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Job summary

Main area
Speech and Language Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to friday)
Job ref
363-SS8358179
Employer
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Child Development Centre West Ham Lane
Town
London
Salary
£55,524 - £62,652 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/11/2026 23:59

Employer heading

East London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Early Years

NHS AfC: Band 7

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to take on the role of jointly leading the EYS (Early Years) team. You will be working closely with the 8a EYS clinical lead and fellow Band 7 EYS leads carrying out a similar role. As one of the Early Years Leads, you will provide a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to children 0-5 living in Newham. The role will involve working within clinics, EYS education settings, Family Hubs and other community settings across the borough.  

The post holder will:  

  • Contribute to the development and improvement of care pathways, intervention packages and training for parents and our partner agencies 

  • Jointly manage shared team caseloads and contribute to the planning and fair allocation of work across the EYS team 

  • provide a service which takes account of the needs of children and families from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds 

  • deputise for the  EYS Clinical Lead & other Band 7 EYS leads when appropriate. 

 

Main duties of the job

To provide specialist assessment and therapy for children under 5 with speech, language and communication needs. This will include multi-agency working and working closely with families and early years settings to build confidence and skills to enable children's needs to be identified and supported early at the right time and in the right place.  

The role will involve leading on improvement projects and contributing to the development of the service we offer to children and families in Newham.  

There may be opportunity to work one day a week within the autism diagnostic service (dependent on interest and experience).  

Working for our organisation

Based at the child development centre, in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham, close to the Olympic Park in the heart of London’s East End (with excellent transport links with the rest of London and Essex).  The children’s speech and language therapy service has a strong multi-agency work ethic with other services both within the trust and with partner agencies, and offers services across a wide range of care groups in the borough. 

We can offer you: 

  • A warm, welcoming and supportive team of SaLTs and colleagues who bring experiences from all over the world. 

  • 1:1 monthly supervision, appraisal and CPD 

  • Team learning programme 

  • Protected service development time and regular team away days 

  • Opportunity to supervise and develop junior staff 

  • Monthly team meetings and band 7 leadership meetings 

  • On-going clinical skills development, MDT working 

  • Opportunity to lead on audit and service quality improvement projects. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working within the Early Years Service you will hold a caseload of children under 5 who present with a variety of speech language and communication needs. This includes children with social communication differences, developmental language disorder, stammering and speech disorders.  

The post-holder will manage their own caseload and will support more junior staff through supervision, competency development and annual appraisal. Part of the role will involve training education staff and other partner agencies within Newham. The role will involve managing shared team caseloads and jointly planning and allocating work equitably across the team. There will be opportunity to lead service improvement work along with audit and pathway development. The post holder will on occasion deputise for the Early Years 8a Clinical Lead.  

The successful applicant will have relevant experience of working with children and families, especially where a diagnosis of autism has been given, in providing support within early years settings including writing EHC needs assessment reports and participating in annual reviews.  Previous experience of autism diagnostic work is desirable but not essential.  

 

Person specification

Education/ Qualification

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree/Post graduate degree Qualification or equivalent
  • Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice
  • Evidence of successful completion of relevant specialist short courses

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant clinical experience
  • Relevant specialist experience post qualification
  • In-depth experience within specialist area

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
  • Highly developed Negotiation and Problem-solving skills
  • Ability to work independently
  • Demonstrates excellent analytical and reflection skills
  • Well developed concentration
  • Skills in planning, assessing and implementing intervention for client group
  • Awareness and sensitivity to the needs of clients from a range of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds
  • Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal including ability to write clear and concise reports
  • Excellent organisational skills

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Capital Nurse, LondonCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveHSJ Best places to workArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.

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
Jo Lester
Job title
Speech and Language Therapy Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
020 8586 6380
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