Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL; Weybridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading council in the UK is seeking a qualified Speech and Language Therapist to join their skilled team. This role involves clinical decision making, assessments, and supporting children with communication needs. The position offers flexible working, comprehensive training, and opportunities for professional development. Ideal candidates will have a degree in Speech and Language Therapy, HCPC registration, and experience in the education system.

Benefits

Flexible working

Comprehensive clinical supervision

Generous local government salary-related pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Up to 5 days of carers leave

Qualifications

• Minimum two years experience as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• HCPC and RCSLT registration required.

Responsibilities

• Clinical decision making for children and young people.
• Assessment and intervention for speech, language, and communication needs.
• Supporting junior team members and line managing others.

Skills

Speech and Language Therapy

Clinical Decision Making

Training Others

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

This role has a starting salary of GBP40,761 per annum based on 36 hours per week across 42 weeks a year (equivalent to a Band 6 NHS post) pro-rata to GBP43,996. Part-time hours will also be considered.

Are you an enthusiastic qualified Speech and Language Therapist with more than two years experience who would like to develop your skills in Autism? If this is you, we can offer an exciting opportunity to join our skilled, supportive, and solution-focused team.

Rewards and Benefits

• We pay your RCSLT membership and HCPC fees
• Flexible working
• Comprehensive clinical supervision programme including regular 1:1 meetings with your line manager, a buddy, an extensive training programme, access to clinical effectiveness groups, case study groups, specialist focus groups (like Placement Educator, or Leadership skills), termly whole-team study days, and support to join and attend CEN's relating to practice
• Opportunities to develop management skills
• Generous local government salary-related pension and the option to join the car lease scheme
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Up to 5 days of carers leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave

About the Team

The Speech and Language Therapy Service is part of Surrey County Council's local offer to support the special educational needs and disabilities of children and young people within mainstream schools and specialist provision. This Service is part of the Inclusion & Additional Needs Team in Surrey's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate, and as such works collaboratively with other teams such as Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers and SEN teams.

The Surrey SLT service is a large team of both qualified Therapists and non-qualified Therapy Assistants. We have excellent supervision and CPD models plus a rolling in-house training programme; we are committed to continuous learning and development.

We are a forward thinking service and were involved with the RCSLT and Reading University around the dysphagia competences linked to student placements.

We aim to deliver the right support at the right time, through assessment and intervention; equipping families and professionals with the skills and resources to work together to support children with SLCN. We offer universal, targeted and specialist support for children, families, and the school workforce; working with children and young people with EHCPs and those at SEN support following Surrey's Graduated Response. We also have a specialist dysphagia service and specialist deaf service.

About the Role

The North East Surrey Speech and Language Therapy team is looking for a Lead Therapist to join the team at Linden Bridge School, for children with complex social communication needs. You will work as part of a small team, including Therapists and Assistants, with support from a Team Lead with highly specialist skills, and will have the opportunity to develop line management and leadership skills. This post will be combined with your other clinical interests, including mainstream or dysphagia work.

Your main duties in the role of Speech and Language Therapist will include:

• Clinical decision making in conjunction with school staff around the level of support needed to achieve the best possible outcome for the children and young people on your defined caseload.
• Working with speech and language therapy Assistants, setting targets for the children and young people they are supporting, and monitoring the delivery and outcomes of their work.
• Assessment, advice and intervention for children with a range of speech, language and communication needs within your caseload.
• Supporting junior members of the team, line managing others and taking on students.
• Contributing to and delivering training for schools and others in the team.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• A degree in Speech and Language Therapy with a minimum of two years' experience working as an SLT, with completed NQP competencies
• HCPC and RCSLT registration, with permission to work in the UK
• A working knowledge of the English education system including the National Curriculum and SEND code of practice
• Experience of supporting and training others including newly qualified Therapists, Assistants, students and work experience placements
• Evidence of a range of evidence based interventions used to support children and young people

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Therapy staff will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel as required.

As part of your application you will be asked to answer the following questions:

• Are you registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Do you have working knowledge of the English education system including the National Curriculum and SEND code of practice? Please tell us more about this including how have you have gained this knowledge.
• Please briefly describe a speech and language strategy or approach that you have supported staff or children to successfully use in the classroom. How did you measure its success?

The closing date for this advert is 08/06/2025 although we will be looking at applications as they come in and may interview candidates in advance of the closing date, therefore we encourage an early application. Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.