Principal Speech And Language Therapist

Sussex Partnership Nhs Foundation Trust; Waldron; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Principal Speech and Language Therapist to provide strategic direction, governance and leadership for SaLT across CAMHS in Sussex. The role combines senior leadership with a clinical component, including complex assessments and cross-agency collaboration to support children and young people with mental health needs.

The post is Band 8a with a permanent contract, part-time/flexible working, and a pay band under Agenda for Change.

Qualifications

• Licence to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist
• HCPC registration

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and clinical leadership for SaLT across CAMHS Sussex with responsibility for governance, service development and workforce planning.
• Maintain a clinical caseload with complex assessment and intervention for children and young people, ensuring SaLT perspectives are embedded in care planning and risk management.

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Principal Speech and Language Therapist to provide professional and clinical leadership for Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) across CAMHS services. This senior leadership role within Sussex CAMHS offers the opportunity to provide strategic direction, clinical expertise and professional governance for SaLT practice across the CAMHS pathway, including crisis and acute care services. The post also includes a clinical role within East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LD FISS).

As the CAMHS Principal SaLT, you will provide professional leadership, supervision and workforce development for SaLT staff, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based interventions are delivered consistently and safely across services. You will play a key role in service development, influencing multidisciplinary practice and embedding SaLT within assessment, care planning, risk management and crisis intervention for children and young people with complex mental health needs.

The role includes working clinically within CAMHS LD FISS, an innovative, award-winning multidisciplinary community team supporting families whose children have moderate to severe learning disabilities and significant psychological, behavioural and communication needs. The team provides specialist assessment, intervention and intensive support to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide professional and clinical leadership for a small number of SaLTs across CAMHS Sussex, with responsibility of scoping unmet need and developing SaLT in CAMHS. This includes professional management, leadership and supervision of the SaLT workforce, and ensuring services are high-quality, effective and compliant with professional, national and local standards.

The post holder will play a key role in professional governance, contributing to the development, implementation and monitoring of the governance agenda, and ensuring a strong SaLT contribution to quality clinical care, service performance and continuous improvement across CAMHS.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the role incorporates a clinical component, involving complex assessment and intervention with children and young people, consultation and support to families and carers, and specialist advice and consultation to multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams. This clinical contribution ensures the Principal SaLT maintains direct involvement in service delivery, supports best practice, and informs strategic and professional leadership across CAMHS.

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation trust provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.

This is an excellent time for Speech and Language Therapists to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as the CAMHS services are going through an exciting transformation underpinned by the THRIVE model and there is a robust AHP workforce and AHP plan embedded across the Trust. The following can be offered to you:

• Regular professional supervision
• The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.
• Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities including
• A programme of AHP specific training
• SaLT Trust Wide CPD Meetings twice a year
• Communities of Practice

For more information around being an AHP within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation trust please visit Allied Health Professions :: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

See the attached 'Partnership Perks' document for details about our benefits package.

Details

Date posted: 29 October 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number: 354-CS-22003

Job responsibilities

You will be a HCPC-registered SaLT with significant post-qualification experience in children and young peoples mental health services, including experience of providing professional leadership, supervision and clinical governance. You will have demonstrable expertise in complex assessment and intervention, influencing multidisciplinary practice and service development across pathways. Desirable criteria include experience of working at a senior or strategic level within CAMHS and experience across crisis, acute or specialist pathways.

This is a senior leadership role combining professional leadership (approximately 60%) and clinical contribution (approximately 40%), with flexible working patterns considered. The post holder will provide professional and clinical leadership for SaLT across CAMHS Sussex, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based practice, strong professional governance, and contribution to service development, policy, quality improvement and workforce planning. The role includes a clinical caseload, offering specialist assessment, consultation and intervention with children and young people, families and multi-agency networks, ensuring SaLT perspectives are embedded in care planning, risk management and system-wide working.

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Diana Ramsey (Allied Health Professions Divisional Professional Lead - CAMHS, EIP & Perinatal) at [e-mail] or Natasha Dash (CAMHS LD FISS Team Lead) on [e-mail] or Anne Walker (Professional Lead Speech and Language Therapist Learning Disability Services & Deputy Trust Lead for SaLT) on [e-mail].

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Licence to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist
• HCPC registration

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience as a qualified SLT
• Broad experience of working with clients with a range of abilities and disabilities
• Experience of both group and individual work
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of supervising staff and students
• Experience in a clinical area related to the post
• Experience of multi-agency work
• Leadership experience
• Experience of service development

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.

Employer details

Employer name: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Highmore, Hailsham, BN27 3DY, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/

Contact

AHP Divisional Professional Lead, Diana Ramsey, [e-mail]