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Job overview
Following expansion to the service, we are seeking to appoint a dynamic and enthusiastic candidate to the role of Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist.
The role is offered at full-time and is located at Cedar House within our St. Michael's Community Hospital site within the School Age Speech & Language Therapy Team. The weekly hours for this role will be agreed at interview.
Our School-Age Speech and Language Therapy Service supports children and young people in Enfield with speech, language and communication needs, as well as difficulties with eating and drinking.
We work in partnership with children, young people, families, schools and other professionals to provide:
Assessment of speech, language and communication strengths and areas of need.
Individualised intervention and therapy programmes delivered in collaboration with families and educational settings.
Assessment and support for eating and drinking difficulties.
Specialist support for children and young people who stammer, have speech sound difficulties, or experience selective mutism
Written reports outlining identified needs, the impact on learning and social interaction, and recommendations to support positive outcomes.
Training, advice and consultation for school staff to help create communication-friendly learning environments.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, and therefore advise submission of applications at the earliest opportunity.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will have responsibility for carrying out highly specialist statutory assessment of CYP in order to inform the local authority process of identifying Special Educational needs and the provision needed to meet those needs. We are committed to:
Co-production with families.
- Listening to 'the voice of the child' when working with children and young people (CYP) and actively involve CYP in target setting and evaluation
- You will also be responsible for monitoring statutory assessment reports written by more junior members of the statutory assessment team and providing clinical feedback and support in order to ensure quality.
- You will be part of a team of Band 7 therapists who take the lead on triaging new referrals to the school age Speech and Language service. You will respond and give feedback to referrers and develop 'waiting well' strategies.
- He/she will participate in the training of Speech and Language Therapy students and supervise the work of LSAs/TAs.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
A full list of duties and responsibilities will be found within the job description and requirements for the role can be found within the person specification.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Well-developed knowledge of the use of informal methods of assessment within the classroom.
- Ability to analyse and interpret results in relation to theoretical and clinical knowledge of individual clients, developmental norms and curriculum Levels, with specific emphasis on implications for access to the Curriculum.
- Ability to plan and deliver appropriate intervention programmes within the classroom in collaboration with education staff.
- Training, experience and knowledge of Makaton and experience of supporting a school in its implementation.
- Experience and expertise in implementing a total communication environment to include high- and low-tech aids, body signing, Makaton, and communication books.
- Experience of working with schools to optimise the communication environment.
- Ability to work safely under pressure across competing priorities.
- Knowledge and experience of up-to-date research and approaches to developing communication skills.
- Experience of AAC; familiar with Makaton, symbols, low-tech communication aids.
- Flexible approach to working to incorporate different ways of working in different contexts.
- Evidence of independent working and caseload management.
- Experience of providing supervision to both less experienced colleagues and/or students on assessed placement.
- Clear understanding of the impact of trauma and SEMH needs on the use and development of communication.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Enthusiastic and motivated.
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Professional approach to work.
- Accountability – Takes responsibility for own actions and promotes good team working.
- Openness – Shares information and good practice appropriately.
- Mutual respect – Treats others with courtesy and respect.
Skills & Aptitudes
Essential
- Have a high level of self-motivation and enthusiasm and an ability to be organised and manage own time efficiently
- Be able to cope with and appropriately manage the emotional consequences of working with clients with complex conditions, or in challenging situations at times.
- Have a willingness to learn and develop.
- Highly developed ability to communicate clearly, directly and honestly in an open manner
- Have a good standard of spoken and written English language
- Highly developed negotiation and problem-solving abilities, including the ability to present information to multi-disciplinary meetings with little opportunity to plan in advance.
- Well-developed reflection and analytical skills
- Knowledge of current issues relating to patient safety.
- Well-developed report writing skills including providing information for special educational needs assessments.
- Well developed presentation skills
Education & Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Speech and Language therapy degree
- Registration with the Health Professions Council for licence to Practice
- Registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
Desirable
- Attendance at post graduate training courses appropriate to area applied for.
- Accredited Elklan Trainer or willing to be trained
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £55,524 - £62,652 pa inc. (pro-rata if LTFT). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 13 Aug 2026.
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