Job summary
As part of Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust's (HCT) commitment to the Experts at Hand model, we are delighted to be able to expand our Children's Speech and Language Therapy Early Years service and offer an exciting opportunity to join our service as a Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist for Early Years.

Are you committed to achieving the very best outcomes for children and families?

Would you welcome the opportunity to shape and develop clinical services for the Early Years population?

Are you passionate about delivering expert support through collaborative models of care, ensuring specialist knowledge is available when and where it is needed?

If so, this opportunity could be just right for you at HCT.

We are recruiting Band 7 SLTs to join our large and forward-thinking team of therapists and assistants. Postholders will play a key role in sharing specialist knowledge and building capability across the wider workforce in Hertfordshire. Working collaboratively with colleagues, families and partner agencies, you will support a consultation-led approach that enables children to access the right expertise at the right time, while empowering those around them to develop the confidence and skills needed to meet communication needs effectively.

Our Band 7 Early Years SLTs will be based across Hertfordshire, with potential bases at present being West Hertfordshire and East/North Hertfordshire, e.g. Stevenage and Hatfield.

Main duties of the job
The Experts at Hand model is a key part of the local SEND Reform Plan, which focuses on providing earlier specialist advice, consultation and intervention through an integrated multidisciplinary model. Our Band 7 SLT roles will help to enable the service to continue to shape the support offered to children under 5 years who are at risk of/present with SLCN.

As an Early Years specialist, you will:

• work collaboratively with Early Years settings, strengthening relationships with education professionals (within Hertfordshire DSPL areas)
• work in partnership with our SLT Education Leads, Clinical Leads and Clinical Quality leads, to help develop and shape early years interventions
• develop networks with our colleagues in Family Centres, and continue to support delivery of our universal and targeted offer
• seek regular feedback from Early Years settings and be responsive/make changes to service provision that will benefit the wider Hertfordshire system
• work with therapy teams and settings to provide training and specialist advice and support
• support the senior management team at a strategic level

We offer:

• a 2 week induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow your team
• access to a named buddy
• regular clinical and managerial supervision
• a well-established Appraisal system
• CPD opportunities such as bitesize tutorials; CENs; etc.
• a hybrid model of face:face and remote working

About us
We're delighted that you're exploring a career with HCT. As an organisation, we're committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and rewarding work environment -- one where you'll feel valued and empowered to make a real difference.

At HCT, we put patients, their families, and carers at the heart of everything we do. Our vision is simple yet powerful: Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities.

Working with us comes with a host of benefits designed to support your wellbeing and work-life balance:

• Generous annual leave(27 days rising to 33 with long service)
• Flexible working arrangements, including up to 5 days of carers leave (pro rata)
• Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 confidential support
• Cycle to Work and Car Lease Schemes
• Blue Light Card and NHS Discounts
• Health and wellbeing support, including free flu jabs, Physiotherapy referrals, etc.
• Occupational Pension Scheme
• Enhanced sick pay above statutory entitlements

We celebrate diversity and actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds, ages, and communities to apply.

We're excited about the possibility of welcoming you to our team and taking the next step in your journey with us.

If there's high interest in this role, we may close applications earlier than the advertised deadline -- so please apply as soon as possible!

Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud.

Details
Date posted: 18 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
Reference number: 812-26-KWCYP30
Job locations: Howard Court, 14 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1BW, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.

The Experts at Hand offer is designed to:

• strengthen the ability of mainstream settings to identify and meet needs earlier
• support children and young people without having to rely on intensive individual referrals
• be delivered in and alongside mainstream settings, bringing health and education expertise closer to where children and young people are
• support settings to deliver highquality inclusive practice consistently
• focus primarily on group, class or wholesetting approaches

Please click on the link below for further information:

Experts at Hand: what those leading and working in mainstream settings need to know - GOV.UK

The Experts at Hand model will help our Childrens SLT Service to continue to build on our strengths and the excellent support services we already have in place. We have a very successful model of SLT Education leads across each of our 9 DSPL areas in Hertfordshire, who provide systemic support to schools. We currently have Early Years Band 7 SLTs in post currently who are offering fantastic support to our wider childrens workforce but we want to build on our model and create more roles for Early Years so that we can continue to focus on creating the best outcomes for children.

If you are passionate about offering universal, targeted and specialist support to children/families and are committed delivering on the Experts at Hand model, then please do apply. We welcome informal conversations and informal visits, so please do get in touch. You can contact Anneka Wilson, Clinical Quality Leads for SLT, by using this email address: hct.sltcql@nhs.net

HCT provides integrated Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county of Hertfordshire. Our CYPT integrated service provides opportunities for joint working and training, and shared learning amongst each profession.

Our CYP Therapies service is jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings. We have excellent joint working relationships with our partners in education and a wide range of stakeholders, and we work in partnership with them to deliver interventions at Universal, Targeted and Specialist levels across Hertfordshire.

We pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff. As a Highly Specialist SLT you will have the opportunity to facilitate professional supervision groups and provide managerial supervision to less experienced colleagues.

A staff member who has recently joined the CYP Therapies service has said the following:

I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet childrens needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.

Applications for full time and part time work will be considered. A full valid driving license and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,346 and a maximum payment of £2,270 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location).

Interview date is set for 5th October 2026.

Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all its staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent (Post Graduate Diploma or MSc in Speech & Language Therapy)
• Evidence of post qualifying training and/or equivalent experience to maintain and develop highly specialist knowledge in area of specialism
• Registered to practice with Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)
• Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Membership of relevant CEN

Experience and Knowledge
Essential

• Demonstrate substantial clinical experience and describe experience of assessment; differential diagnosis and evidence-based intervention
• Describe examples of effective co-production (including service users and/or their representatives) analysing their views and needs and jointly agreeing positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEN Code of Practice 0-25 (2014) and local SEND Reform Plan
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of children's services at both a local and national level
• Show evidence of devising and delivering training, as well as targeted interventions
• Describe experience of effective multi-agency working across health, education and local authority services

Skills and abilities
Essential

• Describe ability to use advanced oral and written communication to a high standard and strong negotiation skills, to manage conflict and challenging situations
• Provide evidence of adapting to the learning style of others and demonstrate flexibility in own leadership style
• Demonstrates own continuous learning and improvement through reflection
• Able to switch between different techniques and models of service delivery within a short space of time
• Shows emotional intelligence and personal resilience when managing challenging situations
• Evidence of leading on service improvement projects and managing own priorities autonomously

Other
Essential

• Hold a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

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: Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Address: Howard Court, 14 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1BW, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.hct.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Clinical Quality Lead SLT
Anneka Wilson
anneka.wilson@nhs.net
07436052453

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.