Senior Speech & Language Therapist - Community

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; Crediton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a Senior Speech & Language Therapist to manage a caseload of children and young people with communication needs. The role involves providing assessments and therapeutic interventions, supporting junior clinicians, and ensuring clinical effectiveness through evidence-based practices. Candidates should have a recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy and relevant post qualification experience.

Qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree or equivalent.
• Experience in managing a complex caseload.
• Full Registration with Health Professions Council.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessments and interventions for communication needs.
• Support junior clinicians and manage clinical caseload.
• Communicate complex information effectively.

Skills

Highly developed specialist knowledge

Ability to work autonomously

Communication skills

Teamwork

Conflict resolution

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree

Full Registration with Health Professions Council

Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Evidence of specialist postgraduate courses

Job description

Go back Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Speech & Language Therapist - Community

The closing date is 01 December 2025

You will provide specialist speech and language therapy assessments and therapeutic interventions to children, adolescents and their families who have been referred and accepted for getting help, getting more help and getting risk support as identified in the I-Thrive model to work with more junior clinicians providing supervision and clinical supervision, and to assist with the co-ordination of the clinic caseload.

To manage a caseload of children and young people with complex Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), which may include speech, language, communication and/or eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, using evidenced based practice to assess, plan, formulate, implement and evaluate interventions in a variety of settings (individually and/or in groups and as part of a multidisciplinary team).

Main duties of the job

• To manage a caseload of children and young people with Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) using evidenced based practice to assess, plan, formulate, implement and evaluate interventions in a variety of settings (individually and/or in groups and as part of a multidisciplinary team)
• Provide clinical support and supervision to the less experienced SLT's in the team
• To work with the Clinical Team Manager to co‑ordinate the clinic and oversee the day to day caseload management
• Participate in the provision of student placements.
• To co‑ordinate the team audit and monitoring of outcomes for interventions and report to locality lead
• Using a strengths‑based approach; ensure clinical effectiveness through the use of evidence‑based interventions, goal‑based, collaborative practice and routine outcome measures
• To promote and support participation of service users across the service
• Participate in clinical audits and clinical research as appropriate

About us

Our speech and language therapists work across several of our community‑based clinical pathways; Speech Language and Communication, Neurodiversity and Early Childhood Development. We will provide you with regular supervision, opportunities for training and development, and opportunities to be part of service development projects.

Job responsibilities

• To communicate complex condition‑related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi‑disciplinary team/other professions in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include facilitating strategies for people with communication disorders where barriers to understanding may exist
• To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to communication exist, or sensitive issues are being dealt with. Patient, carers and family will frequently have difficulty accepting the information provided
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging difficulties
• To employ good presentation skills to promote multi‑disciplinary and interagency liaison and collaborative practice to a broad range of audiences including other professionals and users
• To write reports reflecting knowledge of paediatrics that can be accessible to both lay and professional people
• To contribute to clinical pathways both multi and uni‑professional by discussing own and others input around clients needs, ensuring a well‑coordinated care plan
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible
• To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issue

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Full Registration with Health Professions Council
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Membership of relevant Special Interest Groups
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist post graduate short courses relating to paediatric communication disorders including Learning Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Knowledge and experience

• Highly developed specialist knowledge (acquired through attending specialist short courses) to enable post holder to work autonomously
• Highly developed specialist knowledge of independent management of complex and highly specialised caseload and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
• In depth knowledge of children with special needs and associated conditions underpinned by current evidence‑based practice
• Well established knowledge of a broad range of assessment and therapeutic tools relevant to working with children and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
• Ability to make a differential diagnosis, choose appropriate treatments from a range of options and provide specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes by use of evidence‑based practice
• Ability to use specialist experience to inform sound clinical judgements/ decision making for case management
• Relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
• Proven relevant experience post qualification in managing a complex varied caseload and in working autonomously in the community
• Competence in delivering language development training to both professional and untrained staff in the community
• Experience supervising speech and language therapy programme implementation by early years and mainstream school staff
• Experience in team leading and organising a local service/clinic
• Experience of supervising less experienced Speech and Language Therapists
• Experience working within multi‑disciplinary teams
• Experience working in early years, school age and specialist settings.

Specific skills

• oAble to recognise conflict between patients and their carers/relatives and facilitate resolution
• oAble to work as an integral part of a team
• oAble to cope under pressure
• oCar owner/driver and current driving licence essential or access to a car (unless you have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005)

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.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata