Specialist Speech & Language Therapist
Sussex Community Nhs Foundation Trust
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Job summary
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting Band 6 Specialist Speech & Language Therapists to join the Adult SLT Service across Sussex, delivering high-quality, patient-centred care in community and outpatient settings.
Roles include full-time and part-time positions in Brighton, Crawley, Worthing and surrounding areas. Development opportunities exist in the Brighton & Hove locality for progression from Band 5 to Band 6.
Qualifications
- A degree (or recognised equivalent) in Speech and Language Therapy.
- Registered with HCPC and membership of RCSLT.
- Postgraduate experience working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders.
- Demonstrable experience in the assessment and management of dysphagia, supported by competency-based training.
- Excellent assessment, clinical reasoning and communication skills.
- Experience of multidisciplinary team working across health and care settings.
- Commitment to CPD and high-quality patient care.
Responsibilities
- Manage an independent and varied caseload of adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders.
- Undertake specialist assessments, formulate differential diagnoses and deliver evidence-based interventions.
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues across health and social care settings.
- Provide specialist advice and support to patients, families, carers and partner organisations.
- Participate in service development, audit and quality improvement activities.
- Supervise, support and mentor junior staff, assistants and students and apprentices.
- Contribute to education and training of colleagues and wider professional groups.
- Promote safe, effective and person-centred care in line with HCPC, RCSLT and Trust standards.
Skills
Education
Job description
Are you a passionate Speech and Language Therapist looking to make a real difference to adults with communication and swallowing difficulties?
We are recruiting a number of Band 6 Specialist Speech & Language Therapists to join our friendly and supportive Adult Speech & Language Therapy Service across Sussex. These roles offer the opportunity to work within experienced multidisciplinary teams, delivering high-quality, patient-centred care across community and outpatient settings. excellence.
- Full-time post in our Brighton & Hove locality, based at Brighton General Hospital
- Part-time (22.5 hours) post in our Mid Sussex locality, based at Crawley Hospital
- Full-time and part-time opportunities within our Coastal West Sussex locality, based in Worthing
Please indicate within your application which locality you are interested in applying for (Brighton & Hove, Mid Sussex or Coastal West Sussex)
We are pleased to offer a Band 5 to Band 6 Development Post within our Brighton & Hove locality. This provides an excellent opportunity for an ambitious therapist looking to develop specialist adult SLT skills within a supportive team. Applicants for this route should be working towards the knowledge, skills and competencies required of a Band 6 Specialist Speech & Language Therapist and will be supported to achieve agreed developmental milestones.
As a Band 6 Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, you will:
- Manage an independent and varied caseload of adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders.
- Undertake specialist assessments, formulate differential diagnoses and deliver evidence-based interventions.
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues across health and social care settings.
- Provide specialist advice and support to patients, families, carers and partner organisations.
- Participate in service development, audit and quality improvement activities.
- Supervise, support and mentor junior staff, assistants and students and apprentices.
- Contribute to the education and training of colleagues and wider professional groups.
- Promote safe, effective and person-centred care in line with HCPC, RCSLT and Trust standards.
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community.
- Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
- Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
- Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
- Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
- Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
- Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
- Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
- Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast
Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
Date posted: 02 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 150-SK2921-PC
Job locations: Brighton & Hove / Coastal West Sussex / Mid Sussex
Brighton / Worthing / Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex
BN2 3EW
United Kingdom
This is an exciting opportunity to join a progressive Adult Speech & Language Therapy Service committed to delivering excellent care at the heart of our communities. The successful post holder will provide a comprehensive specialist service to adults presenting with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties. Working autonomously within a supportive team structure, you will assess, diagnose and manage complex clinical presentations, ensuring interventions are evidence-based and outcome-focused. You will develop strong working relationships with patients, carers, acute and community services, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated care and seamless patient journeys. The role requires excellent clinical reasoning, communication and organisational skills, together with the ability to manage competing priorities and a complex caseload. Alongside clinical responsibilities, you will play an active role in service development through audit, quality improvement initiatives, clinical governance activities and the implementation of best practice. You will also play an active role in service development through audit, quality improvement initiatives, clinical governance activities and the implementation of best practice. You will also …
- A degree (or recognised equivalent) in Speech and Language Therapy.
- Current HCPC registration and membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
- Postgraduate experience working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders.
- Demonstrable experience in the assessment and management of dysphagia, supported by completed competency-based training and the ability to work across Foundation, Proficient and Advanced levels of practice.
- Excellent assessment, clinical reasoning and communication skills.
- Experience of multidisciplinary team working across health and care settings.
- A commitment to continuous professional development and high-quality patient care.
- A supportive and inclusive team culture.
- Excellent supervision, peer support and development opportunities.
- Opportunities to contribute to service innovation and quality improvement.
- Flexible working options across a range of localities.
- NHS pension and comprehensive staff benefits package.
Join us and be part of a team dedicated to improving the lives of adults with communication and swallowing needs across Sussex. We look forward to receiving your application.
- Degree (or recognised equivalent) in Speech and Language Therapy
- Registered member of RCSLT and HCPC
- Postgraduate and experiential training in relevant areas
- Significant years post-graduation experience in clinical specialism in acquired adult disorders
- Post basic training and experience in dysphagia
- Inter disciplinary team working within Acute and Community settings
- Participation in student placements and provision of training for others
- Specialist clinician, able to demonstrate credibility, diagnostic skills and in depth knowledge of appropriate assessment and management
- Excellent written and verbal communication including observation, empathy and listening skills
- Demonstrates ability to manage caseload independently
- Developing negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Excellent auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically and analyse narrative linguistically
- Working knowledge of professional standards and policies related to clinical and management practice
- Demonstrates a commitment to learning and development and skill sharing
- Demonstrable experience in the assessment and management of dysphagia, supported by completed competency-based training and the ability to work across Foundation, Proficient and Advanced levels of practice.
- Car driver with own transport
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be
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