Wye Valley NHS Trust

Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Lead School Age Autism

The closing date is 11 November 2025

Job summary

Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) looking for your next challenge? A rare opportunity has arisen within the SALT team at Wye Valley NHS Trust, and we are looking to recruit a part time (0.8), band 7 therapist to lead and co-ordinate the school age Autism service across the beautiful and rural county of Herefordshire.

This is a permanent role based in Hereford but will involve travel across the County.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, evidence driven leader with a passion for empowering others to drive forward our school age Autism strategy and pathway. The role will include being the lead SALT in the Multi-disciplinary team for assessment. In addition, the post holder will have an opportunity to be a pro-active leader in developing a dynamic and strategic way to develop the best possible services to children, young people and their families.

Line management experience would be beneficial but not essential as this post supports a small team of therapists. Applications are welcomed from individuals with established skills in these areas and from those with transferable skills who are enthusiastic about further development. Supervision, training and support will be available.

We look forward to welcoming you to our small committed team.

Informal discussions prior to application are welcome- via the SaLT admin base at Belmont 01432 363975 or email:

Lucy Sweeting (Clinical Manager and Head of Profession for CYP - SALT). lucy.sweeting@wvt.nhs.uk

Main duties of the job

  • Appraise and provide supervision for band 4/5& 6 therapists working within the autism outreach team
  • Complete return to work interviews and first line absence management for therapists working within the autism outreach team.
  • To identify staff development needs following appraisal.
  • To assist in the delivery of service objectives and contribute to implementing new ways of working where appropriate, contributing to appropriate policy/procedure and implementing such policies across the mainstream autism outreach team
  • 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.

Details

Date posted

28 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata, pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

229-IC-7528030

Job locations

Vaughan Building

Ruckhall Lane, Belmont

Hereford

HR2 9RP


Job description

Job responsibilities

For more information about the role and responsibilities please see the attached job description and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more information about the role and responsibilities please see the attached job description and person specification.

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.

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.
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.

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).

Additional information

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

Wye Valley NHS Trust

Address

Vaughan Building

Ruckhall Lane, Belmont

Hereford

HR2 9RP


Employer's website

https://www.wyevalley.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Wye Valley NHS Trust

Address

Vaughan Building

Ruckhall Lane, Belmont

Hereford

HR2 9RP


Employer's website

https://www.wyevalley.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Manager & Head of Profession for CYP-SALT

Lucy Sweeting

lucy.sweeting@wvt.nhs.uk

01432363975

Details

Date posted

28 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata, pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

229-IC-7528030

Job locations

Vaughan Building

Ruckhall Lane, Belmont

Hereford

HR2 9RP


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Wye Valley NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)