Job summary
Step into a role where your expertise truly shapes lives.

You have built your foundations, now you are ready for the next challenge. If you are an experienced SLT looking to take on more autonomy, develop specialist skills and play a key role in shaping high-quality care, we would love you to join our team.

We are a supportive, collaborative and busy community service where your ideas are welcomed and your professional growth really matters.

As a Specialist SLT, you will manage a more complex caseload, using your clinical judgement to deliver evidence-based assessment and intervention to children, including those with additional needs. You will work closely with families, schools, carers and MDT partners, offering guidance, training and support to ensure communication and/or swallowing needs are understood and managed effectively. You will also play a valued role in service development, supervision of colleagues, and contribute to quality improvement. You will take an active role in the assessment and differential diagnosis of ASD.

We will support your ambitions with specialist CPD, regular supervision, and opportunities to deepen your expertise in areas that excite you.

If you are ready for a role where your voice is valued and your expertise makes a real impact, we would love to hear from you. Your next step starts here.

The successful candidate will be based at The Oak Tree Centre, Huntingdon.

Interviews will be held in person only.

Main duties of the job
Should we receive a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 18 November 2026

The post holder will independently manage a specialist caseload in the locality and the surrounding area. The client group is children who have a range of difficulties in understanding and/or using speech and language. You will work independently with access to more senior colleagues as needed. You will provide supervision and guidance to colleagues.

Essential criteria

• Qualified SLT with HCPC registration
• Demonstrated experience managing a varied/complex caseload
• Strong clinical reasoning and autonomous decision-making
• Ability to provide guidance, supervision or training to others
• Excellent communication and partnership-working across the MDT
• Commitment to person-centred, evidence-based practice
• Confident, reflective and motivated to develop specialist skills

About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There is one reason why our services are outstanding, and that is our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.

Job responsibilities

• To independently manage a specialist caseload of pre-school and school age children who have speech, language and communication difficulties.
• To undertake a range of assessments, both standardised and non-standardised, taking account of medical, social and educational factors, which combined with specialist theoretical knowledge will lead to differential diagnosis
• To plan, deliver and evaluate specialist intervention following professional guidelines and agreed service standards
• As part of that process, to be able to plan appropriate long term and short term goals working towards discharge
• To undertake administrative duties connected with the caseload including maintenance of case notes and provision of written reports, following service standards
• To ensure that all work is carried out in close collaboration with all those involved in children's care so that the approach to intervention and support is co-ordinated and comprehensive
• To identify when there is a need for a second opinion, referring to senior colleagues or SLT specialists as appropriate
• To make onward referral as appropriate
• To identify any variations to service delivery or demands and inform the Locality Co-ordinator and Area and Clinical Lead of the likely impact on the service

Policy and Service Development
To participate in development of policy, clinical guidelines, clinical governance and service development through discussion and involvement in projects as appropriate, including innovative practice, in collaboration with senior colleagues. Responsibility for specific, clearly defined projects as delegated by the Locality Co-ordinator. To be familiar with local and national standards and to work in line with these. To ensure that parents/carers are aware of the standards they should expect from the speech and language therapy service.

Communication
To ensure effective communication of complex condition-related information to parents/carers regarding the assessment process, assessment findings and planned intervention, including engagement of parents/carers in intervention. To ensure children are involved in goal setting and decision making around their own care as appropriate to their age, developmental level and language skills. To ensure parents/carers are involved in decision making around their child's care including discharge from the service. To liaise effectively and work in partnership with other professionals (particularly teachers and teaching assistants), including the development of shared goals for intervention. To write reports on children, in line with service standards, including contributions to statutory assessment. To offer advice to others concerning support for individual children. To actively contribute to case conferences and review meetings for children on the caseload. To recognise how and when information may be shared within the bounds of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act. To attend SLT team meetings, actively contributing as appropriate. Contribute to EEC's internal communication strategies ensuring effective two-way communication and engagement within the organisation. Contribute to EEC's external communication strategies working with the Head of Communications to raise awareness and promote the reputation of EEC's services.

Patient and Public Engagement
To contribute to ensuring that EEC responsibilities to engage and consult with patients and the public are met in line with statutory requirements.

Training
To participate in training other professionals and parents as appropriate. To identify training needs in the multi-disciplinary team needed to support the care of children on the caseload. To attend all Trust mandatory training.

People Management
To access and accept clinical supervision from senior or specialist colleagues in line with service policy. To supervise and clinically support SLT assistants, teaching assistants and volunteers as appropriate. To mentor newly qualified SLTs providing support and contributing to induction with guidance from more senior colleagues. To provide clinical placements for SLT students including contributing to the assessment of exam placements. Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.

Research and Development Activity
To maintain and update skills and knowledge in relevant areas. To develop and monitor own clinical expertise in specialist area through planned CPD. To participate in service audit and projects as agreed with the Area and Clinical Lead. To actively reflect on practice with peers and more senior colleagues to promote professional development and evidence based decision making. To be advised on developments in current practice by more senior colleagues.

Clinical and Practice Governance
Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient, family, staff, records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Any data that is taken or shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies. The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes. The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures. It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with HCPC and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust. The post holder must participate in clinical and other audits as required. Provide patients and their families and carers with information on standards they should expect from the team. Participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis. The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training

• Essential: Degree or Postgraduate equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy; Registered Member of RCSLT; Registered Member of HCPC; Evidence of successful completion of short specialist courses
• Desirable: Evidence of commitment to CPD; Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network; ADOS-trained

Experience

• Essential: Recent and comprehensive experience working in community clinics, schools and pre-schools; Experience of working in a range of multi-agency settings and with interagency teams
• Desirable: Previous experience supervising less experienced colleagues

Knowledge and Skills

• Essential: Well established specialist knowledge about speech, language and communication disorders associated with complex conditions; In-depth knowledge of a broad range of assessment procedures relevant to the client group; In-depth knowledge of a broad range of therapeutic interventions appropriate to the client group and the ability to compare and contrast relative benefits; Knowledge of best practice and developing trends in clinical specialism; Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey sensitive or distressing information to parents/carers; Excellent interpersonal skills including observation; Ability to work flexibly as part of a team; Excellent time management and prioritisation skills
• Desirable: Worked in a mainstream school with children who have complex communication needs; Worked in a special school; Knowledge of Makaton or BSL signing

Safeguarding

• Essential: Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)
Address: The Oak Tree Centre, 1 Oak Drive, Huntingdon, PE29 7HN, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Area and Clinical Lead for SLT in Cambridge, Lynne Millard-King, lynne.millard-king@nhs.net

Reference number: 839-CCYP-8337468-A
Date posted: 11 November 2026
Closing date: 23 November 2026