Bridges for Learning, an organisation facilitating early assistance with child development, is seeking a Part Time Speech Pathologist to work in Bowral.

The successful applicant will work with a team of therapists, specialist teachers and assistants to provide transdisciplinary programs that combine therapeutic, developmental and educational outcomes for young children with an autism spectrum disorder.

The successful applicant will have relevant qualifications qualifications in speech pathology and will be eligible for membership of the Speech Pathology Association of Australia.

Closing date: 15 May 2012

Find out more about this speech pathologist job with Bridges for Learning or search for more jobs in early childhood sector.

carecareers has launched a new television ad today about Talia, a young girl with cerebral palsy. With the support of a team of allied health professionals Talia has achieved a number of her life goals. Her story, and the team work in supporting her, is shared in this new ad.

Watch her story and please share it with your friends and colleagues. We hope you enjoy it!

A big thanks to The Campaign Palace and The Feds for the production of the ad.

Our featured job this week is a Speech Pathologist role with Koorana Child and Family Services in Canterbury and Bankstown.

Koorana Child and Family Services are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Speech Pathologist to work Full Time within their multidisciplinary therapy team.

The Speech Pathologist will offer intervention and support within a variety of service delivery models including individual consultation, individual and group intervention, staff, family and community consultation, training and resourcing families and centres.

The position has a specific focus on supporting children with additional needs, particularly those with autism, and their families.

Closing date: 2 April 2012

Find out more about this Speech Pathologist job or search for more frontline professional roles in the disability and community care sector.

Up to 5600 jobs are anticipated to be available between now and 2015 in the disability and community care sector of northern New South Wales.

The sector is expected to boom in the next five years with employers looking to recruit 40,000 people; it is estimated that the number of people needing to access these services in New South Wales will rise to 350 000.

“There are several misconceptions about what it is like to work in this sector, yet most people simply aren’t aware of the benefits including: job security, flexible hours, varied and creative work, and on-the-job training,” says Patrick Maher, Chief Operating Officer of National Disability Services NSW.

To hear more about what working in the disability and community care sector is really like, read True Stories on carecareers.

Alstonville resident Sarah Jurd started working in the disability and community care sector 13 years ago and has held a variety of roles in that time: respite carer, teacher’s aide, support worker in vacation care, and most recently as a speech therapist with Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

“My parents were respite carers so I got involved at a young age because of them. We had a little girl with disabilities who came and lived with us for a while, and I learnt to help her and found that I enjoyed it,” says Jurd.

On the growth in the sector she says, “I have definitely seen an increase in the demand for our services in the last few years.

“There are a lot of children that need a lot of support, and it seems like there are not enough resources to meet that need, even now”.

For those who are considering a career in the sector Jurd says, ”It’s important to remember that clients are people who would like to be independent and just need some support to achieve that.”
 
“One of the benefits of working in the disability sector is that I work as part of a bigger a team no matter what area I’ve worked in; as a speech therapist I work closely with both occupational therapists and physiotherapists to find solutions to problems.

“I love working with the kids and their families; no child is ever the same and each client presents a new challenge for the team,” says Jurd.

“The work is also personally rewarding; I started out working with one family as their Respite Carer about 12 years ago, to support them and their children who have a disability. The family is as much a part of my life now as my own family is, and spending time with the children over the years has been great fun”.

More than 100 positions based in Lismore and the surrounding areas have been advertised through carecareers since its launch 12 months ago. Search for jobs now.

carecareers was developed by NDS to help meet the demand for new workers in the disability and community care sector. Head to carecareers and search for jobs now, or contact our Careers Centre online or by calling the help-line for job seekers on 1300 637 637.

Kurrajong Waratah is a local community organisation providing a broad range of services to babies, children and adults with disabilities, and their Kurrajong Early Childhood Intervention Service (KEIS) in Wagga Wagga is a leading edge Early Childhood Intervention Service with an outstanding reputation for excellence in the provision of family centred service delivery.

The KEIS team provides a support and therapy service to families and their children (birth to school age) with disabilities and/or developmental delays. They are currently seeking a Speech Pathologist to work in Wagga Wagga.

Essential criteria

• Degree in Speech Pathology
• Current driver’s licence

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of developmental delay/disability and the effects on family
• Previous experience working with children with developmental delay/disability and their families
• Ability to work as part of a team and liaise with other service providers
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Experience in working in a multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary team

Learn more about the Speech Pathologist role at KEIS or search for more Speech Pathologist roles.