Advanced Speech and Language Therapist Over 5’s Pathway
The closing date is 24 August 2026

Job summary
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service are looking for a band 7 Advanced Speech and Language Therapist Specialism in Autism/Neighbourhood Lead to join our large and diverse team on the school-aged pathway.

You will take a clinical lead in the delivery and co-ordination of speech and language therapy provision to a neighbourhood of schools as part of our friendly and supportive leadership team. You will have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by supporting the Manager for Mainstream Schools and Resource Bases in the operational management of school-aged pathways. You will hold a specialist Autism caseload alongside protected leadership time, including 0.4 in a Specialist School for children with Autism ages 4-19 years.

Main duties of the job
You will benefit from:

• Inner London HCA (High-Cost Living Allowance)
• A shared base with the wider team at Kaleidoscope Centre Catford.
• Great transport links and easy access to central London.
• Weekly protected admin time.
• A range of digital resources including I-pads for assessment and an allocated, networked laptop for offsite working.
• Access to regular team training and CPD events.
• Great peer support from a friendly and diverse team.
• Access to a range of therapists with clinical specialisms, able to offer CPD opportunities and second opinions
• Opportunities to work with colleagues across clinical pathways on service delivery, audit and quality improvement projects.
• Involvement in developing and delivering training to education staff. The team is registered as a college with the Open College Network (OCN) allowing our learners to gain high quality, recognised qualifications.

About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Details
Closing date: 24 August 2026
Date posted: 31 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year (per annum plus HCAS)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 197-RF8543
Job locations: Kaleidoscope, 32 Rushey Green, Catford, SE6 4JF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Job Summary:

• Accountable to Therapies Manager.
• To provide clinical leadership and highly specialist speech and language therapy assessment and participation for the schools pathway providing differential diagnosis, assessment and review of children and young people referred to Schools Pathway.
• To identify, develop, implement and evaluate highly specialist training (formal/informal) in speech, language and communication disorders in school age children and young people for parent/carers, speech and language therapists, paediatricians, teaching staff and a range of professionals, within and external to the Trust taking account of different levels of knowledge and skills of the audience.
• To act as an expert witness/advisor providing expert clinical opinion to Lewisham Education SEN Service, attending Special Educational Needs Tribunals, Disagreement Resolution Meetings and other relevant meetings as required ensuring that the childs speech and language therapy needs and the level of resources required to meet these are clarified.
• To ensure that the service provided is integrated (within the relevant multi/uni disciplinary care pathways), evidence based and delivered in accordance with care pathways/protocols and responsive to the needs of the local population.
• To independently assess, diagnose, manage and evaluate outcomes for children and young people presenting with a range of speech, language, communication difficulties some of which may be highly complex, and provide second opinions as required.
• The post holder will hold a specialism within the profile of the clinical caseload.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health Professions Council - Licence to Practice
• Registration as a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Successful completion of highly specialist post graduate study relevant to the field at Master's degree level or equivalent specialist advanced short courses
• Competence/willingness to undertake relevant advanced training/post qualification training

Desirable

• Membership of relevant professional forums

Experience
Essential

• Significant post-qualification experience working with school age children with a wide range of speech, language and communication needs
• Significant experience of working within mainstream and specialist educational settings
• Significant experience of working with schools, families and engaging them in interventions
• Experience of clinically supervising staff
• Experience of advising/providing second opinions for children with complex speech/language or communication difficulties
• Experience of service development
• Experience of developing training materials and delivering training to others
• Experience of change management
• Experience of using technology to support therapeutic interventions
• Significant post-qualification experience working with school age children with a diagnosis of ASD.

Desirable

• Experience of methods of involving users in service development
• Experience of taking part in appraising and setting objectives for less experienced staff
• Experience of writing protocols and/or policies
• Experience of developing training packages for others
• Knowledge and experience in using SCERTS

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.

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: Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Address: Kaleidoscope, 32 Rushey Green, Catford, SE6 4JF, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Principal Speech & Language Therapy Manager
Alice Gallimore
alice.gallimore@nhs.net
07775222737