Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust; Halifax; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS trust is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to work primarily in acute wards, providing assessments and treatment for adults with communication and swallowing disorders. The successful candidate will manage their own caseload and contribute to the ongoing development of less experienced staff. This role requires postgraduate qualifications and experience in a clinical setting. The position offers a competitive salary range and a full-time, permanent contract.

Qualifications

• Registered with HCPC & RCSLT.
• Successful completion of post-basic dysphagia course.
• Evidence of postgraduate training.

Responsibilities

• Carry out specialist assessment of adults with communication disorders.
• Manage own clinical caseload and maintain records.
• Provide education and training to staff.

Skills

Autonomous management of clinical caseload

Communication skills with complex needs

Clinical reasoning

Teaching and supervising others

Education

Registered with HCPC & RCSLT

Studied at Masters level or equivalent

Job description

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 19 January 2026

The Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service provides an assessment and management service to patients with communication and swallowing problems in the acute hospital settings (Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary) and the community areas of Calderdale.

Patients may have acute neurological conditions, long term neurodegenerative conditions, respiratory and ENT disorders and complex multi‑pathology conditions, including patients with dementia.

The Adult Acute Team provides the service to the acute wards and stroke unit, and also provides the outpatient Voice Service and Videofluoroscopy Clinic.

The post holder will work primarily within Acute wards at both Hospital sites, providing a comprehensive speech and language therapy service in the acute setting with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. The post holder will also support the Service's Clinical Lead/s in evolving and embedding best practice within the clinical area and playing an active role in the ongoing development of less experienced Speech and Language Therapists, service support staff and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

• To carry out specialist assessment and treatment of adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders.
• To manage own specialist adult caseload.
• To work autonomously in line with Trust policies and within the scope of professional practice, maintaining accurate and comprehensive up to date records.
• To independently determine clinical diagnoses for patients of varying levels of complexity and to develop, implement, evaluate and modify individualised treatment programmes for these patients and/or provide specialist advice, ensuring appropriate pathways of care via liaison and referral to other agencies as required.
• To provide education and training of Speech & Language Therapists and qualified and non‑qualified healthcare / social services / education staff including medical staff.
• To support the Clinical Leads / Team Leader in the day to day running of the Speech & Language Therapy service.
• To support and advise within the wider MDT on the delivery of the service in consultation with the Clinical Lead/s.

The work is currently a 5 day service with no bank holiday however this may change in the future depending on service need

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff and the local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job responsibilities

• To work within the Speech & Language Therapy service, developing effective clinical interventions in order to contribute to clinical practice in the team in line with current evidence base.
• To autonomously manage own clinical caseload of patients at a specialist level, assessing and treating patients and maintaining clinical records.
• To have proven specialist skills in acquired swallowing and communication disorders in acute onset and progressive neurological conditions, respiratory conditions and other presenting multifactorial medical conditions.
• Independently supporting complex decision making (e.g. supported communication in capacity assessments, involvement in decisions regarding feeding at risk)
• Discharge and transfer of care planning
• Training others
• Working autonomously and independently but also demonstrating awareness of when and how to access support from the Clinical Lead/s.
• Autonomous representation of Speech and Language Therapy in relevant clinical settings e.g. patient case conferences, board rounds and MDTs, discharge planning meetings, best interest meetings
• Prioritisation and delegation of day to day workload.
• To apply evidence based knowledge within the specialist clinical area acquired through experience and academic study to a specialist post graduate level.
• To act, within the Trust, as a resource and provide advice for Speech & Language Therapists and other professionals and colleagues within the MDT about the assessment, treatment, management and care of adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders.
• To work collaboratively with health and social care community and acute colleagues.
• To work with other members of the MDT to ensure effective care pathways and transfer of care / discharges.
• To proactively and appropriately facilitate a seamless transfer of care and continuing therapeutic management of adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders between care settings.
• To work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary manner within the MDT, being able to debate the blurring of boundaries across professions and where competent take on aspects of blurred boundary working, where appropriate.
• To develop specialist programmes of assessment, treatment and intervention for adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders, particularly following stroke
• To manage and prioritise the clinical workload as appropriate, working efficiently to manage professional time and delegate according to the training and competency levels of other team members to ensure the effective delivery of the service.
• To participate in the supervision process with staff on a daily basis and for students on placement within the team.
• To ensure a high standard of patient care is provided including implementing and reviewing clinical standards relevant to the work undertaken.
• To provide specialist assessment and advice for the multidisciplinary team and if appropriate actively participate in MDT clinical meetings.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

• Registered with HCPC & RCSLT
• Successful completion of post‑basic dysphagia course or completed & documented competencies from in‑house dysphagia training.
• Clinical Educator Training
• Evidence of Postgraduate Training
• Member of professional Body
• Studied at Masters level or equivalent

Knowledge, Experience & Expertise

• Recent significant band 5 experience demonstrating ability to assess, treat and evaluate therapy intervention in adults with communication and swallowing disorders.
• Evidence of CPD, self directed learning and Reflective Practice.
• Awareness of relevant legislation, NSF's and local/National initiatives
• Good Clinical Reasoning skills
• Understanding of Clinical Governance
• Critical Appraisal skills
• Ability to maintain legible and accurate records
• Evidence of recent experience of working with adults with complex needs
• Post Graduate training in specialist area, eg. attendance at CEN's in Dysphagia, motor speech disorders, Aphasia
• Ability to carry out specialist assessments and treatments and evaluate intervention in terms of quality and outcomes
• Evidence of up to date best practice
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate appropriately
• Experience of developing others
• Experience in contributing to service improvements e.g. Audit, patient information etc.
• Experience in dealing with complaints (e.g. diffusing complaint or investigating complaint)
• Experience in supervising and training others
• Carrying out PDR's
• Teaching presentation skills
• Attendance at relevant specialist groups
• Experience of delivering training packages
• Previous experience working at Band 6 level

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Demonstrates positive attitude and behaviours
• Ability to communicate effectively with people with complex difficulties and in difficult situations
• Ability to identify and articulate own training needs
• Self motivated with ability to work independently and influence others
• Excellent team player
• Ability to work in a stressful environment and concentrate in conditions requiring emotional demands
• Ability to recognise own limitations and have a willingness to share and learn skills from others
• Ability to prioritise own and others caseloads
• Ability to make decisions and problem solve when dealing with routine situations
• Ability to work in various locations throughout the network of services provided by Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust.

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.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Address

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

372-COM2634

Job locations