Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Truro; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A dedicated NHS community provider in Cornwall is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join their Autism Intensive Support Team. The candidate will assess and manage complex communication needs for adults with Autism, deliver training, and work within a multi-disciplinary team. The ideal applicant should possess excellent communication and training skills, and have extensive experience in the field. This role offers the chance to make a direct impact in the community amidst a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Considerable experience of working with people with Autism.
• Advanced knowledge of the impact of autism on language and communication.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate discharge from inpatient settings for Adults with Autism.
• Undertake comprehensive assessments and formulate individualized interventions.
• Lead education planning on communication topics.

Skills

Experience with Adults with Autism

Excellent communication skills

Experience in delivering training

IT literate

Education

Health Professions Council registration

Tools

Standardised assessments

Non-standardised assessment tools

Job description

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 09 December 2025

We are very pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity to join our Autism Intensive Support Team in Cornwall as a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist.

The successful applicants will be working as part of a dynamic and enthusiastic Multi-Disciplinary Team. Successful applicants will offer a service to a complex caseload of adults aged 18 and over with Autistic Spectrum Condition who are referred to the service.

The ideal candidates will have experience working with Adults with Autism, assessing and managing complex communication needs, as well as complex dysphagia management experience.

Candidates will need to have good understanding of current legislation and practices relating to Autism and evidence of this in their day to day working. A key aspect of the role is delivering training programmes relating to communication needs so the candidates must have experience in delivering training with excellent presentation and communication skills.

Working using technology has led to exciting developments in the way the team delivers services so candidates will need to be IT literate and have experience using digital clinical records, as well as the desire to explore new ways of engaging with stakeholders using technology. The candidates will also be required to work with multiple agencies and service providers across Cornwall which will require upon excellent communication skills.

Main duties of the job

• To work as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with Adults with Autistic Spectrum Conditions to facilitate discharge from inpatient Mental Health settings or provide crisis support in the community to prevent admission.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of those referred using investigative and analytical skills and to formulate individualized interventions based on advanced clinical reasoning and partnership working.
• To encourage and enable service users and carers involvement and choice in all intervention options and decisions regarding their care plans / goals wherever possible.
• Communicate the outcome of communication assessment to relevant others to ensure that individuals are correctly supported with their communication needs.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of education to other health and social care workers on the topics of communication and/or dysphagia in Adults with Autism.
• Apply specialist knowledge to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of high quality Speech and Language Therapy services for Adults with Autism.

About us

We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increase the numbers of people who use out services.

Job responsibilities

To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see supporting documents.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications and Relevant Experience

• Health Professions Council registered
• Considerable experience of working with people with Autism

Skills and Aptitude

• Highly skilled in use of standardised assessments and professionally recognised non-standardised assessment tools relevant to this client group

Knowledge and Abilities

• Specialist knowledge and application of SLT assessments and interventions relevant to people with Autism
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the impact of autism on language and communication

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.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust