Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Cumbria,-Northumberland,-Tyne-and-Wear-Nhs-Foundation-Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lease cars

Childcare schemes

Staff discounts

Season tickets for travel

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Band 6 opportunity at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Permanent full-time post (37.5 hours) with consideration for part-time.

Inpatient wards with MDT support, focusing on adults with communication and swallowing needs. Flexible working and development opportunities are available; DBS and HCPC registration are essential.

Qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapist qualification (SALT).
• Registration with HCPC is essential.
• Dysphagia training or competencies desirable.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary team (MDT).

Responsibilities

• Assess and treat adults with communication and swallowing disorders.
• Develop and review care plans with the MDT.
• Deliver evidence-based assessments and interventions.
• Liaise with other professionals to support patient needs.

Skills

SALT degree

HCPC registered

Dysphagia training

MDT collaboration

Education

SALT degree qualification

HCPC registration

Dysphagia course

RCST membership

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-SS26-050-HN

Employer Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site St Nicholas Hospital Town Newcastle upon Tyne Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 06/10/2026

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 Network
• 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.

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

Would you like to work in a team who were finalists for clinical team of the year 2026 who were recognised for their compassion and creativity?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join our service. This is a permanent post, working full time (37.5 hours per week), providing input to inpatient wards predominantly in Newcastle upon Tyne. Consideration would be given to part-time hours.

The inpatient wards 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.

This post is part of the Speech and Language Therapy Inpatient Team, which supports both working-age adult and older people’s mental health wards across North Cumbria, Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. The team works with individuals presenting with complex cognitive and functional mental health needs.

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic individual to join our team. The successful candidate will be confident in delivering high-quality, evidence-based assessments and interventions. They will possess excellent communication and organisational skills, alongside the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

You will work to support patients to achieve their therapeutic goals by supporting their language and communication skills. In practice, you will assess and provide a range of communication interventions with the individual both directly and indirectly with support and guidance from senior clinicians. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate excellent awareness of communication difficulties.

You will liaise closely with fellow professionals to support communication needs and differences, and 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, a commitment to developing dysphagia skills is essential and a core part of the role.

Working for our organisation

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.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

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.

You will become part of a large, dynamic team of Speech and Language Therapists working within well-established multidisciplinary teams, all committed to delivering high-quality care. We actively support professional development and offer opportunities for all team members to contribute to service development and innovation.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The base for this post will be St Nicholas Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne however you will be expected to provide cover into inpatients settings across the Trust geographical area.

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

We welcome your application.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Recognised SALT degree qualification and completion of NQP competencies
• Registration with HCPC
• Evidence of completion of a short course relevant to the area of specialism
• 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

  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
  • Clinical supervision 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 [emailprotected] 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) at [emailprotected] or on 07773255922

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