Job summary
**Internal Applicants Only** We are seeking an experienced and innovative Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. The role will support the Experts at Hand (EAH) programme, establishing the delivery of the National SEND reform agenda. This role will also include supporting the oversight of relevant teams such as the Early Years and/or Secondary aged teams in order to implement this agenda.

EAH is a transformative initiative designed to ensure that specialist SEND expertise is accessible when and where it is needed. The programme supports schools, settings, and local systems to deliver high-quality, evidence-based support through early intervention, collaboration & workforce development.

An exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of system-wide change, improving outcomes for children & young people with SLCN. We are looking for an enthusiastic, evidence driven leader with a passion for empowering others. You will play a key role in shaping inclusive practice, building workforce capability & competence and ensuring timely access to specialist expertise.

Line management experience would be beneficial but is not essential. Applications are welcomed from individuals with established skills or transferable skills but who are enthusiastic about further development. Supervision, training and support will be available.

Informal discussions welcome- SALT admin base 01432 363975 or email:
Lucy Sweeting (Head of Profession for CYP - SALT). lucy.sweeting@wvt.nhs.uk

Main duties of the job

• Embedded Clinical Delivery: Manage a specialist community caseload, providing clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people.
• Universal & Targeted Support: Deliver a blend of universal, targeted, and specialist support, shifting smoothly between direct student intervention and whole-class strategies.
• Collaborative Upskilling: Act as the "expert at hand" to upskill, advise, and coach teaching staff, parents, and support workers to integrate communication goals into the student's daily routine.
• Transdisciplinary Working: Coordinate care closely within a multi-professional team, aligning SLT targets with Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Service Development: Support Band 7 Team Leads in audit, service evaluation, and resource creation to optimize the "Experts at Hand" delivery framework.
• Line Management: Appraise and provide supervision for band 4/5& 6, complete return to work interviews and first line absence management for therapists working within the SALT team. To identify staff development needs following appraisal. To supervise undergraduate students

About us
Wye Valley NHS Trust is a member of an NHS Foundation Group with South Warwickshire NHS FT , the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Located on the border with Wales in the shadow of the Black Mountains, we provide acute and community services across Herefordshire and into parts of Powys and run Hereford County Hospital and the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

We are a progressive and forward looking trust with ambitious plans to improve quality and integrate patient pathways through close collaborative working with our partners to deliver the quality of care we'd want for our family and friends.

More than 3,500 people work for the Trust - they tell us it's a great place to work, blending the busyness of a DGH with the benefits of working in a beautiful rural and unspoilt county like Herefordshire.

We can offer a great work-life balance and have a fine tradition of working with staff to help them achieve their full potential.

Russell Hardy, Trust Chairman: "The strength of the Trust is its amazing staff; a great place to work, a great place to develop your career and a great place to reach your potential."

Our values -Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of all we do. We believe in providing the right care in the right place at the right time...all the time.

Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Membership to RCSLT
• Registered member of HCPC
• Masters level qualification or evidence of Post Graduate completion of specialist courses in Pre-school Autism

Desirable

• Leadership training eg. Edward Jenner/ Mary Seacole training

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
Essential

• Excellent oral and written communication with an ability to adapt communication to a wide range of clients and situations
• Ability to communicate complex and delicate information in a timely and sensitive way where there are frequent barriers to understanding and/or acceptance.
• Ability to relate emerging best practice to departmental policy development
• Ability to lead and train students, professionals and others.
• Ability to develop and implement training packages to parents/carers and other professionals.

Desirable

• An awareness and understanding of the vision within the Experts at Hand SEND Reform White Paper

Experience
Essential

• Proven leadership/management experience.
• Experience of managing own large and complex caseload independently, being accountable for own professional actions.
• Proven experience in working within the specialist area of Pre-school Autism.
• Experience of assessment and intervention with CYP with complex communication needs.

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).

Please note: This job description is based on the original posting and includes all relevant sections.