Introduction

I am particularly keen to work as a paediatric speech and language therapist (SLT)

and I would welcome the opportunity to work for Trafford CYPS, after previously
completing my final clinical placement at Cherry Manor and thoroughly enjoying it. I
believe the following information demonstrates that I fulfil all of the essential and
desirable requirements listed on the person specification for the post.

Training and Qualifications

ESSENTIAL
I qualified in January 2014 with an upper second-class honours degree in
Speech Pathology and Therapy from Manchester Metropolitan University.
I have been registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
since April 2014.
I have been a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists (RCSLT) since 2011.
I recently attended several training courses at the Centre for Child Mental
Health (CIMH) in February 2014 focusing on the diagnosis of disorders such
as ASD/ADHD and behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents.

DESIRABLE
I worked as a workshop specialist for Apple whilst at University and
completed several IT examinations to enable me to deliver mentoring/training
sessions to Apple employees; businesses such as the NHS; schools and
customers.

Experience

ESSENTIAL
As an undergraduate student, I gained experience working with children and
adolescents with a wide range of speech, language and communication
difficulties across a number of different clinical, educational and social
settings.
My work as an SEN Mentor, in a primary school with an extensive diverse
and multicultural population, has enabled me to extend my range of
experience with children in school, for example, working in the community
with children of the Roma community.
I have been fortunate to have several clinic and school-based clinical
placements, which have provided me with valuable experience in caseload
management and prioritisation. In my current role, I am responsible for
managing, reviewing and maintaining contemporaneous and accurate case
notes.

Skills and Knowledge

ESSENTIAL
I have carried out both formal and informal assessments within these
settings. For example, I have administered a TALC assessment with a 5-
year-old boy referred to the ASD team and also sub-tests of the CELF4 with a
13-year-old referred for poor narrative development.
I am able to analyse the results of formal and informal assessments to devise
and inform therapy targets and therapeutic interventions, for example, using

the results of a STAP assessment to guide phonological therapy and identify
disordered and delayed speech processes.
I have experience of session planning and target setting (both short and long
term goals) using a range of therapeutic interventions, taking into account the
current evidence-based practice. For example, I planned and administered a
6-week block of therapy for the development of phonological awareness
through the use of minimal pair activities.
I am confident using baseline measures and therapy outcome measures to
evaluate the efficacy of therapy to inform future case management.
I have excellent auditory discrimination skills. I have carried out both
phonological assessments such as CLEAR and STAP and informal
assessments and observations, which have required me to make quick and
accurate phonetic transcriptions, which I have then analysed to inform my
clinical decision-making.
I understand the importance of working in collaboration with families, carers
and professionals to achieve therapeutic aims. I have had opportunities to
work alongside Teaching Assistants, explaining and supporting them to
implement therapy strategies within the school day.
I appreciate the need to consult with families and educational staff in order to
meet their aims while considering my own clinical targets. I recognise the
need to be flexible and modify targets to achieve a clinical outcome, for
example, changing individual targets to small group therapy targets when a
nursery was faced with staff shortages.
Reflecting on my clinical practice has given me an awareness of a speech
and language therapists role in altering his or her own communication style
dependent on the situation, for example, relaying the same clinical findings to
parents and members of an MDT. The same information needs to be
delivered in very different ways, with regard to the prior knowledge and
understanding of the intended audience.
I am IT competent, having produced undergraduate summative assignments
using word and number processing packages such as Microsoft Word and
Excel and Pages. I have extensive experience of using iPad/iPod apps within
therapeutic sessions and have delivered training sessions to undergraduate
SLT students focused on the use of technology within clinical settings.
I am self-motivated and am happy to work independently. I also enjoy team
working and find problem-solving and sharing ideas with colleagues and other
professionals stimulating.
I understand my responsibility to maintain my continued professional
development (CPD) and am willing and eager to attend all relevant training
opportunities available to me within the trust, to consider my progress through
reflective practice and to ask for support, when I feel a task is outside of my
current capabilities.
I am a car owner and have a full clean UK driving licence with appropriate
insurance.

DESIRABLE
I am confident in using PowerPoint and Keynote to produce high quality
presentations, which I have used previously to design and deliver a variety of
training sessions.
I participated in a PhD research project on the development of a formal
assessment of abstract language and gathered data from school-aged
children from several primary schools.
I have a good knowledge of Signalong and have used both Signalong and
Makaton on previous clinical placements.

I recently completed my research project, which explored the experiences of
parents on Welsh-medium SLT in Wales. For the collection of data, I
interviewed 14 parents in Wales in order to analyse and produce my
research.

Other

I am a fluent Welsh, French and Spanish speaker.
I have a recent record of completing the North West Health Sector Core Skills
Framework e-learning in the areas of Fire Safety; Moving and Handling;
Conflict Resolution; Equality; Diversity and human Rights; Resuscitation;
Health, Safety and Security; Infection Prevention and Control and
Safeguarding Children.
I am happy and willing to conform to all Trust policies and procedures and to
participate in Trust audit and research activities.