Job summary
- Main area
- SALT
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3/4
- Contract
- Permanent: Band 3 or Band 4 depending on experience
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 179-7511065-I
- Employer
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Riverwalk & Priory Special Schools
- Town
- Bury St Edmunds
- Salary
- £24,937 - £30,162 Pro rata per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 31/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Speech and Language Therapy Assistant - Band 3/4
NHS AfC: Band 3/4
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and dynamic individual to join our Paediatric Community SLT service as a Speech & Language Therapy Assistant (SaLTAs) Band 3/Band 4 depending on experience. In this role you will deliver therapy packages to children in Special School Settings and support therapy staff. You will have excellent communication skills and interest/experience of working with children with additional needs. You will be confident to work with educational staff & parents/carers and have knowledge of AAC.
Excellent organisational skills, being child friendly and working independently under instruction are key. Confident IT skills are needed for daily electronic record keeping, online learning, delivering our online training offer and to communicate with service users and colleagues.
Training and supervision are provided. Undertaking the NHS Care Certificate is a requirement of all assistant roles.
Based in 'Special Schools' in across West Suffolk, an ability to travel during the working day is desirable. (Band 4 available for candidates with previous relevant SaLTA experience).
Please enquire for locations available and indicate if you are applying for a Band 3 or 4 role.
Main duties of the job
You will
· Deliver therapy packages to children and young people with speech, language and communication needs with the guidance and support of a speech and language therapist
· Be able to work independently as well as in a team
· Communicate therapy outcomes / next steps to relevant therapy partners and the therapy supervisor
· Communicate sensitive information to parents and carers, demonstrating an empathic approach.
· Recognise the boundaries of the role and your own experience and seek support and guidance from others where required.
· Organise therapy appointments.
· Assist with delivering training both face to face and virtually
· Offer support to the wider team as required by making resources for therapy sessions, organising toys and resources in bases, booking therapy groups and training sessions, gathering information and assisting in home visits
· Use SystmOne for daily record keeping (all clinical sessions and correspondence recorded)
· Use Outlook, Word, Teams to keep in touch with service users and colleagues, participate in training and to communicate within the team.
Working for our organisation
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full job description for more information
The primary purpose of this role is to deliver speech, language and communication therapy programmes, devised
by speech and language therapists, to individual or groups of children and young people (CYP).
Supporting and training others (educational staff, parents/carers and less experienced colleagues) is a key component of this SLTA role.
This community-based role involves working mainly in special school settings but may include visits to specialist units (SSUs), nurseries or homes, according to service need.
The client group comprises of children with varied communication difficulties, children with Special Educational Needs and complex presentations.
Therapy is typically delivered face to face but may also be via digital methods (e.g. via Microsoft Teams).
Person specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Level/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
- Good general education including 5 GCSEs including Maths & English
Desirable criteria
- NNEB training
- Other qualification in related area e.g. child development studies, language, or psychology
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with children of preschool or school age
- Interest & awareness of children’s language development
- Aware of the importance of safeguarding children
- Knowledge of the role of a speech and language therapist
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with parent/carers
- Experience of CYP with special or complex needs
- Knowledge of some aspects and types of speech language and communication difficulties
- Experience of NHS record keeping such as S1 or equivalent
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good spoken communication and written skills in English
- Able to write concise and accurate notes.
- Good interpersonal skills including observation, listening, tact and empathy.
- Ability to be flexible, creative and use initiative.
- Able to work as part of a team.
- To work independently as well as under instruction
- Computer literate *able to use MS packages (Word, Outlook)
- Ability to keep client confidentiality.
Desirable criteria
- Use of universal child assessments or scales such as WellComm
- Good negotiation skills
- Able to share sensitive and complex information with families and professionals.
- Able to discuss analyse and reflect on observations.
- Able to use MS Teams & Excel
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Organised
- Ability to prioritise care
- Flexible approach to working duties
- Self-motivated
- Ability to travel to rural locations
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Paula Hughes
- Job title
- Pathway Lead for School Aged Complex Needs
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07983 959998
- Additional information
Isobel Crichton-Smith
Service Lead
07903877694
List jobs with West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors