life at Kisimul: https://youtu.be/pP-sFmzkR88

Meaningful Life Model: https://youtu.be/XWo2VXzeGIg

In return for your commitment, you’ll receive:

• Extensive training and development, with time rostered out of your work schedule to attend.
• Fully funded qualifications to support your career development.
• Genuine career progression, with transparent pay grades and development opportunities.
• Life Assurance of 1x your annual basic salary.
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme.
• Stream, allowing you to access a percentage of your earned wages before payday.
• Blue Light Card, providing discounts at over 15,000 venues across the UK.
• Employee discounts from over 150 retailers.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to an online GP, confidential telephone counselling, internal wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Flexible working opportunities, including the option to work on bank holidays and take the time back on another occasion that is more meaningful to you.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Refer a Friend Scheme, with the opportunity to earn up to £500 for every successful hire.
• Fully funded DBS check.
• The opportunity to work within a beautiful home and grounds as part of a supportive specialist service.

About Kisimul

Kisimul Group provides specialist education, residential care and supported living services for children, young people and adults with autism, learning disabilities and associated complex needs.

We are dedicated to creating nurturing, supportive environments where the people we support can develop their abilities, build independence and experience a meaningful life.

We are proud to have been recognised as an outstanding company to work for through our most recent employee survey.

Diversity, Safeguarding & Inclusion

Kisimul is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults, and expects all colleagues to share this commitment.

We are also committed to creating a workplace that celebrates and welcomes diversity in all its forms. We believe that different perspectives make us stronger, more innovative and better equipped to support the people in our care.

If you’re excited about this opportunity but don’t meet every requirement listed, we still encourage you to apply. Your experience, perspective and potential could be exactly what we’re looking for.

Please note: Due to current UK Government guidelines, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Sponsorship is restricted to eligible colleagues who are already employed by the organisation. Children’s Homes positions are not eligible for sponsorship.

Ready to make a difference?

If you’re a Speech and Language Therapist looking for an opportunity to use your expertise, develop your career and help shape a brand-new specialist education provision, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and become part of Kisimul’s new chapter in Haverhill.