Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Transformationunitgm; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking NHS Trust as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Carlisle, where you'll make a meaningful impact on mental health and learning disabilities. This role offers a dynamic working environment, with opportunities for professional development and flexible working arrangements. You'll be part of a supportive team, providing essential therapy services to diverse patient groups while enhancing your skills in a vibrant community. If you're passionate about inclusive practices and neurodiversity, this is the perfect opportunity for you to thrive in your career.

Benefits

Flexible Working Hours

Childcare Schemes

Staff Discounts

Cycle to Work Scheme

Lease Cars

Qualifications

• Qualified Speech and Language Therapist with HCPC registration.
• Experience in mental health and learning disabilities.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and intervention for communication and dysphagia needs.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to support service users.
• Contribute to care plans and deliver high-quality user-centered care.

Skills

Speech and Language Therapy

Dysphagia Management

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Risk Assessment

Education

HCPC Registration

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Membership

Dysphagia Qualification

Job description

Main area Speech And Language Therapy Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Flexible working and part time hours will be considered.) Job ref 263-SS25-031-EW

Employer Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Carleton Clinic Town Carlisle Salary £37,338 - £44,962 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 20/05/2025 23:59

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Band 6

Hello!

We are so delighted you are considering coming to work with us at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).

We know the power of looking into an organisation, one you might want to work in, or one where you are going to get help, and being able to say, ‘I’ve seen somewhere I can fit in and be myself.’ We’re on a journey to make the Trust an inclusive employer, representative of the community we serve and we want more of our community to consider applying for jobs with us.

Opportunities for you

Spanning east to west coasts from Northumberland to Cumbria and from the Scottish Borders down to Middlesbrough we’ve got exciting new opportunities available at every level and in every area.

We offer flexible working, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities, or training and development needs and there’s lots on offer in the way of benefits, such as, lease cars, childcare schemes, staff discounts, season tickets for travel and a cycle to work scheme. All this in a vibrant workplace supported by the following staff networks.

• Cultural diversity staff network
• Disabled staff network
• LGBT+ staff network

We also have a number of staff support groups which are open to any staff to attend. These Include:

• Armed Forces and Veterans Staff Association
• Mind, Health and Wellbeing Community
• Menopause toolkit and cafes and staff carer support group

We offer fantastic personal development opportunities through our Collective Leadership Programme and other Organisational Development initiatives. Whatever you are looking for, you will be joining a supportive, friendly team, offering varied and interesting roles, with opportunities for career progression.

Always improving

CNTW is regulated by the national healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our last two inspections have rated us as an outstanding organisation. We’re always seeking to improve as an organisation. Do you want to be part of that?

Please note that it is a requirement of this Trust that all external applicants pay for their own DBS certification if a DBS check is required for the post. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first monthly pay

Job overview

Are you a qualified, experienced and compassionate Speech and Language Therapist looking for a new challenge and a rewarding career working in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in the North West of England?

An opportunity has arisen for a full time Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join the Speech and Language Therapy service in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

The role is based at the Carleton Clinic, Carlisle supporting the inpatient services located here. The inpatient services you will work into include working age adult acute, older adult functional, dementia and learning disabilities.

We are looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic individual with transferable skills to work in mental health, learning disability and autism; or experience working in inpatient settings. The successful candidate must be able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and have the skills and knowledge to provide high quality speech and language input into these teams.

If you are passionate about neurodiversity affirming practice, trauma informed speech and language therapy and inclusion in recovery then this post might be for you!

Main duties of the job

These services provide assessment, intervention and an MDT approach to support adults who are experiencing mental illness and require specialist speech and language therapy input for communication and/or dysphagia needs.

The successful candidate will have a particular interest and enthusiasm to work in this area. You should have qualifications and experience relevant in this clinical field and work well as part of a close team and be able to work independently.

You will liaise closely with fellow professionals to support communication needs and differences, as well as eating/drinking difficulties as part of a holistic, service user centred service and will contribute to, write and review care plans and provide high quality service user centred care.

You will have a varied caseload with opportunities to contribute to a range of wider projects within a variety of wards within inpatient settings.

You will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be able to contribute to the existing multi-disciplinary team.

A qualification in dysphagia is desirable, but not essential as support will be given for dysphagia training as required.

Working for our organisation

The Speech and Language Therapy Service in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is continuing to develop and grow to meet the needs of our patients and local communities. We are looking for dedicated and passionate individuals with different levels of qualifications and clinical knowledge and experience to join our team.

We will provide you with a comprehensive induction period and you will have access to ongoing clinical supervision and appraisal with development reviews that will provide you with support and the specialist skills required to meet the holistic needs of the patients in your care. The post holder will be expected to actively engage in the Trusts supervision and continuing professional development process.

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the separate job description, person specification and in particular the service and role descriptor for more information.

You will be required to travel to other sites across the Trust as part of the role.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of our growing Speech and Language Therapy team within Cumbria Inpatients.

We welcome your application.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registration with HCPC
• Evidence of completion of a short course relevant to the area of specialism
• A dysphagia qualification or commitment to attain this qualification and practice in this clinical area
• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Log of supervised hours/completion of dysphagia competencies

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of delivering appropriate specialist assessments and evidence based interventions to service users with communication and/or swallowing disorders
• Specialist communication skills, considering a variety of strategies to support adults with complex communication/cognitive needs
• Experience of developing therapeutic partnerships with service users and carers
• Experience of communicating interventions to service users and Experience of working with service users with complex needs and their carers in successful delivery of treatment plans
• Working knowledge of statutory issues which impact on service users eg safeguarding
• Experience of working within a mult-disciplinary environment
• Experience of supervising others eg assistant practitioners, students
• Experience of contributing to audit and/or service evaluation
• Knowledge and an understanding of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Experience of working at post graduate level as a Speech and Language Therapist with adults who have a learning disability, complex and challenging behaviours and/or mental health needs
• Knowledge of assessment and management of challenging behaviours
• Experience of delivering training relevant to SALT

Skills and Competencies

• Proven ability to carry out and provide comprehensive written assessments of individuals with complex mental health needs
• Risk assessment, risk/safety management planning skills
• Demonstrate an understanding of effective and appropriate treatment options including a range of evidence based clinical approaches as identified in the NICE guidance
• Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills. Excellent interpersonal skills and good conflict resolution skills
• Evidence of a high level of professional, organisational and leadership skills (self and others)
• Ability to adapt within a changing environment and work under pressure
• Ability to use electronic recording and relevant IT equipment
• Ability to work effectively with other professionals using a multi-agency approach. Ability to work autonomously and within a team
• Excellent time and case management skills
• Proven track record of acting as an effective advocate for service users and their carers
• Clinical leadership skills
• Teaching and presentation skills

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed.

Please ensure to check out all of the supporting documents linked to this advert, for useful information about working for us, information from our Chief Executive and much more.

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.

Name Amy Hird Job title Clinical Lead for Speech and Language Therapy Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07773 255922 Additional information

For further information about the opportunity and an informal discussion, please contact:

Amy Hird, Clinical Lead for Speech and Language Therapy (Inpatients) [e-mail] or on 07773255922

or Fiona Johnstone, Professional Lead and Manager for Speech and Language Therapy at [e-mail] or on 07976 791399 or 0191 2106868