Job summary
- Main area
- Speech & Language
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon - Fri)
- Job ref
- 411-DIA-26-8247067
- Employer
- Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Blossom House
- Town
- Waterloo
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/09/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Speech & Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner
Band 4
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- Extensive staff health and well-being programmes
Job overview
The Alder Hey Community Speech and Language Therapy Service have a vacancy in the Sefton locality for a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant practitioner (SLTAs). There is an expectation to also cover the Liverpool locality if required.
As an SLTA, you will support the children's community speech and language therapists with their work to provide on-going speech, language and communication support and interaction with children and families. This includes working alongside SLTs to deliver workshops and groups, working under supervision in nurseries, schools, patients homes and community clinics to provide support to the parents / carers to empower them, and preparing resources.
If you have an interest and passion to improve the life chances of our children and young people by supporting them and their families to develop their speech, language and communication skills, this is an exciting opportunity to join this vibrant team.
Please note that this advert may close early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Main duties of the job
- Work with clients with communication difficulties/complex disabilities and health needs across a range of settings, within the Community Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service.
- Carry out routine interventions as devised by the supervising Speech and Language Therapist.
- Provide on-going input to identified clients, modifying levels of intervention or treatment programmes when appropriate and notifying the Speech and Language Therapist of these changes.
- Access the supervision of a Speech and Language Therapist as required.
- Develop therapy activities to meet defined intervention needs.
- Provide some clinical administrative support to Speech and Language Therapists as required.
- Produce resources to support own clinical work and that of the Speech and Language Therapy team.
Working for our organisation
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care to over 275,000 children and young people each year. In addition to the hospital site located in the West Derby area of Liverpool, Alder Hey has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Carry out routine therapy activities following programmes set by the Speech and Language Therapist, working independently with clients with a range of complex disabilities and health needs
Work independently with clients both individually and in small groups, in a range of settings, accessing support from the Speech and Language Therapist as required
Person specification
Education, training and experience
Essential criteria
- NNEB / BTEC /NVQ level 3 in Speech and Language Therapy support or equivalent qualification in Paediatric care.
- Experience working as a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant.
- Relevant prior experience in working with/supporting children with communication difficulties.
Desirable criteria
- Training on specific communication strategies
- Short courses relevant to clinical area
Knowledge and skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates knowledge of a wide range of Speech and Language Therapy programmes.
- Ability to use, with appropriate training, alternative communication strategies e.g. Signing, AAC (as relevant to client group).
- Good written and verbal skills.
- Ability to organise workload and manage time.
- Demonstrates a willingness and ability to learn new techniques and procedures for use in therapy, following training and support.
- Ability to use IT skills to support the development of therapy resources.
Desirable criteria
- Has an awareness of roles of other professionals (relevant to client group)
- Demonstrates ability to be a good team member
- Ability to manage emotional consequences of working with patients with a range of communication / complex health needs or disability.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Willingness to learn and develop, and ability to identify own strengths and needs.
- Ability to travel between a range of clinical locations.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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
- Hannah Rothwell
- Job title
- Deputy Head of Service: Community SaLT
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0151 282 4973
List jobs with Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors