Community Speech & Language Therapist

Job summary
To provide a Speech and Language Therapy service across South East Essex for adults with communication and swallowing disorders seen within the service.

Main duties of the job
To work as part of the service team to provide continuing care for people with communication and/or swallowing difficulties in the community.

To be responsible and accountable for the independent prioritisation and management of own clinical caseload.

To begin to take an active role in triaging and effectively prioritising new referrals.

To begin developing a clinical specialism and supporting colleagues within this specialist area.

To deliver training to other Speech and Language Therapists and the wider multi-disciplinary team within your specialist area.

To be actively involved in and work towards initiating audits and service improvement projects.

To supervise the work of less experienced SLTs, students and assistants and ensure that those to whom tasks are delegated, e.g. unqualified Speech and Language Therapy staff, have the appropriate level of competence. To work towards providing clinical supervision for a newly-qualified Speech and Language Therapist and support them through their NQP competencies.

To make a differential diagnosis of communication and swallowing difficulties on the basis of specialist formal and informal clinical assessments; to ensure that all interventions are based on accurate, appropriate and sufficient assessment.

About us
Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
• Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Details
Date posted: 27 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £31,049 to £46,580 a year per annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 11 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 364-B-397
Job locations: Adult Community Speech and Language Therapy Team Hadleigh Clinic, 49 London Road, Hadleigh, SS7 2QL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
To develop clear individual care plans based on clinical guidelines and established best practice.

To use appropriate outcome measures to evaluate personal clinical effectiveness.

To provide programmes of therapy activities and demonstrations of those activities to those concerned (family, staff, visitors) to enable carry over and generalisation of new skills into the wider communicative environment.

To consider the need to adapt clinical practice to meet the needs of patients and carers including issues relating to disability, culture and educational attainment e.g. the format of written advice, wheelchair access and interpreters.

To ensure smooth and appropriate handover of care from one agency to another; to provide reports, reflecting specialist knowledge and interpretation of specialist assessments, to other health professionals, including GPs and Hospital consultants as requested; to make and/or recommend onward referrals to other professionals or agencies, as appropriate.

To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local guidelines and policies.

To submit activity data, using SystmOne, accurately, regularly and promptly in accordance with agreed guidelines and policies.

To share information with others, observing data protection guidelines.

To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment, ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained - including equipment loaned to clients and portable I.T. equipment.

To take responsibility for ensuring that equipment and assessment tools and other essential supplies are requested in a timely manner.

To participate in development of SLT Service risk management, quality standards setting and Clinical Governance/audit projects, advising clinical lead of any changes or developments that may affect service planning and policy.

To participate in undergraduate clinical and observational placements for all relevant disciplines.

To have regard for your own personal safety and that of the people, carers and any staff or colleagues under your direction, in particular with regard to moving and handling of people or equipment in order to ensure the safe positioning of self and others.

To maintain a high standard of professional practice as set out by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) in the professional code of conduct, the Health Professions Council (HPC) and service standards, including maintaining continuing professional development (CPD).

Person Specification
Education/ Qualifications
Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree qualification or equivalent
• Health & Care Professions Council registration number
• Successful Completion of RCSLT dysphagia competencies
• Successful completion of NQP competencies

Desirable

• Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Experience
Essential

• At least one year clinical Practice

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to acquired and progressive neurological disorders in adults
• Therapeutic interventions relevant to acquired and progressive neurological disorders in adults
• Knowledge of national policies, procedures and current research relevant to all caseloads
• Knowledge of cultural and linguistic issues in working with a multi-cultural caseload
• Awareness of the principles of clinical governance /audit

Desirable

• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to a voice disorders caseload
• Knowledge of therapeutic interventions relevant to a voice disorders caseload

Skills
Essential

• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Good analytical and reflection skills
• Ability to work independently and to take initiative
• Ability to prioritise workload demands

Desirable

• Experience of supervising junior band colleagues

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).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.
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).