Senior Speech and Language Therapist
The closing date is 17 December 2025
This is an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to work collaboratively with the Early Childhood Development Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT.). We are looking for a Band 6 Senior Speech and Language therapist to join our pathway. This Pathway helps babies and children aged under 5 in Devon (excluding Plymouth) with severe delay or differences in multiple areas of their development.
Early Childhood Development Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
* Clinical Psychologists
* Occupational Therapists
* Physiotherapists
* Speech and Language Therapists
* Early Years Practitioners
The Team provide multi disciplinary assessment and intervention support in line with the Thrive model for pre school age children (pre starting Reception) presenting with significant developmental delay in at least two or more areas. This must include cognition, play and communication.
You would be responsible for providing specialist speech and language therapy assessments and therapeutic interventions to children and their families who have been referred and accepted for getting help, getting more help and getting risk support as identified in the I-Thrive model. You will also work with more junior clinicians providing supervision and clinical supervision, and to assist with the co‑ordination of the clinic caseload.
Main Duties of the Job
To manage a caseload of children and young people with complex Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), which may include speech, language, communication difficulties, using evidence‑based practice to assess, plan, formulate, implement and evaluate interventions in a variety of settings (individually and/or in groups and as part of a multidisciplinary team).
Working within a CFHD pathway of care, provide clinical support and supervision across the designated pathways of care (these can include but are not limited to; Speech, Language and Communication Pathway, Managing Neurodiversity Pathway, Community Nursing, Physical and Sensory pathway, and Vulnerable Pathway).
To work with the Clinical Team Manager to co‑ordinate the clinic and oversee the day to day caseload management.
Participate in the provision of student placements.
To co‑ordinate the team audit and monitoring of outcomes for interventions and report to locality lead.
Using a strengths‑based approach; ensure clinical effectiveness through the use of evidence‑based interventions, goal‑based, collaborative practice and routine outcome measures.
To promote and support participation of service users across the service.
Participate in clinical audits and clinical research as appropriate.
To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of a specialist therapist working in the field of children, and maintain up to date HCPC and RCSLT registration.
About Us
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an Alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon, including:
* Torbay and South Devon FT
* Royal Devon and Exeter FT
* Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
* Livewell South West
CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people which are provided by TSDFT and DPT. We are working closely with other organisations and providers to ensure we deliver locality and county‑wide based integrated access to all of our services, based on the i‑Thrive Framework, in response to consultation with our service users and communities.
Our integrated care and treatment has been developed and refined in partnership with children, young people and their families/carers.
"We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non‑patronising and non‑judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure".
Our vision is to be a successful, vibrant partnership that benefits the communities we serve.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
* Full Registration with Health Professions Council
* Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
* Membership of relevant Special Interest Groups
* Evidence of successful completion of specialist post graduate short courses relating to paediatric communication disorders including Learning Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Knowledge and Experience
* Highly developed specialist knowledge (acquired through attending specialist short courses) to enable post holder to work autonomously
* Highly developed specialist knowledge of independent management of complex and highly specialised caseload and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
* In depth knowledge of children with special needs and associated conditions underpinned by current evidence‑based practice
* Well established knowledge of a broad range of assessment and therapeutic tools relevant to working with children and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
* Ability to make a differential diagnosis, choose appropriate treatments from a range of options and provide specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes by use of evidence‑based practice
* Ability to use specialist experience to inform sound clinical judgements/ decision making for case management
* Relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
* Proven relevant experience post qualification in managing a complex varied caseload and in working autonomously in the community
* Competence in delivering language development training to both professional and untrained staff in the community
* Experience supervising speech and language therapy programme implementation by early years and mainstream school staff
* Experience in team leading and organising a local service/clinic
* Experience of supervising less experienced Speech and Language Therapists
* Experience working within multi‑disciplinary teams.
* Experience working in early years, school age and specialist settings.
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.
Contact
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Salary
£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working Pattern
Part‑time
Reference Number
388‑7634963‑CFHD
Job Locations
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