Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Transformation Unit; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 57,000; Part time

Job summary

Whittington Health NHS Trust is recruiting for a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 6) to work 3 days per week on a fixed-term contract at Swiss Cottage School in Camden. The post is 0.6 WTE with term-time hours, offering a pro rata salary of £47,951–£56,863 per annum.

The role involves delivering specialist SLT services to children aged 4–19 with complex needs, within a multidisciplinary team, and contributing to school-based therapy packages and care planning.

Qualifications

• BSc in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent is required.
• HCPC Registration to Practice is required.
• Registered Member of RCSLT is required.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate clinical expertise in assessment, treatment and management of language and communication difficulties in children and young people aged 4–19 years.
• Carry a personal caseload and contribute to MDT therapy packages, including group sessions and parent education.
• Develop care plans and MDT collaboration to deliver specialist SLT services in Camden schools.

Skills

BSc in SLT

HCPC Registration

RCSLT Registration

Education

BSc in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent

Dip. CST

Job description

Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade Band 6 Contract 12 months (Fixed term contract 12 months 0.6WTE) Hours

• Part time
• Term time hours

22.5 hours per week Job ref 220-WHT-8191545

Employer Whittington Health NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Swiss Cottage School Town London Salary £47,951 - £56,863 Per Annum (pro rata) Including HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 30/09/2026 23:59

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Band 6

Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3 rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Whittington Health NHS Trust.

By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

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This exciting opportunity working 3 days a week on a fixed term contract, term time only, within our complex needs service based at Swiss Cottage Special School for Children and Young People aged 4-19 years.

The Camden Complex Needs Speech and Language Therapy Team work within specialist provisions in the borough of Camden, including Swiss Cottage School, an OFSTED rated ‘Outstanding’ school for Children and Young People (CYP) with complex needs aged 4-19 years and primary school Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARPs). You will be responsible for delivering a therapy service to CYP with complex needs in Camden. You will be a valued member of a multidisciplinary team based at the school which consists of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, school nurses, health care assistants, paediatrician, psychologists, teachers and teaching assistants.

You will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive and specialist service to CYP with complex communication needs which may include autism, cerebral palsy, profound and multiple learning difficulties and sensory impairments.

Main duties of the job

Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDFs, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.

Working for our organisation

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To demonstrate clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of language and communication difficulties in children and young people aged 4-19 years (+), providing appropriate specialist assessment and intervention and evaluating outcomes.

To carry a personal caseload and/or contribute to MDT therapy packages such as group therapy sessions or parent education sessions, maintaining a high level of professional competence and demonstrating clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of speech, language and communication problems associated with complex needs.

To make appropriate differential diagnoses and specialist clinical decisions on evidence from assessment of complex cases.

To discuss diagnosis and potential outcomes with parents/carers and work collaboratively in decision making regarding referral on and intervention.

To contribute to multi-agency assessment procedures as required, including statutory educational assessment.

To demonstrate an ability to implement interventions and staff development at a whole school level including joint target setting and outcome monitoring.

To use / apply specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements/decision making for case management, developing clear care plans based on best practice

To demonstrate an understanding of how to develop and differentiate the curriculum and develop communication friendly schemes of work.

To monitor and review the progress of children on the caseload and facilitate the development or modification of packages of care/targets as appropriate using evaluation/outcome measurement tools.

To manage and prioritise a caseload under supervision, advising line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc.

To work effectively as part of the MDT with clients, parents and/ or carers, and colleagues around individual case management; providing specialist advice, guidance and support as necessary and involving them in the planning and prioritisation of care wherever possible.

To demonstrate excellent communication skills and to maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of others, particularly when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of a child or young person’s difficulties and implications of the same.

To reflect on clinical practice; adequately identifying strengths & needs of clients, reviewing their response to therapy and providing evidence of clinical judgement including in cases which are complex and challenging.

To have an awareness of the needs of children and young people with dysphagia and assessment/ treatment approaches.

To be able to analyse conflicting information and provide clear guidance and detailed reports on CYP seen.

To promote awareness about speech and language therapy in Camden.

To facilitate and support education staff and families in providing appropriate communication environments to develop children and young people’s language and interaction skills.

To demonstrate knowledge and clinical effectiveness underpinned by current evidence based practice and outcome measures.

To work closely with clients, carers and families, with empathy, tact, reassurance and active listening to fully discuss assessment results, treatment options, and agree a plan of management.

To communicate complex information to carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.

To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of children with special and complex needs and their carers, in particular when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the client’s difficulties and implications of the same.

To undertake home visits, as necessary, in compliance with Home Visiting/ Lone Working Safety Policy.

To contribute to clinical teams by discussing own and others input, ensuring a well-co-ordinated care plan that reflects the holistic needs of the child and their parents/carers.

To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, including sensitively managing initial complaints, and recognising and resolving potential breakdown or conflict when it occurs.

To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in therapy interventions, targets and outcomes.

To employ counselling skills with children, carers/families with highly complex needs.

To demonstrate the ability to manage children with behaviours that concern, including the application of appropriate management strategies as designated by the schools/settings.

To liaise regularly with Senior Management within the Complex Needs and Camden Service for Young People Teams, and also with the MDT team to agree and review effective service delivery to children and young people with complex needs.

To be aware of legal requirements relating to the provision of a speech and language therapy service.

To maintain up to date and accurate case notes and write reports reflecting specialist knowledge, ensuring that they meet departmental standards and are in line with local Trust Policy, and RCSLT professional standards.

To demonstrate knowledge of current policies and practice in the education and health sector and incorporate these into the model of working as appropriate.

To attend further training as necessary to maintain and further develop the skill and knowledge required of a SLT.

To keep up to date with current clinical developments through reading, attendance at courses, meetings and Clinical Excellence Networks (CENs).

To demonstrate understanding of the issues associated with clinical governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to, and implementation of service and service area and Trust policies, National and Local guidelines and RCSLT Professional and Clinical and Guidelines.

To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including: Safeguarding Children, SEN procedures, Working with Vulnerable Adults and other legal frameworks.

To contribute to the local Trust’s systems of clinical governance, developing innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness in collaboration with others.

To be accountable for professional action and recognising professional boundaries, and working within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.

To work participate in annual appraisal within a Professional Development Plan (PDP) at pre-determined intervals.

To have due regard for personal safety and that of CYP /carers, adhering to moving and handling regulations, restraining policies and ensure the safe positioning of self and others.

To reflect and adhere to infection control and health and safety guidelines in order to deal with specific issues related to client contact: for example exposure to body fluids, infectious conditions, encountered on a daily basis.

Person specification

• BSc. in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent (including Dip. CST)
• Health and Care Professions Council Registration to Practice
• Registered Member of RCSLT

Skills/abilities

• Skills in delivering presentations and training, including basic adaptations to presentation/ training style for a range of audiences
• Being able to communicate complex, sensitive information

Experience

• Of working at a specialist level with clients with a range of speech, language and communication needs of different ages

Knowledge

• Specialist knowledge of a range of assessment tools and procedures to evaluate the speech, language and communication skills of children with complex needs

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS

To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:

• Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with theLondon Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
• Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
• Participate in required training and supervision.
• Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct

Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Other important information –

• You must already have the right to work in the United Kingdom or fully meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. We welcome applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship; however, we can only consider these where all UKVI requirements are met. Before applying, please ensure that both you and the role satisfy the relevant UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) points‑based system criteria, as applications that do not meet these requirements cannot be progressed. For more information about the criteria, please click here
• Applications are welcome from people wishing to job share or work flexible patterns. We are committed to equal opportunities.
• In submitting an application form, you authorise WhittingtonHealth NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process should you be appointed to the post.

If you are offered a role with one of the NLPSS partner trusts, as part of pre-employment checks youridentity and right to work documentation will be verifiedremotely (in most circumstances), using a certified identity verification service provider TrustID. You will be asked to capture an image of the relevant documents as well as a “selfie” using your smartphone/tablet (if available) for facial matching. TrustID will also perform a digital address check using Trunarrative and Equifax, which is a soft check