Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Preschool - Luton

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

Job summary

A leading NHS community service in Luton is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join their preschool therapy team. The role involves providing clinical input, managing a caseload, and supporting children with various speech and language communication needs. Candidates should have relevant qualifications and a strong background in this specialized field.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Formal and informal training

Qualifications

• Qualified speech and language therapist with HCPC registration.
• Relevant graduate qualification in the field.
• Attendance at courses on language and/or speech disorders.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist clinical input to preschool children with speech and language needs.
• Manage caseload and deliver evidence-based assessment and therapy.
• Conduct training for parents and professionals to support children's communication needs.

Skills

Auditory discrimination

Problem solving

Education

Qualified speech and language therapist

HCPC registered

Job description

Go back Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Preschool - Luton

The closing date is 13 July 2025

B6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Preschool

Come and join our friendly Speech and Language Therapy Team in Luton, Bedfordshire.

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Specialist Speech and Language Therapists to join our established community therapy team working with preschool children in Luton.

We need:

Confident, motivated and enthusiastic therapist, willing to work flexibly

Experience of working with preschool children with a wide range of SLCN

Someone looking to develop their clinical knowledge and skills

You will:

Manage a caseload providing targeted, evidence-based assessment and therapy

Work closely with colleagues in health and education

Participate in training to parents and other professionals around SLC needs

Support junior staff within the service

As a Service we provide:

A welcoming and supportive team

Formal and informal training, including shadowing opportunities

Regular robust clinical supervision and a mentoring system

Regular whole team in house CPD days as well as in service and external courses

Collaborative working with system partners including 0-19 team, Community Paediatrics and education settings

Reflective clinical forums and buddying systems

Regular whole service and locality meetings

Career development opportunities including clinical and professional development

Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after '06-07-.2025'

Main duties of the job

The post holders will provide specialist clinical input to preschool children across the Luton locality.

Working as part of the community preschool team, you will provide speech and language therapy support to children with a wide range of SLC needs including statutory provision.

You will provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support children's language and communication needs.

You will mentor and support other colleagues.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

About us

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Job responsibilities

To independently identify, assess and diagnose speech, language and communication impairments and select appropriate patients and type of therapy for effective treatment.

To make a differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment, and design appropriate treatment based on analysis of profile of need seeking advice as appropriate.

Be responsible for delivering specialist speech and language therapy input to school age children and young people of all ages, covering a range of disorders of communication.

To provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support childrens language and communication needs.

To plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical.

To use clinical skills to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues.

Gain extensive clinical experience and expertise to improve and further develop specialist skills through training, support and study.

To have appropriate knowledge or an awareness of low tech AAC, for example communication boards.

To have knowledge of and contribute to the EHCP process within the given timescales, including preparing reports with outcomes and targets for the initial report and for annual reviews as required.

To triage new referrals into the service and reject or accept these based on service criteria, including skills in discussing potential referrals with referrers.

To provide second opinions and shadowing opportunities for less experienced colleagues, including within the Language Provision, as required.

To seek out second opinions from more experience colleagues as required.

To make referrals onto specialist services as required, including Health, Education and / or Social Services.

To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with and without support and reflect on and evaluate training provided.

Independently take students on placements for clinical teaching and supervision, including exam placement.

Undertake supervision and complete appraisals for SLTs and Support Practitioners.

To contribute to the support of newly and recently graduated SLT Staff.

To support and take part in the induction and training of new staff to the service.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Qualified speech and language therapist
• HCPC registered
• posMember of relevant CENt graduate qualification in relevant area
• Attendance at relevant courses, e.g. language and / or speech disorders.

Experience

• Demonstrates a well-established knowledge of a range of clinical disorders, assessments and appropriate therapeutic interventions in specialist field; including management of children with social communication difficulties.
• Relevant experience as qualified SLT in the specialist field.
• Evidence of high level of specialist knowledge/skills as a result of experience/CPD
• Experience of carrying out supervision and appraisals.

Skills

• Good auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically.
• Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit
• Demonstrates a positive approach to problem solving

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.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Address

Luton

9 Mersey Place, Liverpool Road Health Centre, Luton

£37,338 to £44,962 a yearper annum, pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Reference number

448-BCHS-7309228

Job locations

Luton

9 Mersey Place, Liverpool Road Health Centre, Luton