Job summary
- Main area
- Neurodevelopmental Assessment
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 411-COM-25-7650009
- Employer
- Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital
- Town
- Liverpool
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- Extensive staff health and well-being programmes
Job overview
Right to work: We actively promote diversity and inclusion. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care route. We recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit Health and Care Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
This is an exciting opportunity for 6 speech and language therapists to work in the area of Neurodevelopmental assessment and post diagnostic support.
- 6 permanent positions
Working as part of a diverse and expert multidisciplinary team you will contribute to the assessment, diagnosis and post diagnostic support of children and young people with ASD/Neurodiversity. The team is supportive, warm and friendly with good opportunities for interdisciplinary working and professional development. The team is expanding in remit and numbers and the successful candidates will part of this expansion of service.
For further information please contact Jenny Corsie, Principal Speech and Language Therapist ([email protected])
Main duties of the job
To provide a specialised service to children with complex communication needs, particularly those related to ASD and other Neurodevelopmental conditions. A specialist knowledge of speech & language assessments, therapy interventions & strategies for this client group is
required.
To use a range of approaches and methods flexibly across educational establishments, nurseries, clinics and other community settings, including the child’s own home.
To use a range assessment procedures to support Multiagency assessment of Neurodevelopmental conditions.
To use specialist skills to offer advice and guidance around management strategies and to refer on to other agencies as appropriate, ensuring effective communication with parents / carers to explain clinical reasoning.
To support parents and carers and other agencies involved with the child’s education and care, providing information and advice on social communication specific strategies to be used in school
or at home.
Parents and carers will be central to decision making and will have opportunities to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences. They will be offered information about local and national
services.
To provide high quality and accessible clinical reports and documentation to support the child and family’s diagnostic journey.
Working for our organisation
Sponsorship - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
• Implement policies within the local area and propose changes to working practices or standard operating procedures for the local work area as required.
• Supervise the work of the junior team members, volunteers and lead student placements including supervision and assessment.
• Manage verbal concerns and highlight these to the Team Leader.
• Be aware of the risk framework and manage incidents through appropriate reporting systems.
• Provide triage, in- depth assessment, differential diagnosis, signposting,
intervention and modelling, report writing.
• Ensure that children/carers are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care and facilitate joint decisions wherever possible.
• Communicate effectively with Education professionals to gather information and support their understanding of the Neurodevelopmental assessment service.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage children with challenging behaviours and complex disabilities.
• Work independently, as a member of the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Team and as a member of a wider inter-disciplinary team.
• Make appropriate referrals to other health, education and social care
professionals and complete peer review and combined decision making to develop diagnostic rationale and reasoning.
• Demonstrate the ability to reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of client’s communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness in the assessment.
• Provide advice to partner agencies regarding the management and care of children undergoing neurodevelopmental assessment.
• Engage in collaborative working practices including joint assessments with members of the team and with educational, social care and health
professionals, referring on for further investigation and assessment.
• Demonstrate empathy with children, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.
• Adapt practice to meet individual circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.
• Negotiate with carers, clients and others around individual case management including the management of the communication environment.
• Reflect upon, evaluate and develop the level and quality of the service being given.
• Attend and actively participate in Case discussion and Health Review
Meetings, CAF and Safeguarding meetings as required.
• Provide comprehensive and timely reports for diagnostic process and to support any statutory requirement.
• Be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to client.
Please see Job Description for further information on non-clinical, training and education, clinical governance/audit, and communication responsibilities.
Person specification
Education and Training
Essential criteria
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent.
- Health Professional Council - License to practise.
- Evidence of developed specialist knowledge.
Desirable criteria
- Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy.
Experience of
Essential criteria
- Working with a range of communication difficulties at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
- Relevant experience of assessing, care planning and report writing in regards to Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions.
Desirable criteria
- A member of a special interest group.
Knowledge of
Essential criteria
- Assessment tools relevant to the client group.
- National policies and procedures relevant to the client group.
- A range of appropriate interventions relevant to the client group.
- Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit.
- Awareness of the roles of other professionals relevant to the client group.
- Awareness of standards of record keeping.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Negotiation and problem solving skills.
- Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills.
- Well-developed concentration skills.
- Good presentation skills, both written and verbal.
- Good organisation and prioritisation skills.
- Good auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically.
- Adequate IT skills to manage the requirements of the job.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills.
- Demonstrates ability to be a team member.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jenny Corsie
- Job title
- Principal Speech and Language Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Institute in the Park
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