Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to support inpatient wards in the North East region. The role involves assessments and interventions for adults with mental illness and dysphagia needs, working within a multidisciplinary team and contributing to care plans.

The post is permanent, full-time (37.5 hours) with possible part-time consideration, offering professional development and supervision within a dynamic NHS

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience delivering high-quality, evidence-based assessments and interventions.

Responsibilities

• Assess and provide a range of communication interventions for adults with mental illness and dysphagia needs.
• Deliver high-quality, evidence-based assessments and interventions on inpatient wards.
• Liaise closely with fellow professionals to support communication needs and swallowing difficulties.
• Contribute to, write and review care plans and provide high-quality service-user centred care.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Independent working

MDT collaboration

Education

Dysphagia qualification

Job description

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.

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.

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.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Amy Hird Job title: Clinical Lead for Speech and Language Therapy Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 07773 255922

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

Amy Hird, Clinical Lead for Speech and Language Therapy (Inpatients) at [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