Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist / Team Leader (NHS AfC: Band 7) - Speech & Langua[...]

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool City Region; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to enhance the service for children with Speech Sound Disorders. The role involves leading a team, managing caseloads, and collaborating with other professionals across various community settings. Full-time and part-time options are available, providing a supportive, flexible work environment with a focus on staff welfare and professional development.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Health and well-being programmes

Qualifications

• Relevant experience post qualification as a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist.
• In-depth experience in a specialist area.

Responsibilities

• Manage and prioritise a caseload of children with Speech Sound Disorders.
• Lead a small team of speech and language therapists.
• Develop and monitor implementation of quality care pathways.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree

Health & Care Professions Council – Licence to Practise

Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Job description

Main area Speech & Language Therapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (A minimum of 30 hours per week will be considered) Job ref 411-COM-25-7230615

Employer Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Alder Park Town Waterloo Salary £46,148 - £52,809 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/06/2025 23:59

Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist / Team Leader

NHS AfC: Band 7

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.

We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.

As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.

You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Great flexible working opportunities
• Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Extensive staff health and well-being programmes

Job overview

Do you have a passion for supporting children and young people with Speech Sound Disorders? Are you looking for an exciting new challenge whilst working in a supportive , friendly team? The Community Speech & Language Therapy Service at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an innovative Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to join the team. Although it is advertised as full time, opportunity for part-time employment could be discussed.

The post involves working as part of the Sefton team and with colleagues in Liverpool to support the development of the service for children and young people with Speech Sound Disorders.

This post is based in the community, and so there is an expectation that the successful candidate will be a car driver and have access to a vehicle to enable them to travel to, and between various locations throughout the week.

If you are enthusiastic about this posts, we would welcome your application.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidates will work with their colleagues to further develop and monitor the implementation and quality of care pathways for children and young people in their highly specialist clinical area.

They will lead a small team of speech and language therapists to provide clinical supervision ensuring they provide a high-quality speech and language therapy service to children in a variety of community settings including clinics, schools and nurseries.

We are looking for candidates who can assess and provide a range of therapeutic interventions using their highly specialist knowledge to children in the aforementioned clinical areas.

The team work collaboratively with other partner agencies and carers to enable them to understand the communication needs and to provide appropriate advice, support and intervention.

Working for our organisation

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care to over 275,000 children and young people each year. In
addition to the hospital site located in the West Derby area of Liverpool, Alder Hey has a presence in community outreach sites and, in
collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics.

You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

Great flexible working opportunities

Discounted gym membership

Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme

Generous annual leave and pension scheme

Extensive staff health and well-being programmes

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To manage and prioritise a caseload of children and young people (CYP) aged 0-19, who present with Speech Sound Disorders

To work with clients, their parents/carers and other agencies involved with their care, in a range of settings including specialist and mainstream schools, nurseries, Children’s Centres and other community settings.

To use highly skilled assessment procedures to gather information pertinent to the speech, language and communication needs of the CYP.

To provide highly specialised written reports and verbal advice, including training relevant professionals and the families.

To lead a small team of Speech & Language Therapists and / or Assistants, providing clinical supervision and absence & performance management.

To work with SLT colleagues to develop and review the clinical pathways for CYP in their highly specialist clinical area.

Person specification

Education & Training

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent.
• Health & Care Professions Council – Licence to Practise
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses up to Master’s degree equivalent.
• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network

Experience

• Relevant experience at undergraduate and post graduate level.
• Significant relevant experience post qualification, including demonstrable evidence working as a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist.
• In-depth experience within specialist area

Knowledge

• Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Highly developed negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrates excellent analytical and reflection skills
• Well established knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to the specialist client group
• In depth knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the specialist client group)
• In depth knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to the client group) and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
• In depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit

We reserve the right to close vacancies without notice when we have received a sufficient number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will contact you using this regarding your application. All candidates will be notified via email whether or not they have been shortlisted.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are committed to creating a well-managed, flexible working environment that supports staff and promotes their welfare and development. We actively promote equality and diversity and operate a Zero Tolerance policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment.

Should you require any assistance during the application stages please contact recruiting manager of vacancy or the recruitment team at [e-mail] or call 0151 282 4599

Please declare within the supporting information if artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in your application.

Please note, the selection processes at Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.