Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is looking for a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Preston. The ideal candidate will work with individuals facing mental health crises, providing expert assessment and therapy. The role demands strong clinical skills and the ability to collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams. Responsibilities include delivering interventions, training staff, and ensuring service users remain safe in the community. This is a challenging yet rewarding position within a supportive environment, aimed at making a meaningful difference in clients' lives.

Benefits

Opportunities for clinical innovation

Regular professional development

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Current professional registration with HCPC as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Evidence of CPD in related field of clinical expertise.
• Ability to support communication needs and reduce hospital admissions.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert Speech & Language Therapy input as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Deliver evidence-based assessment and interventions.
• Offer specialist advice and training to colleagues and partner agencies.

Skills

Dysphagia

Positive behavioural approaches

Learning disabilities

Clinical reasoning

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Masters module/post grad qualification

Job description

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 06 January 2026

The Intensive Support Team is a dynamic service supporting individuals with a learning disability who are experiencing mental health crisis and/or behavioural distress, placing them at risk of hospital admission. Our aim is to meet the holistic needs of service users and carers, avoiding admission wherever possible.

We are looking for a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist with the passion and advanced clinical skills to join our innovative IST. You will play a key role in delivering highly specialist assessment, consultation, and intervention across Lancashire & South Cumbria, supporting a team caseload of people requiring intensive support. There are three locality arms of the team (spokes) working in partnership with local service users and key agencies providing vital support in helping people remain safe in the community.

Main duties of the job

• Provide expert Speech & Language Therapy input as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Deliver evidence-based assessment and interventions to support communication needs and reduce risk of placement breakdown or hospital admission.
• Work at pace in complex situations requiring advanced clinical reasoning and decision‑making.
• Offer specialist advice and training to colleagues, carers, and partner agencies.
• Contribute to service development, clinical governance, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Travel across the LCFT footprint and work flexibly.

What we offer

• Opportunities for clinical innovation and leadership.
• Regular professional development and supervision.
• A supportive team environment committed to improving outcomes for the most vulnerable people at risk of placement breakdown or hospital admission.

Join us and make a real difference by supporting people to remain safe and thrive in their communities.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact:
Carol Johnson (Principal Speech & Language Therapist) - [e-mail]
Lyndsey Glynn (Modern Matron) - [e-mail]

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well‑being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages 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, flexi‑time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Person Specification

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• Current professional registration with HCPC as Speech and Language Therapist and responsibility for maintaining this registration
• Masters module/post grad qualification in relevant field of clinical expertise (or working towards) / post-grad qualification/equivalent knowledge & experience to masters level
• Evidence of CPD in related field of clinical expertise (Autism, Mental Health).

Knowledge

• In depth knowledge relevant to the post including dysphagia , positive behavioural approaches and Learning disabilities
• In‑depth understanding of 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
• Knowledge and appreciation of lone working risks - policy and procedure.

Experience

• Treatment of a broad range of conditions relating to clinical speciality
• Demonstrable evidence of improving and developing service and practice
• Evidence of leading and implementing clinical change
• Supervision and/or mentoring of staff/students.
• Highly advanced and specialised practice skills in field of expertise.

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.

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearper annum (subject to confirmation)