# Highly Specialist SLT Preschool Complex Needs/Dysphagia > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/highly-specialist-slt-preschool-complex-needsdysphagia/fe75e18c-62c1-408d-a451-0616387eb458 - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/highly-specialist-slt-preschool-complex-needsdysphagia/fe75e18c-62c1-408d-a451-0616387eb458.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust - **Town:** Welwyn Garden City - **Region:** East of England - **Country:** England - **Profession:** Speech and Language Therapist - **Grade:** Band 7 - **Salary:** £49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata - **Contract type:** 9 months (Maternity leave cover, fixed term) - **Employment type:** Full time, Part time, 37.5 hours per week - **Closing date:** 2026-06-11T23:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-06-01T14:19:26.453Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Hertfordshire/Welwyn_Garden_City/Hertfordshire_Community_NHS_Trust/Speech_Language_Therapy/Speech_Language_Therapy-v8041199 - **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8041199?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002 - **Employer website:** https://www.hct.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job overview Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust’s Children and Young People’s Therapies (CYPT) Service is excited to be able to offer a rare Band 7 opportunity within it’s Speech and Language Therapy Team.  Due to imminent maternity leave we are looking to recruit an SLT with specialist level dysphagia competencies, who has experience working with infants and children aged newborn to five with complex dysphagia and communication needs associated with a range of medical conditions.  Experience of hospital working and videofluoroscopy would also be of benefit. This  post is available for 12 months to support the clinical caseload across East and North Hertfordshire. You will be expected to work autonomously undertaking specialist assessment to differentially diagnosis feeding and swallowing difficulties, identify risk and implement a management plan of infants and children, including children with highly complex medical conditions. ### Main duties of the job As a Band 7 you will: - Triage and prioritise referrals based on identified risk and ensure assessments are completed with required timeframes. - Have overview and overall responsibility for the dysphagia and complex needs caseload within the locality - Be the lead therapist in a multi professional feeding clinic - Provide professional supervision to less experienced colleagues and supporting development of dysphagia competencies as indicated / appropriate. - Work with children and families within their home; or in children's centres, early years specialist development centres, nursery and clinic settings - Complete communication assessments as part of EHCP process and provide second opinions for children with complex needs - Work collaboratively with the highly specialist SLTs to ensure best practice and evidence based delivery of high quality care systems are in place We offer: - Regular group professional supervision and peer support - Working as part of a supportive team of highly specialist SLTs - Regular managerial supervision and a well-established appraisal system - Internal and external CPD opportunities such as bitesize tutorials, peer review, CENs - A 2 week induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow colleagues across a range of clinical areas / settings - Regular meetings with Clinical Quality Leads and Operational Leads to plan and implement service delivery and service development ### Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.  Also attached is the Person Specification. You will be joining an innovative and agile CYP Therapies service committed to delivering high quality care and transforming lives.  Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county.  Our service is jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings. Successful candidates will be enthusiastic and motivated.  Advanced communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of children and young people through upskilling the wider workforce.  As a highly specialist SLT, there will be opportunities for you to facilitate professional supervision groups and provide managerial supervision to less experienced colleagues. You will be joining a well-established, supportive team of therapists and assistants.   CYP Therapies at HCT pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff.  Please see below comments from a current member of the team: “I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated.  There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet children’s needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged.  I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials.  I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming.  There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat… and plenty of laughs.  I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.” If you have any questions at all or you would like to come and visit us, please do contact us - we are only too happy to help and would love to tell you more about our Service. Applications for full time and part time work will be considered.  A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010). In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,034 and a maximum payment of £1,791 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud. ## Job Details Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust’s Children and Young People’s Therapies (CYPT) Service is excited to be able to offer a rare Band 7 opportunity within it’s Speech and Language Therapy Team. Due to imminent maternity leave we are looking to recruit an SLT with specialist level dysphagia competencies, who has experience working with infants and children aged newborn to five with complex dysphagia and communication needs associated with a range of medical conditions. Experience of hospital working and videofluoroscopy would also be of benefit. This post is available for 12 months to support the clinical caseload across East and North Hertfordshire. You will be expected to work autonomously undertaking specialist assessment to differentially diagnosis feeding and swallowing difficulties, identify risk and implement a management plan of infants and children, including children with highly complex medical conditions. ## Job Description As a Band 7 you will: Triage and prioritise referrals based on identified risk and ensure assessments are completed with required timeframes. Have overview and overall responsibility for the dysphagia and complex needs caseload within the locality Be the lead therapist in a multi professional feeding clinic Provide professional supervision to less experienced colleagues and supporting development of dysphagia competencies as indicated / appropriate. Work with children and families within their home; or in children's centres, early years specialist development centres, nursery and clinic settings Complete communication assessments as part of EHCP process and provide second opinions for children with complex needs Work collaboratively with the highly specialist SLTs to ensure best practice and evidence based delivery of high quality care systems are in place We offer: Regular group professional supervision and peer support Working as part of a supportive team of highly specialist SLTs Regular managerial supervision and a well-established appraisal system Internal and external CPD opportunities such as bitesize tutorials, peer review, CENs A 2 week induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow colleagues across a range of clinical areas / settings Regular meetings with Clinical Quality Leads and Operational Leads to plan and implement service delivery and service development ## Responsibilities Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post. Also attached is the Person Specification. You will be joining an innovative and agile CYP Therapies service committed to delivering high quality care and transforming lives. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our service is jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings. Successful candidates will be enthusiastic and motivated. Advanced communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of children and young people through upskilling the wider workforce. As a highly specialist SLT, there will be opportunities for you to facilitate professional supervision groups and provide managerial supervision to less experienced colleagues. You will be joining a well-established, supportive team of therapists and assistants. CYP Therapies at HCT pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff. Please see below comments from a current member of the team: “I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet children’s needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat… and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.” If you have any questions at all or you would like to come and visit us, please do contact us - we are only too happy to help and would love to tell you more about our Service. Applications for full time and part time work will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010). In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,034 and a maximum payment of £1,791 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud. ## Person Specification ### Other **Essential** - Hold a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010). ### Skills and abilities **Essential** - Excellent communication skills both oral and written, including the ability to liaise and negotiate - Ability to communicate and receive complex and sensitive information - Knowledge of barriers to understanding & ability to explain complex issues simply. - Able to analyse and interpret complex data - Computer literate including use of Excel spreadsheets, databases and PowerPoint ### Experience and Knowledge **Essential** - Experience of working with different professional disciplines and agencies related to the specialism - High level clinical skills including assessment and diagnosis - Demonstrated experience of working in the relevant specialist clinical areas - Experience in providing assessment, diagnosis and intervention for CYP with a range of SLCN. - Working knowledge of electronic patient record system. - Experience and commitment to involve patients and service users in the design and development of service provision - Evidence of involvement in service policy development in area of specialism. - Knowledge of NHS, Education and social care policy including Tribunals and directives where these impact on area of specialism or service delivery ### Qualifications and Training **Essential** - Highly specialist knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent qualifications, including further theoretical training and experience to Master’s level equivalent in required speciality - Continued Professional Development evidenced by attendance at short specialist postgraduate courses to maintain and develop own specialist knowledge and expertise. - Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent (Post Graduate Diploma or MSc in Speech & Language Therapy leading to registration with HCPC) - HCPC Licence to Practice, Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Membership of relevant CEN **Desirable** - Experience of working with Education stakeholder and partners. ## Documents - [hct benefits (pdf, 588.9kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2511) - [b7 slt psn dysphagia (pdf, 392.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10329752) - [cyp therapies service (pdf, 671.7kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10329753) - [band 7slt psn dysphagia (pdf, 416.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10329751) - [recruitment guide for candidates (pdf, 303.1kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?ddoc=2407) - [job description supplementary information (pdf, 384.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2599) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.