Children's Speech and Language Therapy Assistant


Location
Poole, England
Salary
£12,880 - £13,738 p.a.
Profession
Speech and language therapy assistant
Grade
Band 3
Deadline
30 Sep 2026
Contract Type
Permanent
Posted Date
16 Sep 2026
Medical Protection — the side of locally employed doctors from £83

Job requirements

Essential

5 listed

Requirements the employer expects applicants to meet.

  • Experience

    Has some understanding of SLCN and demonstrates this in written application

  • Business travel

    Has access to a car and can drive

  • Job specific experience

    Has some experience working with either children that are pre-school and school age

  • Knowledge, skills and training

    Ability to develop relationships with patients, parents/carers, staff and work within a team.

  • Knowledge, skills and training

    Ability to demonstrate clear and legible written communication skills.

Desirable

4 listed

Additional qualities the employer would prefer.

  • Experience

    Worked with children with SEN/ SLCN

  • Experience

    delivered training

  • Job specific experience

    Worked with and supported parents or other profesionals

  • Knowledge, skills and training

    Supported parents/careers e.g. nursery or school setting

Job overview

We are very excited to be recruiting new Speech and Language Therapy Assistants to join our dynamic and supportive Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy service on the beautiful South-West coast in Dorset.

Our team are looking for enthusiastic, creative and dedicated individuals with a passion for working with children. Successful applicants will be a vital part of a well-established team of therapist and therapy assistants who are committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

Main duties of the job

The postholders will provide invaluable support to children and young people in clinics, schools and early years settings. You will be working closely with teachers and teaching assistants, so good communication skills and ability to develop rapport with these key colleagues is essential. You will be involved in delivering speech and language programmes to individual children and groups, developing confidence and skill of education staff, using IT, and creating resources. You will be well supported by Speech and Language Therapists within the team and there will be opportunities to further develop your skills through external and internal training opportunities.

If you are enthusiastic, resourceful, inventive and team-minded, and have experience working with children, we would love to hear from you.

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Driving is essential for this role. You will be required to have a full and valid UK driving licence and to travel using own vehicle on Trust business.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidate’s individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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Applying for this NHS job

This advert is for Children's Speech and Language Therapy Assistant with Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust in Poole, England. It is listed as a Band 3 Speech and language therapy assistant role. The advertised salary is £12,880 - £13,738 p.a.. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Sep 2026.

Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (16 Sep 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.

For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.