Job Opportunity Overview
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to lead our Community Clinics team at Erith District Hospital. This is an exceptional opportunity for international candidates seeking to relocate to the United Kingdom, as we offer Certificate of Sponsorship for eligible applicants. Join our dynamic team and develop your leadership skills while making a meaningful impact on children’s lives.
About Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest providers of NHS healthcare services in community and secure environment settings across South London and Kent. Our comprehensive services include community health care, learning disabilities support, and mental health care. We operate across 125 sites, including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools, and people’s homes.
Our Values and Mission
At Oxleas, we’re proud of the care we provide and our dedicated people. Our purpose is to improve lives by delivering the best possible care to our patients and their families. This commitment is strengthened by our core values: We’re Kind, We’re Fair, We Listen, and We Care. These values guide everything we do and create a supportive, inclusive work environment.
Position Details
This is a Band 7 fixed-term position for 18 months, working part-time at Erith District Hospital. The salary range is £53,751 to £60,651 per year pro rata, inclusive of allowances. The position falls under the Agenda for Change pay scheme, which offers competitive NHS benefits and career progression opportunities.
Role Overview
As the Lead Community Clinics Therapist, you will provide leadership to our early years community clinic team, ensuring continued clinical service development. You will demonstrate and provide highly specialist knowledge in clinical specialisms underpinned by current evidence-based practice and evaluate outcomes. This role involves managing complex caseloads independently and planning the workload of others.
Key Responsibilities
Your main duties will include making highly specialist clinical decisions in the assessment of complex cases, providing expert advice regarding the management and care of children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), and managing, leading, and providing highly specialist supervision to therapists and assistants within the early years’ community clinic team.
Clinical Leadership
You will take a clinical specialist role in developing local clinical guidelines informed by evidence for children and young people with SLCN. This includes meeting with parents, children, and young people, taking and responding to feedback to develop care pathways, and monitoring the quality of child and parent information.
Team Management
The successful candidate will lead a small team of therapists and assistants while being responsible for day-to-day operational and management activities. You will be involved in all aspects of caseload management, recruitment, service development, audit, training, supervision, and appraisal.
Service Development
You will contribute to operational projects that support service development and work effectively with partners in health, social care, and education. The Bexley Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service offers excellent internal supervision and support structures, providing an ideal environment to develop both clinical and management skills.
Professional Development
We offer extensive opportunities for developing clinical skills through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The trust supports ongoing learning and career advancement, making this an ideal position for therapists looking to enhance their expertise and leadership capabilities.
Essential Qualifications
Applicants must possess a recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent and maintain membership with The Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). These qualifications are mandatory for all candidates applying for this position.
Essential Experience
The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of clinical experience working with children with specific speech and language difficulties in early years community clinics. Additionally, experience in coordinating service delivery and supervising staff/conducting appraisals is essential for this leadership role.
Desirable Qualifications
While not essential, evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses up to Master’s degree equivalent or membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Networks (CENs) would be advantageous. Experience in writing local policies is also desirable for this position.
Required Knowledge and Skills
Candidates must demonstrate well-established knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to the client groups, flexibility in responding to workload demands as priorities arise, and highly developed negotiation and problem-solving skills in complex situations, along with the ability to facilitate these skills in others.
International Applicants Welcome
We welcome applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK. All applications will be considered alongside domestic candidates. For further information about visa requirements, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
Relocation Support
This position offers Certificate of Sponsorship, making it an excellent opportunity for qualified international speech and language therapists looking to relocate to the United Kingdom. We provide support throughout the relocation process and help successful candidates navigate the UK healthcare system.
Application Process
All applications must be submitted through the NHS Jobs website. The closing date for applications is 14 October 2025. Please ensure your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.
Additional Requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, requiring a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration; overseas health professionals should consult the NHS Careers website for registration information.
Contact Information
For questions about this position, please contact Joanna Copp, Early Years/Community Clinic Co-ordinator, at [email protected] or call 02030040092. Joanna can provide additional information about this exciting opportunity and discuss the role in more detail.
Why Choose Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust?
Oxleas offers a supportive, dynamic working environment with opportunities for professional growth and development. As the largest NHS provider of prison health services, we offer diverse clinical experiences and the chance to work in various settings across South London and Kent.
Commitment to Diversity
We are proud to be an Age Positive, Disability Confident, and Stonewall-accredited employer. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated through our various accreditations, including Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold, HSJ Top Employers, IIP Gold, IWL Practice Plus, MINDFUL employer, Smoke free, Step into Health, and Veteran Aware.
Join Our Team
If you are an experienced, self-motivated speech and language therapist who enjoys working in a community clinic environment and is ready to take on a leadership role, we encourage you to apply. This position offers the chance to make a real difference in children’s lives while advancing your career in the UK’s renowned National Health Service.
