Highly Specialist SLT - Band 7 EDS and CSN Lead

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust; Croydon; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join their team in Croydon. The role involves assessing and treating children with communication and eating difficulties. Candidates should have at least 5 years of experience and relevant qualifications. This part-time position offers a supportive environment with opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Regular supervision

Access to training courses

Clinical support from experienced professionals

Qualifications

• At least 5 years post qualification experience in managing children with dysphagia.
• Competencies in assessment and management of neonatal dysphagia.
• Experience working in various paediatric settings.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, treat and discharge children with communication and eating problems.
• Coordinate services as part of Early Years, Primary and Secondary Teams.
• Lead role for the EDS/CSN team and provide clinical support.

Skills

Assessment and management of dysphagia

Experience with children and young people

Team collaboration

Support for junior therapists

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy qualification

Postgraduate dysphagia training

Training in communication approaches (e.g., Makaton)

Job description

Highly Specialist SLT - Band 7 EDS and CSN Lead

Highly Specialist SLT - Band 7 EDS and CSN Lead

Part Time - 22.50 hours per week, Permanent

We are strengthening our Eating and Drinking / Complex Special Needs team and have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Highly Specialist SLT to join our friendly and supportive team.

Proposed interview date: 1st December 2025. If you are unable to make this date but are interested in this role, please contact us to discuss.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will have experience of working with children and young people with eating and drinking needs. Experience of working with babies (under the age of 6 months), is essential.

You will work within a small team of specialist speech and language therapists, providing assessment and management of children with eating and drinking difficulties, and complex communication needs. The Croydon Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service work closely with families and multi-disciplinary professionals, providing a service in children's homes, in clinic and in their education settings.

The Eating, drinking and swallowing service is currently piloting a number of exciting service improvement projects along with MDT hospital and community colleagues. These include a tube weaning pathway, looking at different management pathways for children on the caseload and supporting ex premature babies when they are discharged into the community.

About us

You will have access tothe following support with your role and development:

• Regular 1:1 supervision with your line manager.
• Half termly group and 1:1 clinical supervision with a highly experienced external supervisor.
• An identified mentor / buddy who will be available to support you with any questions you may have and to help you settle in.
• Termly Reflective Practice sessions with the wider Allied Health Professionals within the organisation. These sessions have a focus on self-reflection with regards to your role.
• Regular dysphagia team meetings with opportunities for case discussions, CPD and working on service development projects
• Termly whole department meetings with a regular focus on CPD.
• Opportunities to access a range of quality internal and external training courses in order to support your CPD.
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills through taking the lead in team projects, service developments and line management responsibilities across the team
• The advantage of strong links between tertiary centres, local hospital teams and community teams - including physio, OT, dietitians and children's nursing and paediatricians.

Job responsibilities

At a highly specialist level, to assess, diagnose, treat and discharge chilldren/young people referred with speech, language, communication and eating and drinking problems.

To work as a member of the Early Years, Primary and Secondary Teams to provide an efficient, effective and co-ordinated Speech and Language Therapy Service

To take a lead role for the EDS/CSN team, overseeing the caseload and providing clinical support for team members.

Please see attached Job Description/Person Specification for more information on the role.

Person Specification

Experience

• At least 5 years post qualification experience including significant, relevant post qualification experience of managing children with dysphagia and/or complex needs
• Competencies in assessment and management of neonatal dysphagia and complex special needs
• Experience of supporting junior therapists, SLTAs and students
• Experience of working in a range of paediatric settings

Qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy qualification and Postgraduate dysphagia training
• Post graduate training in communication approaches relevant to complex needs e.g. makaton/AAC

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.

£53,751 to £60,651 a yearpa pro rata incl HCAS (outer)