Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 15 March 2026

Job summary

Pre-school and School-age

As a result of an internal secondment, we are looking for a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join our established team working within mainstream schools in Central Beds and also within our pre-school complex needs team across Central Bedfordshire and Luton.

This is a fixed term post until the end of December 2027.

We need:

Confident, motivated and enthusiastic therapists.

Experience of working with children with a wide range of SLCN.

Someone looking to develop their clinical knowledge and skills.

You will:

Manage a caseload providing targeted, evidence-based assessment and therapy.

Work closely with colleagues in Health and education.

Participate in training to parents and other professionals around SLC needs.

Support junior staff within the service.

As a Service we provide:

A welcoming and supportive team.

Formal and informal training, including shadowing opportunities.

Regular robust clinical supervision and a mentoring system

Regular whole team in house CPD days as well as in service and external courses.

Collaborative working with system partners including 0-19 team, Community Paediatrics and education settings.

Reflective clinical forums and buddying systems.

Regular locality meetings.

Career development opportunities including clinical and professional development.

Please contact us if you are seeking permanent roles as we may have opportunities available

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist clinical input to children attending mainstream schools and pre-school children with complex needs.

Working as part of these teams, you will provide speech and language therapy support to children with a wide range of SLC needs including statutory provision.

You will provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support children's language and communication needs.

About us

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Details

Date posted

25 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum, pro-rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Compressed hours, Term time hours

Reference number

448-BCHS-7811600

Job locations

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Flitwick

MK45 1DZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

To independently identify, assess and diagnose speech, language and communication impairments and select appropriate patients and type of therapy for effective treatment.

To make a differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment, and design appropriate treatment based on analysis of profile of need seeking advice as appropriate.

Be responsible for delivering specialist speech and language therapy input to school age children and pre-school children, covering a range of disorders of communication.

To provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support childrens language and communication needs.

Make independent decisions about caseload management, including discharge.

To plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical.

To use clinical skills to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues.

Gain extensive clinical experience and expertise to improve and further develop specialist skills through training, support and study.

To have appropriate knowledge or an awareness of low tech AAC, for example picture exchange.

To have knowledge of and contribute to the EHCP process within the given timescales, including preparing reports with outcomes and targets for the initial report and for annual reviews as required.

To provide second opinions and shadowing opportunities for less experienced colleagues.

To seek out second opinions from more experience colleagues as required.

To make referrals onto specialist services as required, including Health, Education and / or Social Services.

To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with and without support and reflect on and evaluate training provided.

To contribute to the support of newly and recently graduated SLT Staff.

To support and take part in the induction and training of new staff to the service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To independently identify, assess and diagnose speech, language and communication impairments and select appropriate patients and type of therapy for effective treatment.

To make a differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment, and design appropriate treatment based on analysis of profile of need seeking advice as appropriate.

Be responsible for delivering specialist speech and language therapy input to school age children and pre-school children, covering a range of disorders of communication.

To provide training to enable parents and other professionals to support childrens language and communication needs.

Make independent decisions about caseload management, including discharge.

To plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical.

To use clinical skills to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues.

Gain extensive clinical experience and expertise to improve and further develop specialist skills through training, support and study.

To have appropriate knowledge or an awareness of low tech AAC, for example picture exchange.

To have knowledge of and contribute to the EHCP process within the given timescales, including preparing reports with outcomes and targets for the initial report and for annual reviews as required.

To provide second opinions and shadowing opportunities for less experienced colleagues.

To seek out second opinions from more experience colleagues as required.

To make referrals onto specialist services as required, including Health, Education and / or Social Services.

To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with and without support and reflect on and evaluate training provided.

To contribute to the support of newly and recently graduated SLT Staff.

To support and take part in the induction and training of new staff to the service.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • Qualified speech and language therapist
  • HCPC registered
  • Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
  • Attendance at relevant courses, e.g. language and / or speech disorders.

Desirable

  • Member of relevant CEN

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrates a well-established knowledge of a range of clinical disorders, assessments and appropriate therapeutic interventions in specialist field; including management of children with social communication difficulties.
  • Relevant experience as qualified SLT in the specialist field.
  • Evidence of high level of specialist knowledge/skills as a result of experience/CPD

Desirable

  • Experience of supporting new members of staff

Skills

Essential

  • Good auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically.
  • Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit
  • Demonstrates a positive approach to problem solving
Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • Qualified speech and language therapist
  • HCPC registered
  • Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
  • Attendance at relevant courses, e.g. language and / or speech disorders.

Desirable

  • Member of relevant CEN

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrates a well-established knowledge of a range of clinical disorders, assessments and appropriate therapeutic interventions in specialist field; including management of children with social communication difficulties.
  • Relevant experience as qualified SLT in the specialist field.
  • Evidence of high level of specialist knowledge/skills as a result of experience/CPD

Desirable

  • Experience of supporting new members of staff

Skills

Essential

  • Good auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically.
  • Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit
  • Demonstrates a positive approach to problem solving

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

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Address

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Flitwick

MK45 1DZ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Address

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Flitwick

MK45 1DZ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Lead

Rebecca Lant

rebecca.lant@nhs.net

07983550115

Details

Date posted

25 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum, pro-rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Compressed hours, Term time hours

Reference number

448-BCHS-7811600

Job locations

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Flitwick

MK45 1DZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)