Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Early Language Consultant |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Early Years and Home Learning Environment Hub |
Business unit |
Learning Academy and Family Hubs |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Early Years and Home Learning Environment Lead |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Early Years and Home Learning Environment Lead |
Salary grade |
32 - 35 |
JE ref |
CSERV021 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To be the strategic lead on the planning and delivery of universal and preventative speech, language and communication work to the early years sector and 0-19 service in order to ensure improve outcomes for children.
- To improve and develop practice in Communication and Language through the provision of advice, support and training to early years practitioners and other professionals in Torbay.
- To narrow the word gap and improve outcomes in Communication and Language and Literacy for Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP).
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Improved Speech, Language and Communication outcomes for children aged 0-5.
- Reduced inequalities in Speech, Language and Communication outcomes for identified vulnerable/disadvantaged groups of children aged 0-5.
- An increase in combined Language and Literacy scores at the end of Early Years Foundation Stage.
- Increased confidence of professionals working with families to advise on quality communication and language practice.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- To be responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
- To liaise with the community speech and language therapists and paediatric manager to ensure clear pathways between universal and targeted services for children with speech, language, and communication needs. Working creatively to ensure children get the right support and the right time.
- To act as a champion for disadvantaged children, to improve outcomes at the earliest opportunity, and lower the level of need.
- To support the development and delivery of services to parents/carers/professionals in order to promote awareness of language development, to encourage language interaction skills and to affirm the crucial role of parents/carers in child development.
- To develop and deliver training courses/sessions for the early years workforce, other professionals, and parents/carers. Promoting innovative learning and development solutions, encouraging fresh approaches to learning through different mediums, tools, and techniques.
- To provide specialist advice to, early years staff, other professionals and parents/carers on speech, language, and communication development.
- To be responsible for setting up and monitoring programmes to be carried out by other professionals.
- To contribute to the local area strategy/pathway to promote language acquisition and identification of speech and language difficulties.
- To lead on the collation and analysis of data around children's speech, language, and communication skills for Torbay in identified projects and work packages.
- To provide targeted specialist support and tracking of children that are vulnerable to ensure key issues are addressed effectively and deliver creative solutions to barriers to learning.
- To produce reports and evidence of the impact of the services provided when requested.
- To offer challenge and support to Early Years providers and other professionals and organisations through mutually agreed targets and actions.
- To keep up to date with current developments in speech, language, and communication, through attendance at relevant courses and thorough independent research to enhance professional skills and expertise. To disseminate information accordingly to the wider early years sector and other professionals.
- To liaise and work with a range of professionals and organisations to exchange information and share best practice and lead on strategic pieces of work that are focussed on speech, language, and communication.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
Line management responsibilities will include:
- HLE outreach worker x 1
- Portage workers x 4
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working environment and conditions.
- Hybrid working.
- Some lone working (visits to Early Years providers/Parent groups).
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Normal office resources required.
9. Key contacts and relationships
External
- The post holder will be working with colleagues from partner agencies including:
- NHS
- Early Years Providers
- Schools, 0-19 Partnership
- Children and Family Health Devon
- Action for Children as lead to deliver the universal and preventative speech, language and communication work stream.
- The post holder will also have contact with Ofsted, DfE and the Voluntary and Community Sector.
Internal
- Working with staff at all levels within the Council, engaging with Members through formal governance mechanisms. Specifically working with Early Years, Family Hubs, Education and Early Help.
10. Other duties
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- This post is based at Electric House, but the post is eligible for hybrid working but the post.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands, or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Early Language Consultant |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Early Years and Home Learning Environment Hub |
Business unit |
Learning Academy and Family Hubs |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Ability to model effective high quality practice in speech, language and communication.
- The ability to communicate clearly and relate to all contacts.
- Effective organisational skills, including the ability to plan work programmes which make optimum use of available resources, especially time.
- Ability to be adaptable and take the initiative.
- Effective interpersonal skills and ability to relate to a range of professionals including LA colleagues, early years practitioners and other agencies.
- The ability to deliver high quality inset and support to a range of colleagues.
- The ability to enthuse, motivate and inspire colleagues in the field of speech, language and communication and develop effective partnerships.
- Willingness to share expertise, skills and knowledge and work as part of a team.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- A clear understanding of the principles involved in delivering effective high quality universal and preventative speech, language, and communication work/strategies.
- Considerable knowledge of Early Years Foundation Stage (particularly communication and literacy) and how this translates into good practice.
- Significant knowledge of the stages of speech development and identification of delay.
- Knowledge of evidence-based practice in early years, particularly linked to speech, language, and communication.
- Knowledge of the current legislative framework within which schools, early years settings and other professionals (e.g., Speech and Language Therapy) operate.
- Knowledge of GDPR
- Knowledge of safeguarding children.
Desirable knowledge
N/A
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Background in Teaching, Health or Children’s Social Care.
- Recent teaching/working with children under 5.
- Experience of delivery training/insert to other colleagues.
- Working closely with parents and carer.
- Experience of leading initiatives/pieces of work to improve outcomes for children.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Working in pre-schools and nurseries in the non-maintained sector.
- Experience of leadership and management.
- Experience of working with Speech and Language Therapy Service.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Educated to degree level standard or equivalent in a relevant subject.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Either have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Speech and Language Therapist Qualification or qualification in Associated Therapies.
- An additional, relevant professional qualification or training.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate some unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate hybrid working.