Job summary
We are excited to be developing the Experts at Hand (EaH) model across Bedfordshire and Luton, building on two years of work through the Change Programme with our local authority partners to test and refine new approaches within community Speech and Language Therapy. As part of this development, we are recruiting to a number of Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist posts across the area.

Postholders will work flexibly within locality and neighbourhood teams, contributing to an integrated universal, targeted and specialist offer across community, early years and education settings.

The role will include managing a defined caseload of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, with regular supervision and access to senior clinical advice. Postholders will undertake assessment, formulation, intervention, consultation and collaborative planning with children, families, education staff and partner professionals.

Working with locality leads, SLTs, Support Practitioners and multidisciplinary partners, postholders will help strengthen early identification and support, build workforce capability and provide timely access to targeted and specialist Speech and Language Therapy.

Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 30-09-2026

Main duties of the job
Manage and prioritise a defined caseload of children and young people across community, early years and education settings, with regular supervision and access to senior support.

Undertake standardised and non-standardised assessment, integrate information from children, families and professionals, and identify speech, language and communication needs and their functional impact.

Make clinical decisions and differential diagnoses within the scope of Band 5 competence, seeking a second opinion or specialist advice when indicated.

Agree person-centred goals and develop, implement, monitor and evaluate evidence-based intervention plans, including appropriate discharge or onward referral.

Use outcome measures and the views of children and families to evaluate intervention and support shared decision making.

Maintain clear, contemporaneous clinical records and produce reports, care plans and contributions to statutory processes in line with service standards.

Recognise and escalate clinical, safeguarding, capacity or service-delivery risks through agreed pathways.

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.

Details
Date posted: 23 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year
per annum, pro-rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 2 years
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: 448-BCHS-8311210
Job locations: Woburn Court, 2 Railton Road, Bedford, MK427PN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Integrated Core Service and Experts at Hand Delivery

• Contribute to an integrated universal, targeted and specialist Speech and Language Therapy offer, working across core and Experts at Hand priorities according to locality need.
• Deliver targeted individual and group interventions and contribute to whole-setting approaches that support communication, participation and inclusion.
• Provide advice, consultation, modelling and coaching to parents, carers, education staff, early years practitioners and wider partners, with support from senior colleagues as required.
• Contribute to communication-environment audits and support settings to implement agreed recommendations.
• Support the graduated response by helping settings identify need, implement appropriate strategies and understand when specialist Speech and Language Therapy advice or assessment is required.
• Participate in locality multidisciplinary meetings, Team Around the School arrangements and collaborative problem-solving discussions where appropriate.
• Contribute to co-production with children, young people, families, settings and communities, including groups who experience inequalities in access or outcomes.

Communication and Partnership Working

• Communicate clinical information clearly, sensitively and accessibly to children, families and professionals, including information that may be complex or distressing.
• Work collaboratively across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector to agree coordinated plans and shared outcomes.
• Develop positive working relationships characterised by openness, respect and constructive challenge.
• Adapt communication for cultural, linguistic, developmental and accessibility needs, using interpreting and accessible-information arrangements appropriately.
• Attend and contribute to reviews, case discussions, team meetings and other professional meetings relevant to the caseload and locality offer.
• Respond sensitively to concerns and initial complaints, seeking senior support and escalating where necessary.

Training, Supervision and Workforce Development

• Contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of training for parents, carers, education staff, early years practitioners and partner professionals.
• Provide task-specific guidance, clinical support and supervision to Band 4 Support Practitioners, apprentices, assistants and volunteers where delegated and within own competence.
• Contribute to the learning of Speech and Language Therapy students, including observation opportunities and supported placement activity as agreed and subject to competency sign off.
• Participate actively in induction, preceptorship where applicable, appraisal, clinical supervision and continuing professional development.
• Maintain HCPC registration, professional competence and an up-to-date development portfolio in accordance with HCPC and RCSLT standards.

Service Development, Data and Digital Practice

• Contribute to implementation and evaluation of the Experts at Hand model and wider core-service developments.
• Accurately record clinical activity, outcomes and impact using agreed digital and clinical systems.
• Participate in audit, quality improvement, service evaluation and agreed projects.
• Contribute feedback to the development of pathways, clinical guidance, standard operating procedures and patient-facing resources.
• Use digital technology safely, effectively and accessibly, adhering to information-governance, clinical-safety and Trust requirements.
• Identify variation in demand, access or service delivery and inform the relevant locality lead of the likely impact.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Recognised S< Degree or equivalent HCPC registration RCSLT membership Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Relevant post-registration paediatric course or training.

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of developmental speech, language and communication needs and their functional impact.
• Knowledge of a range of assessment approaches and evidence-based interventions appropriate to children and young people.
• Understanding of universal, targeted and specialist approaches to meeting speech, language and communication needs.
• Awareness of the SEND Code of Practice, graduated response, ordinarily available provision and reasonable adjustments.
• Understanding of safeguarding, confidentiality, information governance and professional accountability.
• Awareness of health inequalities and the cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic factors that influence access and engagement.

Desirable

• Knowledge of consultation, coaching, training and communication-supportive environments.
• Knowledge of outcome measurement, quality improvement and co-production

Experience
Essential

• Relevant experience with children and young people gained through pre-registration placements and/or post-registration practice.
• Experience of assessing and supporting children with speech, language and communication needs.
• Experience of working collaboratively with parents, carers and professionals.
• Experience of multidisciplinary or multi-agency working.

Desirable

• Experience in early years, mainstream or special education settings.
• Experience of delivering groups, training, consultation or coaching.

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 (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).

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: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)
Address: Woburn Court, 2 Railton Road, Bedford, MK427PN, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Deputy Head of Service, Lisa Delafield, lisa.delafield@nhs.net, 07908185013

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)'s privacy notice (opens in a new tab)