Children's Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Children's Hospice South West; Margate; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a full-time Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to work across our early years and school years teams in Canterbury/Thanet, including Margate.

The post offers a hybrid work pattern with face-to-face sessions at clinics and community venues, plus remote sessions from home. The role focuses on AAC and dysphagia with supervision and continued professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is required.
• Health-related degree is essential.
• Experience with dysphagia and AAC is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan and implement SLT interventions with focus on AAC and dysphagia.
• Deliver evidence-based SLT interventions to help children meet health outcomes.
• Develop integrated care plans with child, family, and school/clinic partners.
• Collaborate in a multi-disciplinary team with therapists, nurses and care coordinators.
• Manage a caseload of children with complex needs on a daily basis.

Skills

AAC

Dysphagia

Communication

Time management

Negotiation skills

Education

HCPC registration

Health-related degree

Job description

Job summary

The Children's Therapies Team is an integrated therapies team providing Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, supported by Specialist Nurse Advisors and Care Co-ordinators to children 0 - 19 years within KCHFT. We have an exciting opportunity for a full time Band 6 post on a permanent basis working across our early years and School Years teams.

We are looking for a therapist who has experience/an interest in supporting AAC and dysphagia in a range ofenvironments and is keen to develop their specialist skills. We would consider this as a developing specialist post. We have clinics across a range of venues in Canterbury / Thanet. We provide support to preschool children primarily through our Talking Walk-in model and primary, secondary and special schools across the East locality. KCHFT works within a Balanced System framework including the link therapist model.

Youwill provide advice, coaching, assessment and intervention to children and young people with a range of language and communication needs including AAC, social communication, language, speech, fluency, selective mutism and dysphagia. You will be supported by clinical specialists with access to regular supervision and learning opportunities to develop and consolidate your skills.

We currently offer a hybrid work pattern forstaff with face to face sessions offered from clinics and within the community and also sessions worked remotely from home.

Main duties of the job

• To assess, plan and implement SLT interventions that support children with a range of speech language and communication needs with a focuson AAC and dysphagia.
• To deliver evidence-based SLT interventions for children that support them achieving their identified health outcomes.
• To develop integrated care plans in partnership with the child, young person and / or family recommending and supporting interventions thatare appropriate at a universal, targeted and specialist level.
• To participate in clinical supervision and to work as part of an integrated team with Therapy Assistants, OTs, PTs, SLTs, Care Co-ordinators andSpecialist Nurse Advisors offering support to colleagues as appropriate to knowledge and skills.
• To actively work as a member of a multi disciplinary and multi-agency teams to provide high quality care to children and young people in linewith our care pathways.
• To manage a caseload of children that on a daily basis that includes children and young people with complex needs.

About us

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.

Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values:Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.

We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We use protected characteristic information for monitoring only and it is not seen by recruiting managers, except where applicants choose to be considered under our disability guaranteed interview scheme.

We know life outside work matters. As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

• We know life outside work matters. As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

Explore KCHFTcareer pathways

Job responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team [e-mail], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community differencehere.

Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered health care professional (HCPC registration ) Health related degree and evidence of relevant post graduate development at Level 6

Experience

Essential

• Demonstratable experience in area of practice; Practical experience in managing health related projects/complex caseloads including dysphagia and/or AAC; Supporting others (mentor / educator / supervisor ) experience

Special Knowledge and expertise

Essential

• Evidence of continued relevant professional development and implementation in practice within the last 12 months preferably in the areas of dysphagia and or AAC

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Understanding of training needs in relation to post; Ability to manage time effectively, priorities and to meet deadlines; Ability to work effectively with a variety of people at all organisational levels across different sectors including areas of social deprivation; Ability to communicate complex, sensitive information to individuals and groups; Strong influencing and negotiating skills

Personal attributes

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure; Able to support the implementation of local and national agenda's for health under the guidance of the senior Practitioner; Ability to prioritise care delivery in a professional manner, taking into account Trust policies and procedures.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Greenbanks

Margate

CT9 5PA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)