Speech and Language Therapist Advanced

Job overview

We are pleased to offer  2 WTE newly created additional Band 7 posts within our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team to expand and strengthen the Speech and Language Therapy contribution to the Autism Diagnostic Pathway.

You will work closely with the Principal Speech and Language Therapist, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Educational Psychologists, Paediatricians and CAMHS colleagues, using advanced clinical expertise to assess autism and complex communication needs. The role includes supporting care pathway and clinical protocol development, delivering specialist training and supervision, and championing neuro‑affirming and inclusive communication practices.

We are undertaking a major redesign of our neurodevelopmental pathways to reduce waiting times and improve patient experience.

We are seeking warm, empathetic, clinically confident and equity‑minded SLTs with significant experience working with children with autism and complex communication needs.

You will join a supportive team that values innovation and professional growth. The role includes training in gold‑standard autism assessment tools, including ADOS and ADI‑R, to support confident contribution to multidisciplinary assessment and differential diagnosis.

If you are ready to make a meaningful impact and help shape the future of our autism service, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

This role supports the clinical and operational leadership for the Autism Diagnostic Pathway, working closely with the Autism Clinical Pathway AHP and MDT Lead. The post holder will support the development and implementation of efficient, NICE‑compliant ways of working aligned to best practice and the local ASC core offer, in partnership with medical, nursing and AHP colleagues. They will take a delegated lead in developing care pathways, service protocols and clinical guidelines, and use advanced specialist SLT expertise to contribute to differential diagnosis within the MDT. The role involves independent assessment, diagnosis and management of children and young people with complex speech, language and social communication needs, providing second opinions where required, and ensuring care is integrated, evidence‑based and population‑responsive. The post holder will also provide supervision and deliver specialist training to support pathway quality and sustainability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more detailed information about the job and main responsibilities, see the attached job description and person specification