Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Autism

NHS Jobs; Watford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High Cost Area Allowance

Job summary

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to specialise in autism within the CYP Therapies service. You will work to deliver high-quality care, provide supervision, and contribute to transforming autism pathways across the county.

The post requires advanced communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills, with autonomous work and a commitment to staff development.

Qualifications

• Advanced communication and clinical reasoning essential.
• Ability to champion the needs of children and young people.
• Experience with autism pathways and ADOS-2 desirable; training available.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate professional supervision groups and provide supervisory support to colleagues.
• Lead and contribute to upskilling the wider CYP Therapies workforce.
• Support the redesign and implementation of the autism diagnostic pathway within HCT.

Skills

Advanced communication

Clinical reasoning

Organisational skills

Autism awareness/experience

Teamwork

Education

Registration with HCPC

Tools

ADOS-2 training

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Autism

Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post. You will be joining an innovative and agile CYP Therapies service committed to delivering high quality care and transforming lives. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our service is jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings. Successful candidates will be enthusiastic and motivated. Advanced communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of children and young people through upskilling the wider workforce. As a highly specialist SLT, there will be opportunities for you to facilitate professional supervision groups and provide managerial supervision to less experienced colleagues. We have worked closely with system partners to redesign and transform the Autism diagnostic pathway. The vision in Hertfordshire is to ensure CYP and their families can access early support, advice, and information with access to the diagnostic pathway where clinically needed in a timely manner. Its desirable for the postholder to be ADOS-2 trained and/or have experience of Autism Assessment however, HCT is committed to training the right candidate if needed. You will be joining a well-established, supportive team of therapists and assistants. CYP Therapies at HCT pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff. Please see below comments from a current member of the team: I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet childrens needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with. Applications for full time and part time work will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010). In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,346 and a maximum payment of £2,270 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location). The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment. For this role you will need to have a full valid UK driving licence and it is essential to have access to a car to use regularly for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud. HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

£49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata + high cost area living allowance