Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Autism

The closing date is 07 April 2026

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly and innovative service. We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled team player to provide Highly Specialist assessment and intervention to early years and school-aged children and young people with Autism and other speech, language and communication differences.

They will lead on developments in Autism across the service including policies and procedures relating to clinical care, evidence-based practice, care pathway and outcome development within Early Years and School Age teams.

The Bexley Children's Speech and Language Therapy service is a dynamic and supportive team and we offer many opportunities for developing clinical skills through CPD. The service has excellent internal supervision and support structures and would provide the ideal environment to develop clinical skills and contribute towards operational projects to support service development. We also offer extensive opportunities to work effectively with partners in health, social care and education.

If you would like more information about the position, please do contact us to discuss this job opportunity further, by calling 020 30040092, to speak to Laura Hurley, Coordinator for Early Years SLT. (laura.hurley1@nhs.net)

Main duties of the job

  • To demonstrate highly specialist knowledge in clinical specialism - Autism, underpinned by current evidence-based practice.
  • To manage complex and highly specialist caseload independently and plan the workload of others where required.
  • To make highly specialist clinical decisions in assessment of complex cases.
  • To work as part of the MDT (London Borough of Bexley SEND Team) eg. regular attendance at SEND EHCP Panel, SEND Tribunal meetings.
  • To coordinate service delivery with education and/or social care colleagues within integrated teams.
  • To demonstrate excellent organisational skills.
  • To provide a high-quality specialist speech and language therapy service to children and young people in early-years settings, schools and alternative settings.
  • To advise the wider SLT and related teams on all aspects of communication pertaining to Autism. To provide advice to non-specialists and other specialists/professionals within the clinical field.
  • To manage a specialist caseload independently and improve the quality of transitions for children and young people across settings
  • To lead on service development projects and initiatives.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as theBractonCentre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind

  • We're Fair

  • We Listen

  • We Care

Details

Date posted

24 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£53,751 to £60,651 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

277-7891049-CYP

Job locations

Erith & District Hospital

Park Crescent

London

DA8 3EE


Job description

Job responsibilities

The Bexley Childrens Speech and Language Therapy service is a dynamic and supportive team and we offer many opportunities for developing clinical skills through CPD. The service has excellent internal supervision and support structures and would provide the ideal environment to develop clinical skills and contribute towards operational projects to support service development. We also offer extensive opportunities to work effectively with partners in health, social care and education.

See Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Bexley Childrens Speech and Language Therapy service is a dynamic and supportive team and we offer many opportunities for developing clinical skills through CPD. The service has excellent internal supervision and support structures and would provide the ideal environment to develop clinical skills and contribute towards operational projects to support service development. We also offer extensive opportunities to work effectively with partners in health, social care and education.

See Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent
  • Registered member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapy.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working as a specialist speech & language therapist in relevant clinical specialism in last 18 months
  • Experience in Assessment of children with social communication differences and Autism across the years
  • Experience in intervention for children with social communication differences and Autism across the years
  • Experience leading on a project

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

  • In depth knowledge of current evidence base relating to Autism - assessment and intervention
  • Project management, change management and leadership skills
  • Knowledge and skills around Supervision
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent
  • Registered member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapy.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working as a specialist speech & language therapist in relevant clinical specialism in last 18 months
  • Experience in Assessment of children with social communication differences and Autism across the years
  • Experience in intervention for children with social communication differences and Autism across the years
  • Experience leading on a project

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

  • In depth knowledge of current evidence base relating to Autism - assessment and intervention
  • Project management, change management and leadership skills
  • Knowledge and skills around Supervision

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).

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.

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

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Erith & District Hospital

Park Crescent

London

DA8 3EE


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Erith & District Hospital

Park Crescent

London

DA8 3EE


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Coordinator of EY Speech and Language Therapy

Laura Hurley

laura.hurley1@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

24 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£53,751 to £60,651 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

277-7891049-CYP

Job locations

Erith & District Hospital

Park Crescent

London

DA8 3EE


Supporting documents

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