Job summaryThe post holder will provide a highly specialist speech and language therapy service for children and young people with severe and complex learning difficulties in Perseid special schools, in accordance with the Service Level Agreement for Sutton Health and Care Alliance.
They will contribute to the development of the special schools speech and language therapy service for children and young people. They will plan and provide highly specialist speech and language therapy assessment, advice and treatment to a defined caseload of children and young people with severe and complex needs. They will work in partnership with the children and young people, their families and with other professions and agencies, including school staff and the wider health team, to reduce the impact of these difficulties on the children's and young people's social and emotional development, their learning and their ability to participate in daily life.
They will work autonomously and without direct supervision and be accountable for their own actions.
Main duties of the jobGeneral Duties- Be responsible for a clinical caseload of children and young people attending Perseid special schools as identified by the service specification, managing a defined caseload independently and prioritising own workload to ensure effective service provision
- Manage the needs of children and young people presenting with eating and drinking difficulties, including assessment, diagnosis and treatment as appropriate
- Provide support and training to families and school staff to enable eating and drinking programmes to be implemented as part of clients' therapy packages
- To assess, diagnose, treat and manage a defined caseload of Early years children with complex communication needs within the school including the use of AAC devices where identified
- Provide training to enable speech and language communication programmes to be implemented as part of the client's therapy package
- Be involved in planning the development of the speech and language service in liaison with the school management team, Therapy lead, and Service Manager for Children's Specialist Nursing and Therapies
- Act as a resource to the SHC Alliance speech and language service and other agencies.
About usSt George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey.Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce. At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.DetailsDate posted: 13 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £45,953 to £54,254 a year Term time
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time, Term time hours
Reference number: 343-7845843-AG-D
Job locations: Perseid School, middleton road, Morden, SM4 6RU
Job descriptionPlease see the attached supporting job description and person specification document which contains more information about the role and requirements. Please ensure your application refers to the job description and person specification.
The recruiting team reserve the right to close this advertisement early once applications reach maximum limit.
Person SpecificationEducation/QualificationEssential- Degree/Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
- Postgraduate dysphagia training at foundation level and working towards Proficient level
Desirable- Relevant post-registration specialist education
- Evidence of attendance at short courses to develop specialist skills
- Evidence of additional training in use of high tech AAC
- Registration with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
ExperienceEssential- specialist knowledge/experience in paediatric SLT including dysphagia, communication for under 5 and high tech AAC
- Experience of working with children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties, complex needs and those requiring an AAC approach
- Knowledge/experience in the use of evidence based assessment and treatment approaches and practices Evidence of effective multi-agency work
- Evidence of use of prioritisation, clinical risk assessments and outcome measures
Desirable- Experience in setting up new projects/initiatives
Skills/Abilities/KnowledgeEssential- Good knowledge of AAC devices appropriate for this population
- Specialist knowledge and understanding of dysphagia to enable appropriate clinical decision making and management of risk
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills including observation, listening and empathy
- Good organisation/time management skills
Other Relevant RequirementsEssential- Ability to work autonomously
- Ability to work as a team member and promote collaborative multidisciplinary and multiagency approach
- Evidence of own self development through appraisal, CPD and portfolio
- Ability to support and develop other team members
Desirable- Membership of relevant specialist groups
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
