Lead Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Papworth Everard; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Papworth Everard is seeking a Lead Speech and Language Therapist to provide leadership for a specialist service aimed at adults with learning disabilities. The role involves managing a complex caseload, ensuring best practice, and collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team. Candidates must have a degree in Speech and Language Therapy and relevant professional registration. This is a full-time, permanent position with a salary ranging from £55,690 to £62,682 per annum.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable post qualifying experience within a Community MDT.
• Experience of working with adults with Learning Disability.
• Excellent leadership and clinical supervision experience.

Responsibilities

• Delivery of a countywide specialist learning disability Speech and Language Therapy service.
• Professional leadership for Speech and Language Therapy staff including recruitment and training.
• Managing a complex caseload of adults with Learning disabilities.

Skills

Excellent written, presentation and verbal communication skills

Effective organisation and time management skills

Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance

Ability to work as part of MDT

Ability to work under pressure and cope with stress

Education

Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy

Registered member of RCSLT

Registered member of HCPC

Job description

Go back Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Lead Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 26 November 2025

If you are an energetic and motivated Speech and Language Therapist with a commitment to excellence in clinical practice and successful outcomes for people with a learning disability, then this role will appeal to you.

You will have the necessary clinical experience and leadership skills to manage SLT resources within the service as part of a dedicated, dynamic and highly skilled multi-disciplinary team within the community. With strong communication skills, a solution focused approach and ability to influence change, you will work alongside other dedicated Clinical Leads and Managers, developing a network of support and resilience within the service.

The Learning Disability Partnership (LDP) is a nationally recognised fullyintegrated health and social care service that delivers seamless community support to adults across Cambridgeshire. Your role will be to ensure best practice and clinical governance is maintained across health and social care, and to support our continued success in the delivery of our ambitious Transforming Care Plans.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the delivery of a countywide specialist learning disability Speech and Language Therapy service.

To provide professional leadership & management to Speech and Language Therapy staff (and students) including recruitment, supervision, appraisal and professional development particularly mandatory training. To provide highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy input into planning, development, and evaluation of learning disability services, holding responsibility for defined projects as delegated by the LDP management team.

As an autonomous practitioner to be responsible for and manage a highly complex case load of adults with Learning disabilities (including those with challenging behaviour, mental health and forensic needs). Managing such a case load will include planning and implementing appropriate clinical interventions based on the referral, evaluation, assessment, diagnoses, treatment and monitoring of individuals identified needs.

To lead in Multi disciplinary/ multi agency working within the LDP and with key partners.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• The post holder will demonstrate highly specialist knowledge and skills and have undertaken appropriate post registration training.
• To have an extensive understanding of Health and Social care policy and legislation for the service user group in relation to your professional practice.
• To independently prioritise, maintain and manage a complex and highly specialist personal caseload within the context of the Learning Disability Partnership.
• To be highly proficient in the assessment, identification, treatment and management of the communication/swallowing needs of the learning disability population. This includes risk assessment, assessment of complex conditions e.g. dysphagia, challenging behaviour including forensic issues, palliative care, mental health, epilepsy etc.
• To be highly proficient in alternative and augmentative communication including manual signing and symbol use to enable training for all staff and carer groups to a high level.
• To enable the use implementation and adaption of alternative and augmentative communication across a variety of communication environments.
• To have good knowledge of and skills in sensory impairment and sensory integration as related to Adults with Learning Disability and to enable clients to access generic services as appropriate.
• To coordinate and facilitate in the making of information that is accessible to service users, staff and carers.
• To plan, implement and regularly review integrated individual support plans for each client in conjunction with team members as appropriate.
• To have knowledge and expertise in multidisciplinary working with parents with learning disability.
• To liaise and communicate effectively and sensitively with other professionals in the MDT and external agencies (e.g. Older peoples teams, Mental Health Teams, Drug and Alcohol, Palliative and Childrens Services) providing highly specialist advice as necessary.
• To develop close working relationships where appropriate with other agencies involved in current cases, maintaining the requirement for confidentiality, to promote complementary working relationships and ensuring a quality service regarding client care.
• Lead in the co ordination of complex case work as a case manager for individual cases.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• Registered member of RCSLT
• Registered member of HCPC (Health and Care Professional Council)
• Evidence of successful completion of short specialist courses up to Master's degree equivalent for example; Dysphagia Qualification, attendance at a recognised signing course, Autism and Learning Disability
• Membership of a relevant Special Interest Group

Experience

• Demonstrable post qualifying experience within a Community MDT.
• Experience of working with adults with Learning Disability
• Care Co-ordination in CPA/Case Management
• Experience in providing clinical supervision.
• Experience in providing Leadership.
• Experience of developing and delivering training
• Experience of developing service user and carer involvement
• Experience of recruitment and selection
• Experience of effectively managing a staffing resource

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent written, presentation and verbal communication skills
• Effective organisation and time management skills
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance and that of the speech and language therapy staff
• Ability to work as part of MDT
• Proven track record of representing the views of others
• Ability to work under pressure and cope with stress
• Ability to encourage and facilitate good team work
• Ability to deliver health education training
• Ability to contribute to service development and ability to manage change
• Demonstrable Knowledge and practice of good customer care skills
• Advanced sensory skills
• Ability to provide services in a variety of environments to meet the needs of the service user
• Counselling Skills
• MHA and MCA Knowledge.
• Understanding of research and audit processes
• Understanding of Clinical governance
• Awareness of current trends, legislation and guidance in support for people with learning disabilities and their carers
• Knowledge of treatment strategies
• Knowledge of the Enabling approach to support people meet their full potential
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Knowledge of the clinical implications for people with learning disability of loss, trauma and abuse.
• Knowledge of research methodologies
• Ability to participate in research and Audit.

Other Requirements

• Ability to Travel within a rural location

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.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time,Flexible working,Home or remote working