Visa sponsorship Home Office sponsor register · Skilled Worker route

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Salary for this role£57,528 – £64,750 a year

Health and Care route minimum£25,000 a year

Pay basisNational pay scales (NHS bands)

This occupation falls under the Health and Care Worker route. Salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement.

Closest occupation match: SOC 2223, Speech and language therapists. Pay for this occupation is set by national pay scales (NHS bands), so no single Home Office going rate applies.

Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

Are you passionate about driving meaningful change for children, young people and families? Join us in creating more inclusive education systems where children and young people with speech, language and communication needs can access the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

We are seeking two experienced Speech and Language Therapists to join the Experts at Hand programme as Advanced Practitioners across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). These exciting roles will support delivery of the SEND reform programme and help increase access to Speech and Language Therapy expertise within education settings for children and young people.

Working across education, health and SEND partnerships, you will provide strategic leadership to drive system wide improvement. Collaborating with schools, local authorities, and health, you will help embed the Experts at Hand model and support more inclusive, needs-led approaches to SEND support.

This is a unique opportunity to influence change at scale across a whole health, education and care system, while developing your expertise across the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical practice, leadership, education and research.

If you are looking to combine your clinical expertise with strategic leadership and system transformation to create lasting improvements for children, young people and their families, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As an Experts at Hand Advanced Practitioner, you will:

Play a leading role in delivering local SEND priorities and supporting the implementation of national SEND reforms across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Provide strategic Speech and Language Therapy leadership across education, health and care systems, helping to improve outcomes for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Influence how Speech and Language Therapy expertise is integrated within mainstream education settings, supporting earlier intervention and more inclusive approaches to meeting need.
Work in partnership with schools, local authorities, the Integrated Care Board, NHS providers and wider SEND partners to drive system-wide improvement and transformation.
Support workforce development through coaching, consultation, supervision and capacity-building, strengthening the confidence and capability of professionals working with children and young people.
Use data, evidence and service intelligence to inform service development, reduce inequalities and improve access to support.
Champion co-production with children, young people and families, ensuring their experiences help shape service development and future system design.
Contribute to the development of a sustainable, needs-led SEND system that enables children and young people to access the right support at the right time.

About us

Ever dreamt about a career that sparks excitement and fosters your professional growth? Picture yourself waking up eager to make a real difference in our community, surrounded by teams who value your unique ideas.

We are Sirona care & health - England's largest provider of Adult's and Children's Community Services and we'd love for you to join us in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.

Agenda for Change Salary, full NHS benefits, 27+ days' annual leave, and participation in the NHS Pension Scheme - just a glimpse of the benefits you'll receive.

We welcome and encourage all applicants. We are committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities we support and are proactively seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce. We know diversity fosters creativity and innovation.

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We aim to draw upon the widest possible range of views and experiences to meet the changing needs of our colleagues, partners and communities we serve.

Whether you're starting your journey in healthcare, looking for a fresh challenge within the NHS, or contemplating a career change, don't be daunted by the prospect of something different - we create development opportunities for all our colleagues and apprentices.

Interested? View our benefits leaflet which you can find attached to this vacancy.

Date posted

30 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

083-8402716-WW

Job locations

Sirona care & health CIC

Badminton Road

Bristol

BS37 5AF

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities before applying for this position.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

HCPC Registration as a Speech and Language Therapist.

Desirable

MSc Advanced Practice, Leadership, Education, Public Health or equivalent postgraduate qualification
Practice Educator, Coaching, Mentoring or Leadership qualification.

Skills

Essential

Evidence of advanced practice capability aligned to the NHSE Multi-Professional Framework for Advanced Practice, or working towards this.
Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to advanced practice, leadership, education and service improvement.
Commitment to attain recognised advanced practice credentials, including MSc Advanced Practice or equivalent portfolio route where not already achieved

Desirable

Understanding of local, regional and national workforce priorities for Speech and Language Therapy.
Experience of SEND system improvement programmes.

Experience

Essential

Significant post-registration experience as a Speech and Language Therapist working with children and young people
Experience of leading service improvement, transformation or quality improvement initiatives
Experience of service level leadership and influencing and working across organisational boundaries.
Experience of co-production with children, young people and families.

Desirable

Experience of SEND system improvement programmes.

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.

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.