Ability West are accepting applications for the role of Senior Grade Speech and Language Therapist (0.5 WTE) for an interagency project in conjunction with Brothers of Charity Services Ireland-West Region.
Under the HSE National Service Plan 2022, funding has been approved for an innovative Housing Project with a primary aim to establish a pathway to planned residential services for adults with intellectual disability in Galway City and County. The Living My Life Housing Pilot Project seeks to develop a Rights-Based approach to housing, facilitated through person-centred supports, community inclusion and enablement, resulting in the provision of 32 residential places over the course of 5 years in Galway City and County through Ability West and Brothers of Charity Services Ireland-West Region.
The Role:
The Senior Speech & Language Therapist will work as part of the Living My Life Housing Project multidisciplinary team to provide a service to adults availing of/partaking in the project. The Senior Speech & Language Therapist will work within a person-centred framework alongside the people partaking in the project, their support teams, and families.
Essential Criteria:
Registered as a Speech & Language Therapist by the Speech & Language Therapists Registration Board at CORU.
Have a Minimum of 3 years post graduate clinical Speech and Language Therapy experience, including experience of supervision of SLT colleagues.
Experience in working with adults with intellectual disability
Experience working in a multidisciplinary disability setting, and experience supporting/ engaging in functional assessments and facilitating skill development (includes placement)
Hold a qualification and be competent to practice with disorders of Feeding, Eating, Drinking, and Swallowing (FEDS)
Full current driving license with access to your own vehicle (mileage will be paid at the appropriate rate)
Desirable:
Experience in working with a range of total and inclusive communication strategies including AAC
Lamh Module One certification
Experience of the role of the SLT in disability services in working with the person, their environment and the wider community
Have knowledge of relevant disability-related legislation, national disability policies, and relevant standards of evidence based practise
Have knowledge of relevant disability-related legislation and standards of practice
An understanding of models of person-centred planning and Supported Self-Directed Living (SSDL)
Membership of IASLT.
Overview Of The Project
* The post holder will be a member of the Project Team responsible for the delivery of a 5-year Housing Pilot Project.
* Under the HSE National Service Plan 2022, funding has been approved for an innovative Housing Project with a primary aim to establish a pathway to planned residential services for adults with intellectual disability in Galway City and County.
* This is an interagency project led by Ability West and Brothers of Charity Services (Galway) with significant links with the Community Healthcare West Disability Services Team.
* The intended outcome of this project is a proactive model of access to residential services for persons with an intellectual disability over a 5-year period It aims to provide a solution to barriers experienced by people with intellectual disability in accessing residential services in intellectual disability service provider organisations due to competing 'emergency' placements and limited resources.
This significant project will entail:
* Dual pathway of access to housing and revenue for staffing supports to enable the two service providers to plan residential services for those outside of known emergency referrals.
* Person centred and individualised approach to planning, informed by prospective residents and their needs and will and preference
* A programme of enablement and skills development
* Parallel process of a feasibility study to monitor and evaluate the process and outcomes, so to inform further roll-out of planned residential supports locally and nationally.
* Build Capacity to replicate and further roll out the model for a wider group of individuals and their families
* It will focus particularly on individuals who have the capability to develop skills to live in a Supported Accommodation Model with appropriate levels of staff support
Successful roll-out of the pilot project will result in 32 new residential placements provided by either Ability West or BOC in Galway City or County to people already known to services with ageing carers or emerging needs where the need to plan is evident.
For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Ms Olive Keane, Living My Life Housing Project Manager on or Ms Adeline Quinn, Speech & Language Therapy Manager, on
Closing Date 26th September 2025