Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Band 7 FTC Oct 2026
The closing date is 23 July 2025
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to provide high quality evidence-based speech and language therapy, which promotes the participation, function and safe care of children and young people accessing The Childrens Trust.
Main duties of the job
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to provide high quality evidence-based speech and language therapy, which promotes the participation, function and safe care of children and young people accessing The Childrens Trust.
Your aim is to deliver child and family focused goal led interventions supporting those with speech, language and communication needs and to those with dysphagia needs.To support the service for those children and young people with tracheostomies, within the limits of skills and competencies.
You will also support our Multidisciplinary Team, delivering training
About us
About Us
The Childrens Trust is the UKs leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.
Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.
Staff Benefits
The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including, adoption pay, time off for fertility treatment, enhanced paternity leave, paid carers leave, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms, time off for gender reassignment.
We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.
Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Details
Date posted
10 July 2025
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£52,401 to £59,129 a year (dependent upon experience)
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
12 months
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
B0474-25-0096
Job locations
The Childrens Trust
Tadworth Court
Tadworth
Surrey
KT20 5RU
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Skills and Responsibilities:
o Support the provision of high quality, evidence informed speech and language therapy assessments and interventions for children and young people attending The Childrens Trust, in partnership with other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
o Devise suitable, individual, plans that fit within the childs daily routine, whether to be carried out by therapists, parents or members of the Multidisciplinary team; these should be monitored, evaluated and adjusted appropriately according to the needs of the child.
o Facilitate involvement of family and carers in the rehabilitation process, including day-to-day activities, and the handing over of practical skills and care.
o Be an autonomous practitioner with responsibility for assessment, treatment and planning for an allocated caseload of children/young people. Work closely with all members of the Multidisciplinary team, as well as the child and family, to provide a fully integrated approach to the overall management of the child. This will include any home/school visits, professional child related meetings and / or appointments, as required.
o Liaise with all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by The Childrens Trust, visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics with the child as required.
o Contribute to the assessment and discussion of new referrals to The Childrens Trust, carrying out on virtual and off-site referral assessments around the United Kingdom, as required.
o Contribute to child related reports, including looked after children and annual review reports as required, and assist with the collation of these as and when required, in a timely manner and in line with organisational targets.
o Utilise patient reported and standardised outcome measures for each allocated child/young person and complete in a timely manner.
o Assess, evaluate, and recommend discharge/transition plans for children/young people within the multidisciplinary team framework.
o Provide clinical cover across the service during episodes of staff shortage/heavy workload, in order to ensure effective service delivery.
o Work flexibly in terms of hours, in order to meet the needs of the service, including an early evening (maximum one per week) and weekend day (maximum one per month).
o Represent the Therapy Team and The Childrens Trust when appropriate, deputising for the Head of Therapy - Rehabilitation, as required.
o Actively participate in and support the running of relevant meetings.
o To undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.
Communication:
o Facilitates effective communication with families and members of the multidisciplinary team, supporting others to embed the advice regarding management of needs around communication and eating and drinking and tracheostomy care.
o Recognises barriers to communication and be able to reduce these as appropriate.
o Communicates regularly and effectively with the Heads of Therapy.
o Maintains clear and concise documents and records, in accordance with The Childrens Trust Policy.
o Ensures documents are managed confidentially at all times.
o Use a range of advanced communication skills, to share specialised information and discussions with a range of audiences, with different levels of knowledge and expertise.
o Attend, contribute and chair Multidisciplinary Team meetings, to discuss individual children/ young people.
o Develop and promote relationships with external networks, including professionals, stakeholders and specialist centres, in order to ensure excellence of care, whilst representing the organisation and reflecting The Childrens Trust core values.
o Manage informal complaints, in line with The Childrens Trust polices and contribute to the resolution of written complaints and as they occur, taking immediate action where necessary.
Management of Self and Others:
o Working alongside the Heads of Therapy to develop the speech and language therapy contribution to the rehabilitation service.
o Participate in the overall day-to-day management and development of the Speech and Language Therapy Service, to ensure an efficient and safe service for all.
o Provide day-to-day leadership, support and supervision for junior staff, technicians, volunteers and students, within area of responsibility, providing direction, motivation and support to achieve key objectives.
o Represent the Therapy Team on behalf of the Head of Therapies for Rehabilitation, when requested.
o Take on the role of Lead Professional or Coordinating Therapist, following team discussion or as requested by the Head of Therapy, in accordance with the current profile description.
o Participate in the annual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions, as required by The Childrens Trust, both as Appraiser and Appraise.
o Advise the Head of Therapy, regarding resources and equipment needs, including shortfalls.
o Manage time effectively, prioritising and delegating work, as required.
o Assess needs, decide priorities and organise, monitor and evaluate the provision of an efficient and effective Therapy service, in liaison with the Head of Therapy.
Governance:
o Read and implements all policies, procedures and risk assessments, pertinent to working practice and keeps up to date with policy changes as they occur.
o Critically evaluate new intervention methods and implement where appropriate.
o Critically evaluate practice through clinical audits and by appraisal of the information gained, in combination with current knowledge of evidence-based practice; identify opportunities for service improvement and development.
o Recognise and critically appraise situations where the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the service are compromised and take appropriate action to resolve the situation.
o Critically reflect on own performance and that of other staff; use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of future practice.
o Actively participates in local clinical governance activities.
o Undergo The Childrens Trust Risk Assessor training, to ensure that all activities are risk assessed and documented in the most appropriate format. Ensure that detailed risk assessments are completed, as required.
Career Long Learning, Education and Research:
o Undertake all mandatory training, in line with The Childrens Trust policies.
o Independently advance personal knowledge, understanding and skills, in line with identified learning needs, by making appropriate use of a variety of learning and development resources and opportunities, e.g. by attending courses/ lectures, contact and involvement with relevant special interest groups, and/ or visiting other departments.
o Develop and deliver external training courses in area of specialism, where potential demand is identified.
o Disseminate and ensure the embedding of relevant new practice, through attendance at and contributing to in-service education, Literature Reviews, mentoring and shared sessions.
o Record outcomes of learning activities, in a format that reflects personal preferences and professional requirement, in line with the RCSLT competencies.
o Take an active part in the training of junior colleagues and lead the development of Reflective Practice in others.
o Participates in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.
o Continuously updates knowledge of the external environment and highlights any issues that will impact upon existing policies and procedures.
o Participates in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.
Limits of Authority and Problem Solving:
o In addition to The Childrens Trust policies, the Specialist Speech and Language Therapist is governed by, and should adhere to, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency for speech and language therapists and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Quality Assurance Standards.
o Make day-to-day decisions regarding speech and language requirements for children and young people, based on case load, including recommendations for specialist equipment.
o Responsible for day-to-day time management and prioritisation of workload, taking into account the needs of the whole service.
o Monthly formal supervision.
o Provides formal supervision monthly to junior Speech and Language Therapists and/or Multidisciplinary Technicians.
o Contribute to the strategic planning regarding dysphagia and tracheostomy care within The Childrens Trust.
o Deputises for the Head of Therapy for Rehabilitation as required.
o Support recruitment processes, as requested by the Head of Therapy.
Professionalism
o Takes action and raises concerns.
o Adhere to the policies and procedures of The Childrens Trust.
o Maintain professional boundaries and professionalism at all times.
o Committed to demonstrating the organisations values and behaviours at all times.
Health and Safety
o Adheres to all Health and Safety guidelines, principles, and regulations to perform your role and comply with The Childrens Trust policies and procedures.
o Provide evidence of all vaccinations (or medical exemption) required for the post.
o Adhere to manual handling procedures and complete mandatory manual handling training.
o Promotes the health and safety of others.
o Uses the incident reporting and risk assessment system (IRAR), to identify and report risks and incidents/actions if directed.
o Responsible for identifying and mitigating risk within the work environment.
Wellbeing and Emotional Resilience
o Maintains a positive approach and outlook when dealing with change and overcoming challenges and problems.
o Recognises own limitations, develops realistic goals, and uses support network resource when or if necessary.
o Treats challenges and problems as a learning experience.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Skills and Responsibilities:
o Support the provision of high quality, evidence informed speech and language therapy assessments and interventions for children and young people attending The Childrens Trust, in partnership with other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
o Devise suitable, individual, plans that fit within the childs daily routine, whether to be carried out by therapists, parents or members of the Multidisciplinary team; these should be monitored, evaluated and adjusted appropriately according to the needs of the child.
o Facilitate involvement of family and carers in the rehabilitation process, including day-to-day activities, and the handing over of practical skills and care.
o Be an autonomous practitioner with responsibility for assessment, treatment and planning for an allocated caseload of children/young people. Work closely with all members of the Multidisciplinary team, as well as the child and family, to provide a fully integrated approach to the overall management of the child. This will include any home/school visits, professional child related meetings and / or appointments, as required.
o Liaise with all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by The Childrens Trust, visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics with the child as required.
o Contribute to the assessment and discussion of new referrals to The Childrens Trust, carrying out on virtual and off-site referral assessments around the United Kingdom, as required.
o Contribute to child related reports, including looked after children and annual review reports as required, and assist with the collation of these as and when required, in a timely manner and in line with organisational targets.
o Utilise patient reported and standardised outcome measures for each allocated child/young person and complete in a timely manner.
o Assess, evaluate, and recommend discharge/transition plans for children/young people within the multidisciplinary team framework.
o Provide clinical cover across the service during episodes of staff shortage/heavy workload, in order to ensure effective service delivery.
o Work flexibly in terms of hours, in order to meet the needs of the service, including an early evening (maximum one per week) and weekend day (maximum one per month).
o Represent the Therapy Team and The Childrens Trust when appropriate, deputising for the Head of Therapy - Rehabilitation, as required.
o Actively participate in and support the running of relevant meetings.
o To undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.
Communication:
o Facilitates effective communication with families and members of the multidisciplinary team, supporting others to embed the advice regarding management of needs around communication and eating and drinking and tracheostomy care.
o Recognises barriers to communication and be able to reduce these as appropriate.
o Communicates regularly and effectively with the Heads of Therapy.
o Maintains clear and concise documents and records, in accordance with The Childrens Trust Policy.
o Ensures documents are managed confidentially at all times.
o Use a range of advanced communication skills, to share specialised information and discussions with a range of audiences, with different levels of knowledge and expertise.
o Attend, contribute and chair Multidisciplinary Team meetings, to discuss individual children/ young people.
o Develop and promote relationships with external networks, including professionals, stakeholders and specialist centres, in order to ensure excellence of care, whilst representing the organisation and reflecting The Childrens Trust core values.
o Manage informal complaints, in line with The Childrens Trust polices and contribute to the resolution of written complaints and as they occur, taking immediate action where necessary.
Management of Self and Others:
o Working alongside the Heads of Therapy to develop the speech and language therapy contribution to the rehabilitation service.
o Participate in the overall day-to-day management and development of the Speech and Language Therapy Service, to ensure an efficient and safe service for all.
o Provide day-to-day leadership, support and supervision for junior staff, technicians, volunteers and students, within area of responsibility, providing direction, motivation and support to achieve key objectives.
o Represent the Therapy Team on behalf of the Head of Therapies for Rehabilitation, when requested.
o Take on the role of Lead Professional or Coordinating Therapist, following team discussion or as requested by the Head of Therapy, in accordance with the current profile description.
o Participate in the annual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions, as required by The Childrens Trust, both as Appraiser and Appraise.
o Advise the Head of Therapy, regarding resources and equipment needs, including shortfalls.
o Manage time effectively, prioritising and delegating work, as required.
o Assess needs, decide priorities and organise, monitor and evaluate the provision of an efficient and effective Therapy service, in liaison with the Head of Therapy.
Governance:
o Read and implements all policies, procedures and risk assessments, pertinent to working practice and keeps up to date with policy changes as they occur.
o Critically evaluate new intervention methods and implement where appropriate.
o Critically evaluate practice through clinical audits and by appraisal of the information gained, in combination with current knowledge of evidence-based practice; identify opportunities for service improvement and development.
o Recognise and critically appraise situations where the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the service are compromised and take appropriate action to resolve the situation.
o Critically reflect on own performance and that of other staff; use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of future practice.
o Actively participates in local clinical governance activities.
o Undergo The Childrens Trust Risk Assessor training, to ensure that all activities are risk assessed and documented in the most appropriate format. Ensure that detailed risk assessments are completed, as required.
Career Long Learning, Education and Research:
o Undertake all mandatory training, in line with The Childrens Trust policies.
o Independently advance personal knowledge, understanding and skills, in line with identified learning needs, by making appropriate use of a variety of learning and development resources and opportunities, e.g. by attending courses/ lectures, contact and involvement with relevant special interest groups, and/ or visiting other departments.
o Develop and deliver external training courses in area of specialism, where potential demand is identified.
o Disseminate and ensure the embedding of relevant new practice, through attendance at and contributing to in-service education, Literature Reviews, mentoring and shared sessions.
o Record outcomes of learning activities, in a format that reflects personal preferences and professional requirement, in line with the RCSLT competencies.
o Take an active part in the training of junior colleagues and lead the development of Reflective Practice in others.
o Participates in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.
o Continuously updates knowledge of the external environment and highlights any issues that will impact upon existing policies and procedures.
o Participates in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.
Limits of Authority and Problem Solving:
o In addition to The Childrens Trust policies, the Specialist Speech and Language Therapist is governed by, and should adhere to, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency for speech and language therapists and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Quality Assurance Standards.
o Make day-to-day decisions regarding speech and language requirements for children and young people, based on case load, including recommendations for specialist equipment.
o Responsible for day-to-day time management and prioritisation of workload, taking into account the needs of the whole service.
o Monthly formal supervision.
o Provides formal supervision monthly to junior Speech and Language Therapists and/or Multidisciplinary Technicians.
o Contribute to the strategic planning regarding dysphagia and tracheostomy care within The Childrens Trust.
o Deputises for the Head of Therapy for Rehabilitation as required.
o Support recruitment processes, as requested by the Head of Therapy.
Professionalism
o Takes action and raises concerns.
o Adhere to the policies and procedures of The Childrens Trust.
o Maintain professional boundaries and professionalism at all times.
o Committed to demonstrating the organisations values and behaviours at all times.
Health and Safety
o Adheres to all Health and Safety guidelines, principles, and regulations to perform your role and comply with The Childrens Trust policies and procedures.
o Provide evidence of all vaccinations (or medical exemption) required for the post.
o Adhere to manual handling procedures and complete mandatory manual handling training.
o Promotes the health and safety of others.
o Uses the incident reporting and risk assessment system (IRAR), to identify and report risks and incidents/actions if directed.
o Responsible for identifying and mitigating risk within the work environment.
Wellbeing and Emotional Resilience
o Maintains a positive approach and outlook when dealing with change and overcoming challenges and problems.
o Recognises own limitations, develops realistic goals, and uses support network resource when or if necessary.
o Treats challenges and problems as a learning experience.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RCSLT recognised degree or postgraduate diploma in Speech and Language Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
- Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses e.g. Advanced Dysphagia or Tracheostomy management
- Dysphagia competency to Level C (RCSLT Competencies)
- Willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties including extended role activities
- Maintains a portfolio of CPD in line with regulatory body standards
Desirable
- Tracheostomy Competency - trained to meet Core Competencies and Paediatric competencies (RCSLT)
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of five years clinical experience post basic qualification
- Minimum clinical experience of two years working in Dysphagia and/ or tracheostomy care
- Experience in any one or a combination of the following; Neuro rehabilitation; adults or paediatric and Children or adults with complex medical needs.
- Competent and experienced in managing Children and/or adults with dysphagia
- Worked within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Competent and experienced in managing Children and/or adults. with tracheostomies
- Worked with children and families
- Experience of service development and quality improvement
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Assessment of speech, language, communication, and ability to devise and carry out intervention plans
- Assessment of dysphagia and ability to devise and manage relevant eating and drinking plans
- Ability to meet the physical demands of a speech and language therapy
- Professional integrity, particularly in clinical governance
- Commitment to working flexibly to meet the needs of the service
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills
- Competent in supporting junior staff in developing dysphagia skills
- Analytical and creative problem-solving skills in unpredictable situations, synthesising a variety of evidence and presenting this in a relevant format e.g. report; presentation
- Workload management including delegation of tasks and day-to-day team leadership
- Advanced verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex or potentially distressing information to parents/carers and managing conflict when appropriate
- Reflective practice skills able to give clear and effective feedback and support others to develop
- Develop and lead clinical audit within specialist clinical area
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust.
- Flexible and can do attitude to competing commitments in workload.
- Highly motivated and reliable.
- Ability to cope working in a demanding environment.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of dysphagia assessment and management
- Knowledge of current research, clinical audit and service evaluation methods
- Clinical assessment and intervention skills relevant to children and/or adults people with neuro-disability
- Clinical reasoning skills in predictable situations, analysing a variety of evidence and presenting this in a relevant format e.g. report; presentation
- Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people with complex disabilities
- Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust
- Highly motivated and reliable
Desirable
- Understanding of physical, communication, behavioural and emotional changes after acquired brain injury (ABI)
- Knowledge of tracheostomy impact on speaking; secretions and swallowing; and knowledge of management of tracheostomy care and weaning
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RCSLT recognised degree or postgraduate diploma in Speech and Language Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
- Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses e.g. Advanced Dysphagia or Tracheostomy management
- Dysphagia competency to Level C (RCSLT Competencies)
- Willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties including extended role activities
- Maintains a portfolio of CPD in line with regulatory body standards
Desirable
- Tracheostomy Competency - trained to meet Core Competencies and Paediatric competencies (RCSLT)
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of five years clinical experience post basic qualification
- Minimum clinical experience of two years working in Dysphagia and/ or tracheostomy care
- Experience in any one or a combination of the following; Neuro rehabilitation; adults or paediatric and Children or adults with complex medical needs.
- Competent and experienced in managing Children and/or adults with dysphagia
- Worked within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Competent and experienced in managing Children and/or adults. with tracheostomies
- Worked with children and families
- Experience of service development and quality improvement
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Assessment of speech, language, communication, and ability to devise and carry out intervention plans
- Assessment of dysphagia and ability to devise and manage relevant eating and drinking plans
- Ability to meet the physical demands of a speech and language therapy
- Professional integrity, particularly in clinical governance
- Commitment to working flexibly to meet the needs of the service
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills
- Competent in supporting junior staff in developing dysphagia skills
- Analytical and creative problem-solving skills in unpredictable situations, synthesising a variety of evidence and presenting this in a relevant format e.g. report; presentation
- Workload management including delegation of tasks and day-to-day team leadership
- Advanced verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex or potentially distressing information to parents/carers and managing conflict when appropriate
- Reflective practice skills able to give clear and effective feedback and support others to develop
- Develop and lead clinical audit within specialist clinical area
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust.
- Flexible and can do attitude to competing commitments in workload.
- Highly motivated and reliable.
- Ability to cope working in a demanding environment.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of dysphagia assessment and management
- Knowledge of current research, clinical audit and service evaluation methods
- Clinical assessment and intervention skills relevant to children and/or adults people with neuro-disability
- Clinical reasoning skills in predictable situations, analysing a variety of evidence and presenting this in a relevant format e.g. report; presentation
- Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people with complex disabilities
- Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust
- Highly motivated and reliable
Desirable
- Understanding of physical, communication, behavioural and emotional changes after acquired brain injury (ABI)
- Knowledge of tracheostomy impact on speaking; secretions and swallowing; and knowledge of management of tracheostomy care and weaning
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
The Children's Trust
Address
The Childrens Trust
Tadworth Court
Tadworth
Surrey
KT20 5RU
Employer's website
https://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/jobs (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
The Children's Trust
Address
The Childrens Trust
Tadworth Court
Tadworth
Surrey
KT20 5RU
Employer's website
https://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/jobs (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Details
Date posted
10 July 2025
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£52,401 to £59,129 a year (dependent upon experience)
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
12 months
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
B0474-25-0096
Job locations
The Childrens Trust
Tadworth Court
Tadworth
Surrey
KT20 5RU