Job overview
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust’s Children and Young People’s Therapies (CYPT) Service is excited to be offering a fixed term Band 7 maternity cover opportunity within it’s Speech and Language Therapy Team. We are looking to recruit to an experienced SLT with specialist skills in Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). If you also are looking to extend your leadership skills, as well as continuing to develop your specialist skills in supporting CYP with complex communication and eating and drinking needs associated with a range of medical conditions, this opportunity could be just right for you.
This fixed term post is 0.6 WTE and will be based in Stevenage. In addition to carrying a clinical caseload at Lonsdale School, a school for pupils with physical and neurological impairment aged from 3 to 18 years, you will support Severe Learning Disability (SLD) settings and provide clinical support to less experienced SLT/SLT Assistants in the locality area.
The postholder will be expected to work autonomously, and as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT), undertaking specialist assessment of children with complex communication needs who require AAC. Foundation dysphagia competencies to assess eating and drinking skills identifying aspiration risk are desirable.
*Proposed interview date: 8th July 2026*
Main duties of the job
- Work within a MDT to carry out specialist speech, language and communication assessments of children with complex needs including where AAC is required and as part of the EHCP process.
- Have specialist knowledge and experience of both paper/power based AAC including high tech devices; be familiar with hardware, software and access methods; and have an overview of AAC across the service.
- Ensure that quality systems are in place to support AAC in school settings, including monitoring/providing feedback to less experienced colleagues and providing specific clinical support as required.
- Deliver training to families/carers in the use of highly specialised equipment and software provided.
- Provide second opinions for children with complex needs who require AAC.
- Provide professional supervision, peer support and second opinions.
We offer:
- Regular group professional supervision/peer support.
- Working as part of a supportive team of highly specialist SLTs, ensuring best practice and delivery of high quality care systems.
- Regular managerial supervision and well-established appraisal system.
- Internal/external CPD opportunities such as bitesize tutorials, peer review, CENs.
- A 2 week induction period 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/service development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.
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 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 £1,192 and a maximum payment of £2,011 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location).
If you would like further information about this post please contact Katie Tucker, Operational Manager, by email [email protected]
The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment.
Person specification
Other
Essential
- Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (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 effectively at all levels across organisations and with a range of audiences.
- Knowledge of barriers to understanding & ability to explain complex issues simply.
- Excellent group presentation skills both written and verbal, as well as computer literate including use of Excel spreadsheets, databases and PowerPoint, Word.
- Able to analyse and interpret complex data.
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of delivering specialist training to peers and other professionals in the area of AAC, and of delivering training to families in the use of highly specialised equipment and software provided following an assessment.
- Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to carry out specialist assessment of children with complex needs who require a range of AAC, both paper based and power based.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of power-based AAC including hardware, software and access methods.
- Continued Professional Development in the area of Paediatric dysphagia as evidenced by attendance at specialist postgraduate courses and foundation dysphagia practitioner competencies (RCSLT eating, drinking and swallowing competency framework) and attendance to relevant CENs to maintain and develop specialist knowledge and expertise.
- In depth and expert knowledge of a range of appropriate assessment tools and therapeutic interventions relevant to the service, and high level clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis and intervention.
- Working knowledge of electronic patient record system.
- Evidence of involvement in service policy development in area of specialism.
- Knowledge of NHS, Education Policy and directives including Tribunals where these impact on area of specialism or service delivery.
- Experience of supervising students and less experienced staff.
Desirable
- Experience of carrying out mealtime observations / eating and drinking assessments to identify and manage aspiration risk, seeking support from more experienced dysphagia specialist as required
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy with experience and highly specialist knowledge in paediatric speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) acquired through further theoretical training, and experience to Master’s level or equivalent relevant to complex communication needs.
- Continued Professional Development in the area of AAC as evidenced by attendance at specialist postgraduate courses and relevant CENs to maintain and develop specialist knowledge and expertise.
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent (post graduate diploma or MSc in Speech and 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.
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This advert is for Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust in Welwyn Garden City, East of England, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Fixed term: 9 months (Maternity Cover). The application deadline is 30 Jun 2026.
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