Job overview
The post holder will provide a highly specialist speech and language therapy service for children and young people with severe and complex learning difficulties in Perseid special schools, in accordance with the Service Level Agreement for Sutton Health and Care Alliance.
They will contribute to the development of the special schools speech and language therapy service for children and young people. They will plan and provide highly specialist speech and language therapy assessment, advice and treatment to a defined caseload of children and young people with severe and complex needs. They will work in partnership with the children and young people, their families and with other professions and agencies, including school staff and the wider health team, to reduce the impact of these difficulties on the children’s and young people’s social and emotional development, their learning and their ability to participate in daily life.
They will work autonomously and without direct supervision and be accountable for their own actions.
Main duties of the job
General Duties
- Be responsible for a clinical caseload of children and young people attending Perseid special schools as identified by the service specification, managing a defined caseload independently and prioritising own workload to ensure effective service provision
- Manage the needs of children and young people presenting with eating and drinking difficulties, including assessment, diagnosis and treatment as appropriate
- Provide support and training to families and school staff to enable eating and drinking programmes to be implemented as part of clients’ therapy packages
- To assess, diagnose, treat and manage a defined caseload of Early years children with complex communication needs within the school including the use of AAC devices where identified
- Provide training to enable speech and language communication programmes to be implemented as part of the client’s therapy package
- Be involved in planning the development of the speech and language service in liaison with the school management team, Therapy lead, and Service Manager for Children’s Specialist Nursing and Therapies
- Act as a resource to the SHC Alliance speech and language service and other agencies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached supporting job description and person specification document which contains more information about the role and requirements. Please ensure your application refers to the job description and person specification.
The recruiting team reserve the right to close this advertisement early once applications reach maximum limit.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- specialist knowledge/experience in paediatric SLT including dysphagia, communication for under 5 and high tech AAC
- Experience of working with children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties, complex needs and those requiring an AAC approach
- Knowledge/experience in the use of evidence based assessment and treatment approaches and practices Evidence of effective multi-agency work
- Evidence of use of prioritisation, clinical risk assessments and outcome measures
Desirable
- Experience in setting up new projects/initiatives
Education/Qualification
Essential
- Degree/Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
- Postgraduate dysphagia training at foundation level and working towards Proficient level
Desirable
- Relevant post-registration specialist education
- Evidence of attendance at short courses to develop specialist skills
- Evidence of additional training in use of high tech AAC
- Registration with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential
- Good knowledge of AAC devices appropriate for this population
- Specialist knowledge and understanding of dysphagia to enable appropriate clinical decision making and management of risk
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills including observation, listening and empathy
- Good organisation/time management skills
Other Relevant Requirements
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously
- Ability to work as a team member and promote collaborative multidisciplinary and multiagency approach
- Evidence of own self development through appraisal, CPD and portfolio
- Ability to support and develop other team members
Desirable
- Membership of relevant specialist groups
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist roles in Carshalton
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist with Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in Carshalton, London, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £45,953 - £54,254 Term time. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Jun 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 Jun 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job 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.