Speech & Language Therapist | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Horsham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Community Services Provider in Horsham is looking for a Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist to join their supportive team. This role involves assessing children's communication needs, providing therapy, and empowering families with training. The position offers professional development and is suitable for newly qualified therapists as well as those looking to gain more experience. Flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Accredited Living Wage Employer

Qualifications

• Newly qualified or experienced SLTs are welcome to apply.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Assess children’s speech, language, and communication needs.
• Advise families on reducing impact of communication issues.
• Provide therapy and training to empower parents/carers.
• Maintain clinical and professional development.

Skills

Assessing speech and language needs

Communication skills training

Report writing

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant therapy degree

Job description

Overview

The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service have Band 5 opportunities within our friendly and enthusiastic teams. These roles are suitable for newly qualified therapists seeking their first post, as well as Band 5 SLTs looking to extend their experience. The Band 5 roles are two-year fixed term contracts, with the opportunity to apply for a Band 6 position at the end of the period. Opportunities are available in the Central Sussex and Brighton & Hove areas across Special Schools, Mainstream Schools, and Early Years. We provide well-established supervision and access to continuing professional development and funding within the Trust.

If you join us, you will have access to a friendly, supportive team of therapists and therapy assistants, structured supervision, a range of training and development opportunities, a wide range of resources, and support from the admin team.

Role and responsibilities

You will work as part of a supportive and friendly team to:

• Assess children’s speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and the functional impact of these
• Advise families and settings on how they can help reduce this impact and facilitate communication skills
• Provide individual or group therapy where appropriate, demonstrating to parents/carers and setting staff how they can use strategies and techniques
• Provide training to parents/carers and setting staff so that they are empowered to identify and manage their child’s communication needs
• Write reports and intervention plans, sharing information and setting targets with parents/carers and setting staff
• Measure the success of your actions and report your outcomes
• Maintain your clinical and professional development to progress in your career

About the Trust

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays. Our vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, with opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, ensuring fair pay for all staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do. We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received. Please see attached job description and person specification for more detailed information about the Band 5 SLT roles and main responsibilities.

This advert closes on Sunday 21 Sep 2025.