EDUCATION THERAPIST SPECIALIST - SPEECH AND LANGUAGE

Job Overview

An Education Therapist Specialist (Speech and Language) position is available within the Eastern Cape Department of Education across multiple centres (Butterworth, Fort Beaufort, Alfred Nzo West, Joe Gqabi). The role involves providing therapeutic and educational services to schools, supporting District and School-based Support Teams, conducting assessments, and managing professional supervision of therapists. Applicants must hold a Bachelor's Degree in Speech-Language Therapy, valid HPCSA registration, at least 5 years of post-community service experience, and a valid driver's license.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Speech-Language Therapy allowing for registration with the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
• Current registration as a Speech-Language Therapist with the HPCSA with proof provided.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience as a Speech-Language Therapist following community service.
• A valid driver's license.
• Knowledge of Inclusive Education (IE) policies (White Paper 6), Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy, Guidelines on the development of Full-service/Inclusive Schools, Guidelines on the development of Special Schools as Resource Centres, Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL), and Integrated School Health Policy.
• Skills in therapeutic assessment and techniques, multi-disciplinary teamwork, preventative and developmental approach, development of training programmes, report writing, analysis of data and trends, therapeutic research methodology, communication, consultation, facilitation, computer literacy, presentation, organising, and planning.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide therapeutic and educational services to Public Ordinary and Public Special Schools within the Education District.
• Implement therapeutic capacity-building programmes for early identification of interventions relating to barriers to learning.
• Train educators, parents and support staff in the early identification of learning barriers particularly barriers to accessing the curriculum.
• Conduct assessments and provide short term curriculum interventions to learners experiencing barriers to learning.
• Provide specialized therapeutic support to strengthen District and School-based Support Teams (DBSTs/SBSTs).
• Collaborate as multi-disciplinary teams with DBST to support learners experiencing therapeutic barriers to learning.
• Provide therapeutic support advisory services to SBST and direct therapeutic support services to learners when necessary.
• Monitor support programmes for learners with high level needs referred and not yet placed in Special Schools or High-Level Support Programmes.
• Conduct discipline specific research (Speech and Language) and gather information to identify trends and address these needs within the district.
• Participate in inter- and intra-sectoral networks and collaborations.
• Collaborate on therapeutic support matters with multi-disciplinary teams at Special Schools / Resource Centres and Full-Service Schools / Inclusive Schools.
• Provide and manage professional supervision of the therapists in Public Special Schools within the District.
• Monitor and support the process of assessment, reporting, referrals and placement of learners according to levels of need.
• Monitor and support the implementation of administration- and record-keeping processes.
• Ensure the compliance of Therapists in the special schools to the HPCSA Continuous Professional Development (CPD) policy.
• Report on the implementation of therapeutic support intervention programmes and monitor and manage assistive devices.

Enquiries & Contact