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Job summary

Main area
Speech and Language Therapy
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
448-NCYP-8364090
Employer
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridgeshire)
Employer type
NHS
Site
Norwich Community Hospital
Town
Norwich
Salary
£32,073 - £39,043 per annum, pro-rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/10/2026 23:59
Interview date
27/10/2026

Employer heading

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridgeshire) logo

Speech and Language Therapist - Expert at Hand

Band 5

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust delivers expert healthcare in people’s homes, community hospitals and local settings across the East of England.

Our nurses, therapists, clinicians, support teams and partners work together to provide coordinated care that supports independence, recovery and wellbeing. We believe people are best cared for close to home, in the communities where they live and belong.

By combining professional expertise with strong local relationships, we help people stay well, feel supported and access the right care at the right time. Expert healthcare, close to home, trusted by our communities.

Different ideas, experiences and backgrounds make us stronger and more creative and applications from all walks of life are welcomed. Our processes ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to creating a modern and inclusive work environment. We actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce and maintain and improve their wellbeing. We also offer flexible working patterns and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.

We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.

Before applying for this vacancy, please make sure you’re familiar with ongoing GOV.uk sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisations ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future.

Please note, our selection processes are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills. Please be advised that the use of AI in applications is monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.

Please note all new starters will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.

Job overview

The Experts at Hand (EaH) model is designed to support children and young people across education and early years settings within Norfolk with a focus on strengthening universal and targeted provision and improving outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.

 The EaH model builds on local and national learning and aims to improve early identification, reduce escalation to specialist services, build workforce capability and support more inclusive educational environments.

 The post holder will be key in implementing the aims of the Experts at Hand model within a defined geographical area. Working collaboratively with the Strategic Lead, Speech and Language Therapy Locality Leads and wider multidisciplinary partners, the post holder will support the development of an integrated universal, targeted and specialist speech, language and communication offer across education and community settings.

 The role combines clinical expertise with workforce development, consultation, training, coaching, supervision and service improvement across the system. The post holder will work with the wider Speech and Language Therapy workforce to embed new ways of working that increase capacity, improve inclusion and strengthen early intervention.

 The post holder will maintain a clinical caseload, providing assessment and intervention for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs where required.

Main duties of the job

To independently manage a caseload of pre-school and school age children who have speech, language and communication difficulties. 

To undertake a range of assessments, both standardised and non-standardised, taking account of medical, social and educational factors, in order to make a differential diagnosis. 

To plan, deliver and evaluate intervention following professional guidelines and agreed service standards including training of setting staff and families. 

As part of that process, to be able to plan appropriate long term and short-term goals working towards transfer of care. 

To undertake administrative duties connected with the caseload including maintenance of case notes and provision of written reports, following service standards. 

Working for our organisation

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. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To independently manage a caseload of pre-school and school age children who have speech, language and communication difficulties.

To undertake a range of assessments, both standardised and non-standardised, taking account of medical, social and educational factors, in order to make a differential diagnosis.

To plan, deliver and evaluate intervention following professional guidelines and agreed service standards including training of setting staff and families.

As part of that process, to be able to plan appropriate long term and short-term goals working towards transfer of care. 

To undertake administrative duties connected with the caseload including maintenance of case notes and provision of written reports, following service standards. 

Provide reports to support statutory processes e.g. Education, Health, and Care Plans, applications for continuing care, tribunal submissions and safeguarding concerns. 

To ensure that all work is carried out in close collaboration with all those involved in children’s care so that the approach to intervention and support is co-ordinated and comprehensive. 

To identify when there is a need for a second opinion, referring to senior colleagues or SLT specialists as appropriate. 

To make onward referral as appropriate. 

To identify any variations to service delivery or demands and inform the Operational Team Lead and Locality Team Lead of the likely impact on the service. 

Directs and provides clinical supervision to Assistants and Assistant Practitioners in relation to specific cases. 

To be a point of contact for a number of named settings within the locality once competencies have been achieved. 

Assess, diagnose and treat eating and drinking difficulties within a holistic framework (based on a specific role) only when additional postgraduate training and support is undertaken.

To undertake work in a range of ways according to individual case and service model, including face to face, virtual, and signposting to universal resources accordingly.

Person specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria
  • Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
  • Registered Member of RCSLT
  • Registered Member of HCPC
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of commitment to CPD

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience working with children with SLCN within a community setting
Desirable criteria
  • Working in a mainstream school
  • Working in a special school

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge about developmental speech and language disorders
  • Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey sensitive or distressing information to parents/carers
  • Good problem solving skills
  • Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Carers Friendly Tick award EmployersVeteran AwareDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Step into healthNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark 2024

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lauren McKeown-Tofts
Job title
Locality Lead
Email address
[email protected]
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