Speech and Language Therapy Advanced Practitioner

STW and SSOT ICB Cluster are searching for a Speech and Language Therapy Advanced Practitioner, as part of their work towards achieving the requirements in the National SEND reforms. This role will be aligned to the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB footprint. This is a strategic, population level, clinical Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) role focused on strengthening the SaLT workforce for education settings and system improvement. Operating across education, SEND local area partnerships and Integrated Care System in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW).

This exciting role forms a core part of the Experts at Hand initiative in the Government's SEND Reforms. Experts at Hand is designed to deliver earlier, needs-led access to multidisciplinary specialist support within mainstream education settings through integrated working between local authorities, ICBs and providers.

SaLT Advanced Practitioners will work strategically within local SEND partnerships, linking with the integrated care boards, local authorities, health providers, parent carer forums and education settings, as well as local universities offering speech and language therapy qualification routes.

This is a fixed term role for 12 months from commencement with the possibility of transition to a more permanent role. (Secondment options will be considered).

The SaLT Advanced Practitioner (SaLT AP) will:

• Provide strategic, population-level clinical SaLT leadership to improve outcomes for children and young people (0–25) with speech, language and communication needs
• Strengthen the SaLT workforce pipeline across education settings through placements, apprenticeships and educator/supervisor/mentor capacity and capability
• Increase access to SaLT expertise within mainstream education
• Provide strategic, population-level SaLT leadership within the ICB footprint to enable delivery of SEND reform.
• Work in partnership with commissioners and local SEND partnerships to support evidence-informed commissioning, service planning and system oversight, including contribution to local area SEND inspections

This role is explicitly aligned to the NHSE Multi ‑ professional Framework for Advanced Practice (2025) The role requires effective working with education settings, local authorities and SEND partnerships, NHS and independent providers, Designated Clinical Officers, universities/training providers, Parent Carer Forums and CYP participation groups. A strong focus on co-production and inclusive system design is a core principle of the role.

Our goal as a clustered ICB is to lead and support delivery of the four Integrated Care System (ICS) aims across the geographies of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent:

• Improving outcomes in population health and care
• Tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access
• Enhancing productivity and value for money
• Helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.

Please note that the Cluster ICB has consulted with its workforce on changes to contractual base locations and hybrid working arrangements and is implementing a consistent hybrid working model across the Cluster. The new arrangements are intended to support closer and more collaborative working across the Cluster ICB, through a consistent approach to hybrid working and the use of designated office locations.

The SaLT AP will work to increase access to high-quality SaLT expertise within mainstream education settings. They will:

• Build a sustainable SaLT workforce in education by working with training providers and mainstream education settings to expand trainee placements in education settings, develop supervision models and SaLT career pathways to mainstream education settings.
• Strengthen inclusive mainstream education by working with delivery partners and mainstream settings to enable earlier identification and support for speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), improving pupil outcomes and educational participation.
• Operate as a strategic leader, they will work with education settings, local authorities and other SEND partners to support the delivery of SEND reform.
• Use data, system insight and evaluation to, shape scalable, solutions to develop SaLT workforce pipeline for mainstream education settings and system development.

The principal responsibilities are aligned to the Four Pillars of Advanced Practice:

1: Education, Training and Workforce Development

Provide innovative strategic clinical leadership and influence for education and workforce development.

2: Professional Leadership

Operate as a system leader across education, health and care.

3: Expert Clinical Practice

Provide senior clinical expertise and system-level clinical leadership in SLCN.

4: Research, Audit and Improvement

Provide strategic leadership for evaluation, audit and quality improvement.