Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 11 October 2026 re you an enthusiastic Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) who is passionate about helping children and young people achieve their potential? As part of the exciting new Experts at Hand initiative, we are looking for 2 wte Band 6 Speech and Language Therapists to work across Warrington and Halton. You'll have the opportunity to make a real difference through delivering whole-school training and targeted interventions, modelling effective approaches and working collaboratively with education staff to create communication-friendly environments. A key part of the role will be building the confidence and skills of school staff to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs within their everyday environments. In our team, you'll benefit from a supportive team culture. We are proud of our approachable and experienced leadership team, who prioritise staff wellbeing, work-life balance and professional growth. We offer agile working, high-quality clinical supervision and excellent development opportunities. If you're motivated, innovative and excited by the opportunity to help shape a new initiative, develop your skills and influence practice at a whole-school level, we'd love to welcome you to our team. Main duties of the job As a Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist within the innovative Experts at Hand service, you will play a key role in helping schools develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. You will build the knowledge, skills and confidence of education staff through the delivery of engaging whole-school training, as well as training education staff to deliver targeted and evidence-based group interventions. You will provide drop-in sessions within schools, helping staff to identify needs early, consider appropriate next steps and navigate referral pathways, ensuring children receive support from the most appropriate service at a universal, targeted or specialist level. Working collaboratively with education staff, you will promote communication-friendly approaches, embed practical strategies into everyday practice and contribute to the development of sustainable support within schools. You will also provide clinical supervision, support and guidance to Band 5 colleagues working within the service, helping to ensure high-quality, evidence-based practice. In addition, you will support the evaluation of the service by measuring outcomes, monitoring impact and demonstrating how the Experts at Hand model is improving confidence, practice and outcomes for children and young people. Flexible working will be considered for all roles. North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region. Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities. Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM). They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation. We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all One team: We work well together and with our communities £39,959 to £48,117 a year Full-time, Flexible working Health Services at Wolves The Bridges Learning Centre Crow Wood Health Park The Speech and Language Therapist within Experts at Hand provides early, preventative and responsive support that strengthens inclusion, builds staff skills within educational settings, and helps children and young people participate fully in learning and school life. The role combines direct therapeutic expertise with coaching, consultation, and workforce development to achieve sustainable outcomes across whole educational communities This role will also involve some work within the core SLT service to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with communication disorders, including those with special needs in community settings, mainstream schools and special schools. Duties and Responsibilities To assess and diagnose children with communication disorders, including those with special needs. Will be required to take a lead role in the day to day running of a community caseload and/or mainstream school/special school caseload To develop and implement Speech and Language Therapy programmes for school staff to implement and to evaluate outcomes To take clinical responsibility for a varied paediatric caseload of differing complexities and to organise this effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. To ensure that clients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their treatment plans wherever possible. To provide advice and coaching to others regarding the management and care of clients with communication difficulties To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures To produce reports regarding clients needs and summarising proposed treatment plans To contribute to legal documents such as Education Health & Care Plans, Individual Education Plans and Annual Reviews To adapt practice to meet individual clients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies To share information with clients, carers and other professionals, observing data protection guidelines To contribute to multi and uni-disciplinary teams to ensure a client focused approach to treatment To communicate complex information from assessment and treatment to clients, carers and other professionals To communicate effectively with the child or young person and their carers to maximise treatment potential and ensure understanding of their condition. Addressing physical, psychological and emotional barriers to effective communication will be regularly required. To work closely with clients, carers and other professionals to negotiate and agree client management To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where significant barriers to understanding exist To respond sensitively at all times particularly when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the clinical difficulties and their implications To demonstrate skills in motivating clients, carers and other professionals to engage in the therapeutic process To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible, in line with North Cheshire and Mersey (NCM) Trust policy To foster productive relationships with others who have challenging communication difficulties and may be under stress To employ excellent communication skills To identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of communication, both verbal, non- verbal and environmental To assess and advise on optimising the clients communicative environment, taking into consideration the communication skills of carers and other professionals To assess the capacity of the child or young person to give valid, informed consent. To be able to work within a legal framework with children and parents for consent to treatment. Please see Full Job Description attached. The Speech and Language Therapist within Experts at Hand provides early, preventative and responsive support that strengthens inclusion, builds staff skills within educational settings, and helps children and young people participate fully in learning and school life. The role combines direct therapeutic expertise with coaching, consultation, and workforce development to achieve sustainable outcomes across whole educational communities This role will also involve some work within the core SLT service to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with communication disorders, including those with special needs in community settings, mainstream schools and special schools. Duties and Responsibilities To assess and diagnose children with communication disorders, including those with special needs. Will be required to take a lead role in the day to day running of a community caseload and/or mainstream school/special school caseload To develop and implement Speech and Language Therapy programmes for school staff to implement and to evaluate outcomes To take clinical responsibility for a varied paediatric caseload of differing complexities and to organise this effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. To ensure that clients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their treatment plans wherever possible. To provide advice and coaching to others regarding the management and care of clients with communication difficulties To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures To produce reports regarding clients needs and summarising proposed treatment plans To contribute to legal documents such as Education Health & Care Plans, Individual Education Plans and Annual Reviews To adapt practice to meet individual clients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies To share information with clients, carers and other professionals, observing data protection guidelines To contribute to multi and uni-disciplinary teams to ensure a client focused approach to treatment To communicate complex information from assessment and treatment to clients, carers and other professionals To communicate effectively with the child or young person and their carers to maximise treatment potential and ensure understanding of their condition. Addressing physical, psychological and emotional barriers to effective communication will be regularly required. To work closely with clients, carers and other professionals to negotiate and agree client management To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where significant barriers to understanding exist To respond sensitively at all times particularly when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the clinical difficulties and their implications To demonstrate skills in motivating clients, carers and other professionals to engage in the therapeutic process To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible, in line with North Cheshire and Mersey (NCM) Trust policy To foster productive relationships with others who have challenging communication difficulties and may be under stress To employ excellent communication skills To identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of communication, both verbal, non- verbal and environmental To assess and advise on optimising the clients communicative environment, taking into consideration the communication skills of carers and other professionals To assess the capacity of the child or young person to give valid, informed consent. To be able to work within a legal framework with children and parents for consent to treatment. Please see Full Job Description attached. If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship. Job Specific Requirements The ability to travel independently across NCM Trust The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs, including on occasions evenings Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK? If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)? Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role. nowledge of Code of Practice and Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy Negotiation and problem solving skills Demonstrates good analytical and Well developed concentration skills Good presentation skills, both written Good organisational skills Prioritisation skills Good auditory skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically Demonstrates ability to be a good team Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group Knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the client group) Well established knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to the client group) Understanding of the roles of other professionals (relevant to the client Knowledge of standards of record keeping principles of clinical previous experience of NHS IT systems Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or Health Care Professions Council registration. RCSLT Licence to Practice Evidence of additional training / continuing professional development around specialist area Experience independently managing a wide range of communication disorders including communication linked to ASD, SLI, Fluency, Speech disorders including Dyspraxia, disorders existing alongside moderate and severe learning difficulties, including managing AAC Experience working in collaboration, sharing strategies and implementing programmes and advice and coaching staff in mainstream / special schools Experience in day to day running of a community / mainstream /special school caseload and supporting newly qualified staff and assistants training/coaching other professionals / parents Experience of supporting young people with communication disorders & coexisting ADHD Experience in designing and providing training skills groups in community settings If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship. Job Specific Requirements The ability to travel independently across NCM Trust The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs, including on occasions evenings Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK? If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)? Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role. nowledge of Code of Practice and Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy Negotiation and problem solving skills Demonstrates good analytical and Well developed concentration skills Good presentation skills, both written Good organisational skills Prioritisation skills Good auditory skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically Demonstrates ability to be a good team Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group Knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the client group) Well established knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to the client group) Understanding of the roles of other professionals (relevant to the client Knowledge of standards of record keeping principles of clinical previous experience of NHS IT systems Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or Health Care Professions Council registration. RCSLT Licence to Practice Evidence of additional training / continuing professional development around specialist area Experience independently managing a wide range of communication disorders including communication linked to ASD, SLI, Fluency, Speech disorders including Dyspraxia, disorders existing alongside moderate and severe learning difficulties, including managing AAC Experience working in collaboration, sharing strategies and implementing programmes and advice and coaching staff in mainstream / special schools Experience in day to day running of a community / mainstream /special school caseload and supporting newly qualified staff and assistants training/coaching other professionals / parents Experience of supporting young people with communication disorders & coexisting ADHD Experience in designing and providing training skills groups in community settings Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH) Health Services at Wolves https://northcheshireandmersey.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab) North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH) Health Services at Wolves https://northcheshireandmersey.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab) Employer contact details For questions about the job, contact: claudette.winstanley@nhs.net £39,959 to £48,117 a year Full-time, Flexible working Health Services at Wolves The Bridges Learning Centre Crow Wood Health Park North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)'s privacy notice (opens in a new tab)