Children and Young People's Speech and Language Therapist

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Dorset is recruiting Band 5 Speech and Language Therapists to join its Children and Young People's team. The role offers mentoring, clinical support, and a comprehensive Preceptorship Programme for newly qualified professionals. Employment includes an Enhanced DBS check. The salary ranges from £31,049 to £37,796 annually, depending on experience and working pattern.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a community clinic as a student.
• Experience of work within a mainstream school.
• General experience working with children in a paid or voluntary capacity.

Responsibilities

• Provide speech and language therapy services for children.
• Participate in mentoring and peer supervision groups.
• Engage with a wide range of clinical lead specialists.

Skills

Team player

Good organisational and planning skills

Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English

Education

Degree/diploma in Speech and Language Therapy

Member of HCPC

Member of RCSLT

Job description

Overview

We are recruiting Band 5 Speech and Language Therapists to join our Children and Young People's Speech and Language Therapy service on the South-West coast in Dorset. This is an exciting time to join our service as we transition to a new speech, language and communication pathway for Dorset based on the Balanced System Framework, working collaboratively with Education and Children's Centre Partners to give all children the right input at the right time. The closing date is 18 September 2025.

Are you newly qualified or an experienced Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist, or hoping to return to practice? We are very excited to be recruiting Band 5 Speech and Language Therapists to join our dynamic and supportive team.

Main duties of the job

We offer:

• A high level of clinical and management support including mentoring, peer supervision groups (with other Band 5 therapists and across bandings), regular 1:1 contact with your team lead as well as 1:1 clinical supervision.
• Access to a range of clinical lead specialists for advice and guidance.
• Excellent opportunities to access formal and informal training.
• Opportunities to be involved in projects to enhance our service delivery offer.
• Bi-annual whole service training/service development days.
• We would welcome applications from newly qualified nurses/occupational therapists/physiotherapists, and we provide a very comprehensive and fully supported Preceptorship Programme for newly qualified healthcare professionals.
• We also welcome applications from SLTs wishing to return to practice, and for successful applicants we are able to offer paid Return to Practice opportunities with progression to a Band 5 role when meeting the required competencies.
• Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare is working in partnership with The Princes Trust to support people getting into work, as part of this partnership, we are offering an employability service to support individuals between 16-30 years old with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support please do contact [e-mail]

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

• Degree/diploma in Speech and Language Therapy
• Member of HCPC
• Member of RCSLT

Job Specific Experience

• Student placement in a community clinic
• Student experience of work within a mainstream school
• Previous experience as a qualified SLT working in an NHS setting
• General experience of working with children in a paid or voluntary capacity

Additional Requirements

• Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively
• Subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business

Personal Quality

• Ability to work as a team player
• Good organisational and planning skills

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.

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Salary: £31,049 to £37,796 a year, pro rata for part time

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours, Annualised hours