Band 7 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Band 7 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to work with children aged 0-18 years. The successful candidate will conduct assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorders and provide high-quality services to families. The role requires at least 4 years of relevant experience and a strong commitment to clinical practice and service development. Competitive salary and supportive environment offered.

Benefits

Comprehensive training and supervision

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Qualified Speech and Language Therapist with relevant experience.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in a clinical context.
• Knowledge of tests and procedures in the clinical field.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and provide diagnosis for children.
• Case lead on holistic diagnostic assessments.
• Support service development and improvements.

Skills

Working with children aged 0-18 years

Autism Spectrum Disorder knowledge

Communication skills

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Education

HCPC registration in clinical speciality

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 7 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 12 November 2025

We are seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Speech and Language Therapist. The successful candidate will join the expert assessment and diagnostic multi-disciplinary team working with children and young people aged 0-18 years presenting with complex difficulties that may indicate an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The post holder will need relevant skills to case lead for and contribute to the holistic assessment of a child's needs taking into account developmental, environmental and social factors. You will be responsible for assessment, formulation, consultation and advice being offered to children and their families. This is delivered within a strong and supportive model. You will be encouraged to develop and use your skills, knowledge and interests and to contribute to service and staff development.

We have a strong commitment to training, clinical and safeguarding supervision and peer support, which are all well established, through complex case forum and safeguarding supervision.

You will join an enthusiastic, friendly and compassionate expert team delivering high quality service. We work in partnership with parents to ensure that their child's needs are understood and considered alongside the diagnostic criteria for a possible ASD.

For further information please contact Lauren Sholl Clinical Team Lead on 0121 722 8010 or email [e-mail]

Main duties of the job

To ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist service to children and their families aged between 0-18 years presenting with Neuro-developmental disorders including the possibility of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

To take responsibility for the assessment and diagnosis of children accepted by the service.

To case lead on the co-ordination of holistic diagnostic assessment and to provide specialist components to further assessments.

To formulate and provide a diagnosis where appropriate.

To identify strengths and difficulties of children

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of professional practice.

To utilise skills for audit, policy and service development and research.

To support the clinical lead in the planning, development and evaluation of the service.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person Specification

Qualifications

• *Professional knowledge acquired through degree, Post Graduate Doctorate Qualification, CPD, clinical supervision of practice and experience.
• *Qualification in own field of expertise.
• *HCPC registration in own clinical speciality
• *Additional demonstrated interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders
• *Formal training in ADI-R, 3Di ,DISCO ADOS

Experience

• *Experience of working with children aged 0-18 years and with children with complex additional needs
• *Specific experience of a minimum of 4 years working with children with complex needs.
• *Experience of working with children with complex Speech Language and Communication difficulties
• *Experience of a wide range of young people and families presenting with high levels of complexity and difficulty
• *Detailed working knowledge of child development
• *Minimum of 4 years clinical experience of working within a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency context
• *Experience of working with families from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds.
• *Experience of using a wide range of profession specific tests
• *Previous experience of working within a specialist ASD diagnostic service
• *Experience of delivering potentially distressing information to parents/carers. /families
• *Experience of working within a multi agency service with a high volume of work and clinical pressures.

Additional Criteria

• *Ability to apply professional clinical skills and previous experience to working differently as a member of a diagnostic service looking holistically at a child's presentation
• *Skills for assessing clients, relatives and interpreting client and family situations
• *Ability to share difficult news with families on a regular basis in a highly sensitive manner.
• *Ability to work under pressure with a complex client group.
• *Ability to work within service delivery guidelines
• *Ability to work as a member of the multi disciplinary team.
• *Ability to complete complex diagnostic reports with information from a range of sources and explain complex assessment findings to parents/carers/children and young people
• *Ability to respect conflicting view points and find solutions to complex issues.
• *Able to meet the travel requirements of the post.
• *Personal duty of care for trust equipment and confidential information .
• *Ability to maintain client records to Trust standards.
• *Contributes to R & D activities for specialist area, including service evaluation, clinical outcomes, measurements of clinical effectiveness. Uses both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• *Theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of tests, procedures and practices in relation to own clinical field.
• *Understanding of Autistic Spectrum disorders, attachment deficit disorders and ADHD and other complex neuro -developmental presentations.
• *High standard of safe guarding and risk assessment
• *Ability to think holistically around a child's presentation.
• *Ability to evaluate and assimilate a range of views and evidence that may appear contradictory at times.
• *Ability to function within a fully integrated multi-agency service.
• *To respond flexibly to client and service demands.
• *Ability to put child and family at the centre of clinical thinking.
• *Ability to work independently but within a framework
• *Ability to support team leader /clinical lead with all aspects of service delivery and improvement.
• *Ability to manage exposure to some distressing and emotional situations through direct clinical work and supervision.
• *Able to reflect on and control own emotions in stressful situations.
• *Highly developed decision making skills.
• *Ability to manage conflicting priorities in a timely and organised fashion.
• *Ability to work in emotive and resistant situations/environments.
• *Good IT skills including the ability to use data bases.
• *Understanding of multi agency working.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust