Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The NHS is seeking a qualified Speech and Language Therapist to join the Peterborough team, focusing on children with complex needs. This role offers a chance to advance skills in dysphagia management, with support for postgraduate training if needed, while being part of a collaborative multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Experience in community clinics and schools.
• Evidence of working with children with complex needs.
• Completion of short specialist courses.

Responsibilities

• Manage own caseload of children with complex needs.
• Plan and deliver multi-agency training.
• Work with complex speech and language needs.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Clinical assessment

Education

Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy

Registered Member of RCSLT

Registered Member of HPC

Job description

Job summary

We are delighted to offer an opportunity to specialise in working with children & young people with complex needs and dysphagia. This post is suitable for a therapist with experience of working with children with complex needs or as a developing specialist post. If the successful post holder does not currently have Post Graduate Dysphagia Training we will look at funding and provide support and supervision through this process (via Manchester Post Basic Dysphagia Course).

Peterborough speech and language therapy team are an innovative and supportive team committed to providing effective services to children and young people aged 0-19years. We have a strong ethos of clinical support and supervision and provide regular CPD opportunities across the year. We work within a range of settings including early years settings, schools, homes and specialist settings. We work closely as an MDT and have good links within AHP's.

Peterborough is diverse city with excellent transport links. Due to being a small city we remain as one team which enables therapists to frequently link in with each other and access specialist support where needed.

If you are a first-class clinician with strong communication and interpersonal skills and enjoy working flexibly within various teams, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for the management of a specialist clinical caseload of preschool and school-age children with complex needs across a range of clinical settings, including special schools. Depending on service need the postholder may also hold a school age, speech and language caseload.

The post holder will work independently with access to more senior colleagues as needed, be responsible for supervision of more junior colleagues and a first point of contact for the preschools and schools they are working in for the service.

If the post holder has a post graduate qualification in dysphagia, then they would be supported to manage an eating and drinking caseload with children aged 6month+. If the post holder does not yet have this qualification, then we would look at funding this and provide appropriate support required.

This post is suitable for a therapist with experience in the specialism or as a developing specialist post.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Details Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

310-CYPF-7221647

Job locations

City Care Centre

88 Thorpe Road

Peterborough

PE3 6DB

Job description Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

1. Manages own time and prioritises workload2. Manages caseload within departmental standards3. Plans and delivers multi-agency training in consultation with lead therapist4. Identifies appropriate assessment, intervention and management of children with complex speech, language and communication needs5. Involved as a team in the assessment of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder6. Identifies needs of a specialist caseload7. Modifies clinical intervention based on outcomes and assessment findings8. Applies a range of communication strategies to support the childs communication needs9. Communicates complex condition specific information to carers, teachers, teaching assistants and other professionals.10. Can be a member of multi-agency care teams11. Provides training and support to others regarding the appropriate management and care of children12. To initiate the planning and delivery of training for other professionals and/or parents as appropriate

Job description Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

1. Manages own time and prioritises workload2. Manages caseload within departmental standards3. Plans and delivers multi-agency training in consultation with lead therapist4. Identifies appropriate assessment, intervention and management of children with complex speech, language and communication needs5. Involved as a team in the assessment of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder6. Identifies needs of a specialist caseload7. Modifies clinical intervention based on outcomes and assessment findings8. Applies a range of communication strategies to support the childs communication needs9. Communicates complex condition specific information to carers, teachers, teaching assistants and other professionals.10. Can be a member of multi-agency care teams11. Provides training and support to others regarding the appropriate management and care of children12. To initiate the planning and delivery of training for other professionals and/or parents as appropriate

Person Specification Education / Qualifications Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• Registered Member of RCSLT
• Registered Member of HPC
• Evidence of successful completion of short specialist courses

Desirable

• Post Graduate Dysphagia training

Experience Essential

• Experience working in community clinics, a range of different schools and preschools
• Relevant experience post registration
• Experience and evidence of working with children who have a range of complex needs.
• Experience of intervention appropriate for children with complex needs.

Desirable

• Previous experience working with children who use both paper based and power based AAC.
• Previous experience of working within a special school setting
• ADOS trained

Knowledge & Skills Essential

• Well-established knowledge about SLCN and functional communication.
• Well established knowledge of DLD and SSD's.
• Knowledge of assessment procedures relevant to the client groups
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions appropriate to the client groups
• Highly developed auditory perceptual skills and the ability to transcribe speech phonetically
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey sensitive or distressing information to parents/carers

Desirable

• Experience with coaching parents and practitioners.
• Working in a mainstream school with children who have complex communication needs
• Previous experience of working with pre-school and school age children with complex needs

Other Essential

• Ability to travel on a regular basis

Person Specification Education / Qualifications Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• Registered Member of RCSLT
• Registered Member of HPC
• Evidence of successful completion of short specialist courses

Desirable

• Post Graduate Dysphagia training

Experience Essential

• Experience working in community clinics, a range of different schools and preschools
• Relevant experience post registration
• Experience and evidence of working with children who have a range of complex needs.
• Experience of intervention appropriate for children with complex needs.

Desirable

• Previous experience working with children who use both paper based and power based AAC.
• Previous experience of working within a special school setting
• ADOS trained

Knowledge & Skills Essential

• Well-established knowledge about SLCN and functional communication.
• Well established knowledge of DLD and SSD's.
• Knowledge of assessment procedures relevant to the client groups
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions appropriate to the client groups
• Highly developed auditory perceptual skills and the ability to transcribe speech phonetically
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey sensitive or distressing information to parents/carers

Desirable

• Experience with coaching parents and practitioners.
• Working in a mainstream school with children who have complex communication needs
• Previous experience of working with pre-school and school age children with complex needs

Other Essential

• Ability to travel on a regular basis

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details Employer name

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

City Care Centre

88 Thorpe Road

Peterborough

PE3 6DB

Employer's website

https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

City Care Centre

88 Thorpe Road

Peterborough

PE3 6DB

Employer's website

https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)