Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

LSCft; Coppull; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) invites applications for a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 7). The role is a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover, part-time 22.5 hours weekly, located across Chorley and South Ribble Hospital wards.

The post supports adults with mental health needs, delivering evidence-based SLT and dysphagia services. You will work within an MDT, contribute to audit/research, lead training, and help meet Care Quality Commission

Qualifications

• Degree or Masters in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Current HCPC registration as Speech and Language Therapist.
• Evidence of CPD in related field (Mental Health, autism).

Responsibilities

• Assess, treat, plan and deliver evidence-based SLT interventions on mental health wards.
• Provide dysphagia and SLT services to patients.
• Identify audit/research/quality improvement opportunities and lead projects.
• Lead or contribute to training for other professionals.
• Support ward objectives and regulatory standards within the MDT.
• Coordinate cover and share best practice across the SLT mental health team.

Skills

Clinical expertise

Education

Bachelor or Master in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Band 7

Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade Band 7 Contract 12 months (Fixed term for 12 months to cover maternity leave) Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week Job ref 351-CEN2629-CC-B

Site Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Town Chorl Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 29/10/2026 23:59

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

We have a new and exciting opportunity for a qualified speech and language therapist to join our mental health services in order to cover a period of maternity leave.

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic speech and language therapist to work as part of the wards multi-disciplinary teams and join our established trust wide mental health SLT team. We are looking for highly motivated and creative individuals with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

We are part of a wider network of SLTs based throughout LSCFT who form a virtual team of experienced and supportive therapists. We have a sound professional leadership structure through which we offer: Clinical and professional supervision, specialist support by experienced senior staff, continuing professional development and membership of both a Trust wide professional forum and our Mental Health SLT clinical excellence network.

This role will give the successful applicant opportunities to work within specialist inpatient services to support adults with mental health conditions. We work with adults with communication and/ or swallowing difficulties, we use evidenced based pathways to support standardised best practice, covering the needs of this client group. We have positive regard for service users and aim to work in partnership with them to offer person centred, quality, and equitable care.

The wards are based across several sites therefore access to transport will be needed.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will work within the MDT and be responsible for the wards caseloads and offer assessment, treatment, planning, and delivery of evidence-based highly specialised speech and language intervention across mental health wards.
• To provide a dysphagia and speech, language and communication needs service.
• To identify audit/research/quality improvement opportunities, initiating, designing and implementing agreed projects as required.
• To lead/contribute to training and development programmes relating to the field of expertise, delivering to other professionals.
• To actively participate in the delivery of the ward objectives, and support implementation of the Care Quality Commission requirements and regulatory standards.
• To work within the wider SLT mental health speech and language therapies team to share best practice, co-ordinate projects, progress clinical developments and co-ordinate cover arrangements for wards during leave.

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about the role, please see the attached recruitment pack which includes a detailed job description and person specification, or visit our website via Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree or Masters Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
• Current professional registration with HCPC as Speech and Language Therapist and responsibility for maintaining this registration
• Evidence of CPD in related field of clinical expertise (Mental Health, autism)

Knowledge

• In depth knowledge relevant to the post including dysphagia
• Understanding of clinical governance framework and implications for practice including audit and research governance.
• In-depth understanding of relevant current NHS/government policy/Public Health/NICE guidelines on organisational change and the ability to adapt these appropriately to local service needs through publication of documents.

Experience

• Treatment of a broad range of speech, language and communication, and dysphagia conditions relating to clinical speciality
• Demonstrable evidence of improving and developing service and practice
• Evidence of leading and implementing clinical change

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.