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Job summary

Main area
Autism
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
2 years (Fixed term part time position, with possibility of permanent position)
Hours
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
  • Home or remote working
26.25 hours per week (Part Time)
Job ref
455-NLFT-0781-E
Employer
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Ann's Hospital
Town
London
Salary
£55,524 - £62,652 Pro rata Inclu HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/10/2026 23:59

Employer heading

North London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Autism Advisory Team Speech and language therapist

NHS AfC: Band 7

Thank you for your interest in North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT).

As of 1 April 2026, NLFT has formally merged with Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust—marking the start of an exciting new chapter. This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation at a time of transformation, where we are strengthening access to mental health services, responding more effectively to complex and specialist needs, and advancing our work in education, research and innovation.

By bringing together our combined expertise, we are building a stronger, more collaborative Trust—one that delivers consistent, high-quality care and improved outcomes for the diverse communities we serve.

At the heart of our approach is The North London Way. We are committed to:

  • Working collaboratively at every level, guided by our shared values
  • Shaping a positive, inclusive culture where staff and service users thrive
  • Empowering our teams with the skills, tools and autonomy to drive meaningful change
  • Delivering excellence and continuously improving the quality of care we provide
  • Embedding research, innovation and technology across our services
  • Taking a trauma-informed approach in everything we do

We are proud to be an inclusive employer that values diversity. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly from our local communities, and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone—including apprentices, veterans and care leavers.

The North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is:  https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/ 

As a values‑driven Trust, we recruit through our values. Our selection processes focus on behaviours, attitudes, and examples that reflect our organisational values and commitment to compassionate, high‑quality care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.

We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit  https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

North London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to ensuring that its recruitment processes are carried out with integrity, transparency, and fairness for all applicants. To help maintain these standards, we ask candidates to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the recruitment process.

If incorrect or misleading information is identified, this may affect the progression of an application, any employment offer, or continued employment. As part of our due diligence, the company may verify the information provided by applicants and take appropriate action where necessary.

We do not charge applicants any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including applications, interviews, sponsorship arrangements, pre-employment checks, or employment offers. All vacancies are advertised through TRAC/NHS Jobs and candidates are assessed solely on their skills, qualifications, experience, and suitability for the role. If you are asked to make a payment in connection with an NHS job opportunity, please treat this as suspicious and contact the organisation directly using the details published on our official career's website.

Applicants can refer to the Fraud Act 2006 for further information: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/contents

Job overview

The Autism Advisory Team Speech and Language Therapist will be part of a newly established, specialist multidisciplinary team created to strengthen autisminformed practice across inpatient and community mental health services in North Central London. This role supports the local delivery of NCL’s Inpatient Quality Transformation Plan (IQTP), which aims to improve the identification, experience and outcomes of autistic adults, reduce inequalities, and develop a more skilled and confident workforce. 

 The post holder will contribute to a team that offers specialist autismfocused consultationguidance and training to front line staff across five boroughs. The team operates in an advisory, noncaseload model, supporting inpatient wards, community mental health teams and wider system partners to embed reasonable adjustments, improve personalised care planning and promote earlier intervention. Ongoing case management will remain with the referring service.  

Main duties of the job

Within this model, the Speech and Language Therapist will provide specialist autisminformed communication expertise, with a particular focus on autistic adults diagnosed later in life and those who have not previously accessed appropriate communication support. The postholder will deliver specialist (nondiagnostic) SaLT assessments where appropriateidentifying communication profiles, interaction needs, and factors impacting understanding, expression, emotional regulation and engagement (including sensory and environmental considerations where relevant). They will translate assessment findings into clear, practical recommendations and reasonable adjustments that can be implemented by inpatient and community teams and ensure these are documented appropriately within agreed clinical records and team processes. 

 A key part of the role is enabling others to work more effectively with autistic adults. The post holder will provide consultation to clinicians on communication strategies, support the adaptation of care planning and ward/community approaches, and contribute to the development of tools, resources and templates (e.g., communication guidance, accessible information approaches, contributions to Hospital passport content where used locally).

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:  

  1.  We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
  2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
  3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

Why NLFT?

  • We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
  • We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
  • NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent internal staff network

 

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 
  • Provide specialist, autisminformed SaLT assessments for autistic adults, with a particular focus on adults diagnosed later in life and/or those with unmet communication needs. 
  • To monitor and manage assessment waiting lists for specialist ASD input, ensuring that risk is managed and work is prioritised appropriately.  

  • Develop and implement communication profiles that identify strengths, needs and barriers to engagement, including understanding, expression, interaction style and functional communication. 

  • To work closely with clients and carers using a high level of empathy, tact, and persuasion to complete assessments, discuss results and agree treatment options. 

  • To routinely overcome barriers to communication during assessment and intervention. This includes the use of sign, symbols or other alternative and augmentation strategies with communication disordered clients/carers. 

  • To assess for suitability of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids for use with adults who have autism.   

  • To select appropriate equipment and to train both clients and carers/support workers in the use of the aids. Identify and recommend practical strategies to support communication, reduce distress and improve participation in care planning and treatment. 

  • Where relevant, consider the impact of sensory and environmental factors on communication and interaction, and integrate this into recommendations and reasonable adjustments. 

  • Provide clear written outputs from assessments, ensuring recommendations are actionable and tailored for implementation by inpatient and community teams. 

  • Responsibility for critically evaluating available research and developing and implementing evidence-based practices across own service area on an on-going basis.  

  • To use specialist knowledge to analyse complex information.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
  • Health and Care Professions Council registration.
  • High level post-graduate courses in related area of expertise.
Desirable criteria
  • Membership of relevant Specialist Interest Groups.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Highly developed communication skills (written and verbal), able to explain complex information to autistic people, carers and professionals.
  • Advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, including the ability to assess, prioritise and manage risk within a specialist assessment pathway
  • Strong consultation and influencing skills, enabling effective advisory support to inpatient and community teams
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to work with lived experience contributors to shape resources and training content

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Ability to produce high-quality written assessment outputs and practical recommendations suitable for implementation by multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Clear evidence to demonstrate specialist experience and clinical skills for working with autistic people.
  • vidence of substantial experience as a qualified Speech and Language Therapist.
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Desirable criteria
  • Skills in Quality Improvement (QI) and experience of previous QI projects

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyAge positiveImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthAccredited Living Wage Employer

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Fabio Feca
Job title
Implementation Lead for Autism Advisory Team
Email address
[email protected]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Candi & Tavi
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