Lead Therapist
- Ella Butler
- Senior Consultant
Lead Therapist – Specialist Independent Secondary Therapeutic School
Salary: £55,000 – £60,000 DOE
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Location: North London
Start Date: January 2027 (or ASAP)
An Opportunity to Lead, Influence and Shape Whole-School Therapeutic Practice
Panoramic Associates are proud to be supporting a specialist independent secondary therapeutic school in the search for a Lead Therapist to oversee and develop an integrated therapeutic provision supporting children and young people with a range of additional needs.
We are keen to hear from experienced Speech & Language Therapists or qualified Counsellors who are passionate about improving outcomes for young people and embedding therapeutic approaches across an entire setting.
This is not a traditional clinical role. The school is seeking a forward-thinking practitioner who can work alongside education professionals, understand the challenges teachers face, and help shape a provision that supports the whole child rather than focusing solely on diagnosis-led intervention.
The Role
As Lead Therapist, you will play a pivotal role in both service delivery and strategic leadership.
Alongside maintaining a clinical caseload within your own professional discipline, you will lead the development of therapeutic provision across the school, ensuring interventions are impactful, joined-up and fully integrated into everyday practice.
The successful candidate will typically spend part of their week delivering direct therapeutic support whilst dedicating the remainder to leadership, service development, staff support and multidisciplinary collaboration.
You will work closely with SEND and pastoral leaders to strengthen provision and ensure therapeutic thinking is embedded throughout the school community.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Service Development
- Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary therapy provision.
- Support the strategic development of SEND and therapeutic services.
- Line manage and support therapy staff and wider support colleagues.
- Monitor intervention impact and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute to recruitment, service growth and workforce development.
- Ensure therapy and education work together to achieve the best outcomes for pupils.
Therapeutic Practice
- Maintain an active caseload within your professional specialism.
- Deliver assessments, interventions and reviews.
- Provide both individual and group-based therapeutic support.
- Produce reports and recommendations that support pupil progress.
- Work collaboratively with families, staff and external professionals.
Whole-School Impact
- Support teaching staff to better understand and respond to pupil needs.
- Develop practical strategies that can be implemented in classrooms.
- Help build an inclusive, therapeutic culture across the setting.
- Identify gaps in provision and help shape future developments.
The Pupils You Will Support
The school supports young people presenting with a range of needs including:
- Sensory processing difficulties
- Social communication needs
- Cognitive and information processing difficulties
- Emotional wellbeing and mental health needs
- Social learning and relationship development
- Additional SEND-related needs requiring integrated therapeutic support
We Are Looking For
Applications are welcomed from:
- HCPC-registered Speech & Language Therapists
- BACP, UKCP or equivalent registered Counsellors
- Experienced therapeutic practitioners with leadership experience
You’ll ideally bring:
- Experience supporting children and young people with SEND.
- A strong understanding of multidisciplinary working.
- The ability to influence practice beyond direct intervention.
- Experience supporting, mentoring or managing colleagues.
- A proactive, adaptable and solution-focused mindset.
- A passion for helping schools build sustainable and effective support systems.
Why Apply?
- Salary of £55,000 – £60,000.
- Opportunity to shape the future direction of therapeutic provision.
- Genuine strategic influence across SEND and inclusion.
- A supportive multidisciplinary environment.
- Blend of leadership and direct practice.
- Opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people.
Safeguarding
The successful applicant will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check and all appropriate safeguarding and pre-employment checks.
For a confidential conversation and further details, please contact Ella Butler at Panoramic Associates. Due to the confidential nature of the appointment, details of the school will be shared with shortlisted applicants during the recruitment process.
Contact Details – [email protected]/07441429493
