Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

CNTW NHS Foundation Trust in Newcastle upon Tyne is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join an inpatient team. The post is primarily based at St Nicholas Hospital with potential cover across Trust wards and a multidisciplinary approach to care.

You will deliver high-quality, evidence-based assessments and interventions for adults with language, communication and dysphagia needs, contributing to service development and supervision opportunities.

Qualifications

• Recognised SALT degree qualification.
• 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 with dysphagia competencies.

Responsibilities

• Assess and provide language and communication interventions, directly and indirectly.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to support communication needs and eating/drinking difficulties.
• Contribute to and review care plans with high-quality service user centred care.
• Cover inpatient wards across the Trust geographic area.

Job description

Go back Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 24 September 2026

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.

About us

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.

Job 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.

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
• 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
• Clinical supervision skills

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.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust