Job summary
Norfolk has published a three-year plan to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

As part of the Norfolk plan we are excited to be able to introduce an innovative Experts at Hand (EaH) model to our speech and language (SaLT) service, supporting children and young people across education and early years settings within Norfolk with a focus on strengthening universal and targeted provision and improving outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

This is an opportunity to be part of a creative and motivated team shaping this new innovative programme for Norfolk.

We are looking for enthusiastic SaLTs who have a strong interest in early identification and intervention and are invested in sharing their expertise across the system to ensure better outcomes for children and young people with SLCN.

The EaH role combines clinical expertise with workforce development, consultation, training, coaching, supervision and service improvement across the system.

Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 25th September 2026

Main duties of the job
The post holder will work with the wider SaLT workforce to embed new ways of working that increase capacity, improve inclusion and strengthen early intervention.

The post holder will additionally maintain a clinical caseload, providing assessment and intervention for children and young people with SLCN where required within the core service.

The post holder will be key in implementing the aims of the Experts at Hand model within Norfolk. Working collaboratively with the Strategic Lead, Speech and Language Therapy Locality Leads and wider multidisciplinary partners, the post holder will support the development of an integrated universal, targeted and specialist speech, language and communication offer across education and community settings.

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's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's 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.

Please be aware that 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.

If you receive a suspicious job offer or recruitment-related communication, do not make any payments, share personal information, or provide identity documents. We encourage you to report the matter to your local police or relevant law enforcement agency. Any concerns relating to potential recruitment fraud should also be reported to our Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS) as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

• To provide consultation, training and intervention, focusing on early years settings to support universal and targeted provision and improving outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs across a number of schools and community zones.
• 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 transfer of care
• 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 childrens 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 coordinator and Locality Lead of the likely impact on the service
• To provide student placements and be a lead educator (once appropriate training undertaken) where required
• Directs and provides clinical supervision to Speech and Language Therapy Assistant Practitioners and Assistants in relation to specific cases
• To be a point of contact for a number of named settings within the locality/schools and community zones and liaising with them to provide advice and support
• Maintains a special interest within a locality for one or more clinical pathways providing clinical assessment, advice, management, interventions and support to designated staff based in localities in consultation with pathway lead.
• To undertake work in a range of ways according to individual case and service model, including face to face, virtual, clinical single point of access and signposting to universal resources accordingly.

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

Experience
Essential

• Experience of developing and delivering training
• 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
• Experience of advising/providing further opinions

Skills
Essential

• Well established knowledge about developmental speech and language disorders
• 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
• Understanding of the impact of local cultural, linguistic and demographic factors that influence service delivery in own area of clinical specialism
• Highly developed auditory perceptual skills and the ability to transcribe speech phonetically
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey sensitive or distressing information to parents/carers

Desirable

• Working in a mainstream school with children who have complex communication needs
• Previous experience of working with children with complex speech disorders
• Ability to use various Microsoft programmes to collect data, prepare reports and presentations e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.
• Knowledge of Makaton or BSL signing

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.

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).