Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading children's healthcare provider in Liverpool is looking for a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. This role requires delivering specialized therapy for children with complex communication needs, including cleft lip and palate. Responsibilities include managing a diverse caseload, providing evidence-based interventions, and collaborating within multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will have a relevant degree, be registered with HCPC, and possess strong communication skills. The position offers opportunities for professional development within a caring environment focused on high-quality care.

Qualifications

• Registered Speech and Language Therapist with experience in complex communication needs.
• Proven ability to design and deliver evidence-based intervention packages.
• Expertise in assessment and management of cleft palate and non-cleft VPD.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist speech and language therapy for complex communication needs.
• Deliver evidence-based assessments, interventions, and outcome evaluations.
• Manage a complex caseload and participate in service development and audit.

Skills

Communication skills

Ability to prioritize and problem-solve

Development of evidence-based interventions

Experience in multidisciplinary team working

Knowledge of speech disorders

Education

Degree or Postgraduate or MSc or PhD level

Registered with HCPC

Member of RCSLT

Job description

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 09 January 2026

This position involves providing highly specialist speech and language therapy services to clients with complex communication needs, including those with cleft lip and palate and non cleft velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). The post holder will be responsible for delivering evidence-based interventions, managing a complex caseload, and contributing to service development, audit, and clinical governance. The role requires collaborative working within multidisciplinary teams and the provision of expert advice to professionals, carers, and clients.

Main duties of the job

The role involves delivering highly specialised assessments, treatment plans, and outcome evaluations for clients with complex communication needs. It requires providing expert advice to professionals, clients, and carers, ensuring care is individually tailored and responsive to cultural and linguistic factors. The clinician must maintain up-to-date knowledge, adapt interventions to current evidence, and ensure secure, compliant management of clinical equipment. Clear, empathetic communication of complex information to clients, carers, and multidisciplinary teams is essential, alongside motivating engagement and building effective relationships with individuals experiencing stress or communication barriers. The role includes evaluating national and international standards to ensure high-quality care and performing detailed transcription of speech disorders associated with cleft palate and non-cleft VPD, followed by appropriate management planning.

Caseload management responsibilities include using specialist knowledge to develop care protocols and manage a diverse clinical caseload efficiently. The clinician must produce accurate reports and maintain case notes in line with RCSLT and Trust policies. Active participation in service delivery, audit, and development is required, offering leadership within areas of expertise. Accurate and timely submission of clinical activity data supports service evaluation and development.

About us

Sponsorship - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Job responsibilities

This Band 7 role provides highly specialist speech and language therapy for children with complex communication needs, including cleft lip and palate and non-cleft VPD. The post holder delivers evidence-based assessment, intervention, and outcome evaluation, manages a complex caseload, and contributes to audit, service development, and clinical governance. Responsibilities include offering expert advice, tailoring care to cultural and linguistic needs, maintaining specialised knowledge, managing equipment, and communicating complex information with clarity and empathy. The role requires multidisciplinary collaboration, accurate reporting, adherence to RCSLT, HCPC, and Trust standards, participation in research, supervision of junior staff, and upholding values of compassion, courage, commitment, and community while ensuring safeguarding, confidentiality, data quality, and infection control compliance.

Person Specification

Qualified Speech and language Therapist

• Degree or Postgraduate or MSc or PHD level
• Registered with HCPC
• Member of RCSLT
• Experience in the management of speech sound disorders
• Wide experience managing developmental and disordered speech, language and disordered speech, language and communication disorders from birth to adulthood
• Experience of assessment and audit protocols relevant to the client groups
• Experience of narrow transcription of disordered speech
• Experience of designing and delivering evidence-based intervention packages
• Experience of collecting high-quality audit data
• Experience of teaching and clinical supervision
• Experience of clinical audit
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working
• Knowledge of evidence-based assessment and intervention for children with a diagnosis of cleft palate, +/- lip and non-cleft VPD
• Knowledge of assessment of complex speech and language disorders
• Knowledge of perceptual assessment of disordered speech
• Knowledge of the clinical audit cycle, including using audit outcomes to improve clinical results
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to prioritise, problem solve, and create practical solutions to complex clinical problems
• Ability to complete projects within agreed deadlines
• CAPS A training
• Experience of speech sound disorders relating to cleft palate and non-cleft VPD
• Objective assessment of VPD, including referral criteria, implementation, and analysis
• Research and methodology

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.

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust