Job summary
- Main area
- Children's Community Therapies - Tower Hamlets
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 259-7247164RLH
- Employer
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Mile end hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £44,806 - £53,134 Per annum inc ***Pay award pending***
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist – Complex Needs Under 5s
Band 6
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.
Job overview
Are you looking for an opportunity to enter the field of complex needs and dysphagia or further develop your skills in this area? An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) to join the Complex Needs SLT team within Barts Health NHS Trust.
The successful applicant will have experience in working with children aged 0 – 5 years with complex needs and will be looking to further develop their knowledge and skills in dysphagia and complex communication / AAC.
The post holder will have the opportunity to be part of a team that delivers transdisciplinary routines-based early intervention services, using a coaching approach, in the management of children with complex developmental difficulties. There may also be an opportunity to work part of the time within our specials schools team (based at Stephen Hawking School).
The post holder will be joining a well-established, and highly supportive and innovative Complex Needs SLT Team, supported by the Lead Speech and Language Therapist for Complex Needs and Dysphagia and will receive regular supervision and access to professional development opportunities. Flexible working will be considered.
The main office base is located at Mile End Hospital, conveniently located between Mile End and Stepney Green tube stations and serviced by a number of local buses.
Main duties of the job
The Children’s Therapy Team consist of Community Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), Occupational and Physiotherapy teams and is divided into three sub-teams – under 5s, primary school and transition teams. The Children’s Therapy Team sits in Specialist Community Children’s Services within the Children and Young People’s Division of Barts Health NHS Trust.
Community based service are offered to babies, children and young people in Tower Hamlets and is delivered in schools, pre-school settings, clinics, and service users’ homes. The integrated team aims to work in partnership with children, families, and other providers to help babies, children and young people participate in normal daily activities and the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team specifically addresses communication and eating and drinking needs through the provision of universal, targeted and specialist level services.
The post holder is an autonomous practitioner who will have the opportunity to develop skills and expertise in working with children with complex communication and eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties in a community setting. The post holder will provide care as part of the integrated Primary Service Provider (PSP) team that delivers transdisciplinary routines-based early intervention services.
Working for our organisation
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Please note: When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High Cost Area Supplement) is not included for non-medical roles. This ensures fairness and consistency within our organisation, as some of our sites fall under inner HCAS, while others are classified as outer HCAS.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
- HPCP Registration and Licence to Practice
- Member of RCSLT
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Good understanding of the clinical governance principles
- Demonstrates knowledge of HPCP code of ethics and professional conduct
- Theoretical and practical knowledge of child development and the broad range of communication difficulties and implications and impact on children and families.
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of audit and research activity
- Successful completion of specialist post-graduate dysphagia study relevant to the community setting, (e.g. accredited dysphagia course).
- Knowledge of Signalong Sign system and other Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems
Experience
Essential criteria
- At least three years post-qualification experience working within relevant field.
- Experience of assessment and management of communication difficulties both developmental and acquired in the paediatric population.
- Experience in working in a multi and/or transdisciplinary team.
- Clinical experience within the NHS
- Working with children/families from multi-cultural/multi-lingual backgrounds and working with interpreters
Desirable criteria
- Experience in managing children with eating and drinking difficulties.
- Experience in supervision students.
- Carrying out evidence-based research projects/audit projects
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good clinical skills/specialist knowledge across a wide range of dysphagia and communication difficulties
- Evidence of use of initiative and ability to maintain judgement under pressure
- Skills in delivering presentations and training including basic adaptations to presentation/training style for a range of audiences.
- The ability to convey complex sensitive information.
- Good organisational and prioritisation skills
- Ability to lone work
- Working knowledge of IT
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in the community.
- Audit experience
- Virtual assessment and intervention
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- gaynor owen
- Job title
- Clinical Lead SLT for Dysphagia and Complex Needs
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07927683010
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