CYP Speech & Language Assessor

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Full-time or Part-time considered)

Location: Redditch Crabbs Cross with hybrid working arrangements (approximately 95% face-to-face activity)

Contract: Permanent

Vertis Health is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Speech & Language Assessor to join our growing Children and Young People's Neurodevelopmental Service. This exciting role offers the opportunity to contribute specialist speech, language and communication expertise within ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic pathways. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based assessments that support accurate diagnostic decision-making and positive outcomes for children, young people and their families.

• Undertake specialist speech, language and communication assessments as part of CYP ASD and ADHD diagnostic pathways.
• Review referral information and supporting evidence to inform assessment planning.
• Gather and analyse information from families, schools and other professionals.
• Contribute specialist clinical reasoning to multidisciplinary diagnostic discussions.
• Produce clear, comprehensive and neurodiversity-affirming assessment reports.
• Communicate assessment outcomes sensitively and effectively to children, young people and families.
• Provide practical recommendations to support communication needs and reasonable adjustments.
• Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns in line with organisational policies.
• Participate in clinical supervision, audit, service evaluation and continuous quality improvement activities.
• Work collaboratively with operational, clinical and external partners to support smooth patient pathways.

Full list of duties can be found in the attached Job Description.

Vertis Health is a federation of general practices delivering high-quality NHS services across Worcestershire. We were founded by local primary care clinicians and are owned by the practices we serve. As a purpose-led limited company, the money we generate is reinvested into the local healthcare economy, helping to strengthen services, support innovation and improve patient care. Our neurodevelopmental services are being built around clinical quality, meaningful outcomes and strong governance. You will join an organisation that understands NHS systems and values while giving experienced clinicians the opportunity to influence, develop and improve services.

Depending on the role, our benefits include access to the NHS Pension, structured learning and development, clinical leadership opportunities, career progression and genuine flexibility.

If you want to help build a clinically rigorous, compassionate and sustainable service, we would be pleased to hear from you.

The successful candidate will provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy input within neurodevelopmental diagnostic pathways for children and young people. Key responsibilities include:

• Undertake specialist speech, language and communication assessments.
• Contribute to diagnostic formulation using validated assessment tools and professional judgement.
• Integrate evidence from multiple sources into clear clinical recommendations.
• Identify co occurring communication and developmental needs.

• Produce high-quality clinical documentation within agreed timescales.
• Deliver assessment feedback to families and professionals.
• Provide recommendations to support communication, participation and reasonable adjustments.

• Maintain high standards of clinical governance and professional practice.
• Manage safeguarding concerns appropriately.
• Participate in incident reporting, audit and service evaluation activities.
• Maintain professional registration and competency requirements.

• Work closely with colleagues across ADHD and ASD assessment pathways.
• Liaise with schools, referrers, healthcare providers and partner organisations.
• Support effective pathway flow and positive patient experiences.

• Current HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Significant post qualification experience working with children and young people in neurodevelopmental, paediatric, CAMHS or closely related settings.
• Demonstrable experience conducting speech, language and communication assessments within a CYP diagnostic or neurodevelopmental pathway.
• Ability to integrate multi source assessment evidence into clear clinical reasoning, contributing to MDT diagnostic decision making aligned to DSM 5/ICD 11 criteria.
• Strong report writing skills with evidence of producing high quality clinical documentation to deadlines.
• Sound understanding of safeguarding, risk identification and escalation within CYP services.
• Confident MDT working and ability to follow governed diagnostic pathways and service SOPs.
• Commitment to equality, reasonable adjustments and neurodiversity affirming practice.
• Experience using validated standardised language and communication assessment tools within a ND or diagnostic pathway model.
• Experience of assessing children and young people with dual presentation (ASD and ADHD) and navigating pathway interfaces.
• Experience of working within high volume assessment services or Right to Choose models.
• Experience of audit, service improvement or documentation standards work in neurodevelopmental or CAMHS services.
• Familiarity with ADOS 2 administration as part of an MDT model.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary: £40,000 to £50,000 a year, depending on experience.