Job Description

Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) - Deafness



We are delighted to be able to offer you an exciting opportunity to work in a specialist area. Do you have a passion to work in the field of Deafness? Are you looking for an exciting post that will enable you to demonstrate, and continue to develop your clinical skills in the assessment and management of Deaf children?



If so, working for the Children and Young People's (CYP) Therapies Service at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust may be just what you are looking for. This post will give you the chance to join a dynamic, agile and forward-thinking organisation, where you can develop your career and broaden your horizons.



We are looking to recruit to 1.0 WTE Band 6 SLT, who would be based within West Hertfordshire, covering St Albans area with a mixed caseload of pre school and school age community Deafness, as well as working in specialist educational provision(s) for Deaf Children. Ideally the postholder will have BSL level 2 skills, however Level 1 will be considered if you are willing to learn BSL level 2.



Our service is jointly commissioned by health and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings. We have excellent joint working relationships with our partners in both health and education such as specialist teachers and the Audiology service.



Proposed interview date: 17-18 July 2025


You will be part of an SLT team based within Heathlands School and will also be part a local community team. You will work collaboratively with other SLTs; SLT Therapy Assistant Practitioners; Teachers of the Deaf; and other education professionals, (e.g. SENCos), providing assessment and intervention to meet the needs of the specialist caseload. Heathlands is a Nursery, Primary and Secondary deaf school offering a Total Communication approach to education incorporating British Sign Language, Sign Supported English and spoken English.



You will work with CYP from 0-18 in mainstream settings, pre-school settings and clinics, and you will continue to develop your clinical skills in the area of Deafness, as well as ASD, DLD, speech disorders and learning difficulties.

We offer:

Termly meetings as a specialist team of Therapists working in Deafness across Hertfordshire.

Regular group supervision, managerial supervision and a well-established appraisal system

CPD opportunities such as Bitesize tutorials, peer review and locally hosted CENs.

Opportunities to develop leadership skills

Opportunities to work alongside other therapists/assistants to deliver evidence based practice to children/young people requiring specialist support

A 2 week induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow your team, including access to a buddy and ongoing weekly support from the Clinical Lead for Deafness for the first term.



If you are looking for somewhere to make a real difference and are passionate about helping CYP access the right support at the right time to help them stay safe, and thrive in their development, a career with us may be just what you're looking for. At HCT we strive to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our communities.



We are proud to be an organisation which focuses on our people, and we welcome people who share our values to come and work with us.



Our shared values support the development of a strong working culture, guiding and inspiring all of our actions and decisions. They enable us to be better at what we do ensuring we provide the highest quality of care to our patients.



Our patients, their families and carers are at the centre of our vision - Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities



Our staff are proud to be Innovative, Caring and Agile in their work to help achieve the Trust vision



We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds and ages



You've made a great decision to apply to join to HCT - we're looking forward to taking the next steps of the journey with you.



Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud.



Please see attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.



Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides integrated Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county of Hertfordshire. Our CYPT integrated service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning amongst each profession.



Successful candidates will need to be enthusiastic and motivated. Good communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of your patients.



A staff member who has recently joined the CYP Therapies service and is working in Deafness:



"This is honestly the best team I have worked for, it's not often you find a post that enables you to work with all aspects of Deafness and be supported with CPD opportunities which has enabled me to really develop my clinical skills by delivering the direct evidenced based therapy intervention with my caseload. I've also enjoyed being able to participate in service development work and feel my ideas are really valued and appreciated."



Applicants wanting to work full time or part time will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).



In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of 1,258 and a maximum payment of 2,122 per annum pro rata (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location)



Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all its' staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.