Sarah Needham Director of Integrated Treatment Services comments
“After working within the National Health Service and the Independent sector throughout the last 9 years, it is my belief that speech and language therapists should be provided with optimum working conditions in order to fully support their clients and families. I have called upon my own experience of working directly with a large and varied caseload to prioritise the working conditions required to work effectively for our clients with genuine job satisfaction.”“In developing our working models at I.T.S. it has been crucially important that our therapists have”;
- Flexibility to work from a setting that suits them
- Control of their caseload – deciding both clinically and geographically their working preferences.
- Access to a support network of other therapists so as not to work in isolation.
- Access to more specialised assessments and equipment to support their work around the client.
- Time to work holistically around the clients needs, making contact with the multi-disciplinary professionals and seeing the client in a range of settings.
- Effective paper work and templates to support and ease the administrative duties of our jobs.
- Autonomy in deciding with the client and the family what approach to therapy will suit them.
MEETING YOU:
I.T.S hold open days/evening to meet therapists and to get to know their working needs. Please make contact through our careers form to find out when the next open day/evening is running.
BUILDING A CASELOAD:
Each therapist working with I.T.S will be notified of new ‘client profiles’ clients and families who are looking for therapy support. I.T.S geographically and clinically match the therapist to the client. Therapists can therefore hand pick a caseload that both suits the time they have available as well as their clinical interests.
FLEXIBILITY:
Therapists use their home as a base to work from, much of the work is out in the clients home, educational and/or care settings. Access is also available to the I.T.S office.
I.T.S are supportive of therapists who wish to build a caseload alongside an NHS position or who are combining childcare and other lifestyle commitments.
Therapists may take on as little as one client should this match their needs.
I.T.S are supportive of therapists who wish to build a caseload alongside an NHS position or who are combining childcare and other lifestyle commitments.
Therapists may take on as little as one client should this match their needs.
LIAISON:
Our team is growing and it is important to us that each therapist has an impact upon the decision making and the growth of our service;
Bi- monthly meetings ensure that therapists meet face to face and allows regular feedback on effective working practices and any needs for change.
I.T.S email accounts and access to the “online therapist’s area” ensures ready access to colleagues both within and outside the team every day.
Bi- monthly meetings ensure that therapists meet face to face and allows regular feedback on effective working practices and any needs for change.
I.T.S email accounts and access to the “online therapist’s area” ensures ready access to colleagues both within and outside the team every day.
The therapist area provides;
- Access to downloadable therapy materials
- A discussion forum with the team of therapists
- Equipment available to loan
- An online diary to book appointments and shadow colleagues appointments
- Address lists of local services to support effective liaison.
CPD and Training:
All therapists working with I.T.S must ensure that there CPD and training record is up to date and line with RCSLT’s requirements. ITS look to host training sessions requested by therapists as well as facilitating shadowing and mentoring opportunities through our online diary.Developing a Multi - disciplinary team of therapists
ITS are equally keen to exapnd our multi-disciplinary team of associated therapists. We believe it is crucial that our therapists are familiar with each others multi - disciplinary work so we can support the holistic needs of the client.
We would be pleased to hear from you, if you are;
An Occupational Therapists
A Physiotherapists
A Creatvie Expressive Therapists - music, art, dance/drama
A Psychologist - Educational , Clinical and Cognitive Neuro psychology
You are equally welcome to attend a therapy open day.
The next step:
If you are interested in finding out more about working with I.T.S then please do make contact through our careers enquiry form.
