Speech and Language Therapist (Development Role B5-6)

NHS; Norwich; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health trust in the UK seeks a Speech and Language Therapist to provide specialized care for adults with learning disabilities. The role involves assessing communication needs, delivering interventions as part of a multidisciplinary team, and requires a degree in Speech and Language Therapy as well as HCPC registration. The salary range is £31,049 to £46,580 per annum pro rata and aims to ensure that individuals in crisis receive appropriate support to prevent the breakdown of care arrangements.

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy required.
• Specialist knowledge in speech and language therapy assessments and interventions.
• Willingness to undertake post-graduate dysphagia training.

Responsibilities

• Manage a defined caseload, using evidence-based principles.
• Work with multidisciplinary team for service user care.
• Provide SLT assessment and intervention for service users.

Skills

Evidence of continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Broad knowledge of current best practice in SLT

Understanding of team dynamics

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Registration with HCPC

Member of the RCSLT

Job description

Speech and Language Therapist (Development Role B5-6)

The closing date is 21 December 2025

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapist to work within our Intensive Support Service.

The intensive support service provides specialist multidisciplinary community intensive support to adults with learning disabilities who are in crisis due to escalation in behaviours of concern and/or deterioration of their mental health. The focus of the service is to support individuals to remain in their home, to prevent, where possible, the breakdown of care arrangements/placement and prevent admission to hospital.

The service acts as a gateway to the inpatient assessment and treatment service and works in close liaison with inpatient services to facilitate appropriate admission and timely discharge from services. The team operates 9am-5pm 365 days of the year and works with service users in a variety of health and social care settings across Norfolk and Waveney.

You will be forward thinking and able to demonstrate clinical knowledge in the area of adult learning disabilities based on current evidence. You will autonomously undertake specialist assessments and interventions with individuals with both communication difficulties and dysphagia.

Main duties of the job

To work within the Norfolk and Waveney Intensive Support Service offering SLT assessment and intervention for service users with a learning disability, mental health issues and complex needs. This will be undertaken in partnership with:

• The individual
• The individual's carers / family members
• Members of the multidisciplinary team

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Job responsibilities

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Job Responsibilities (Band 5):

To manage a small defined caseload, using evidence-based person-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To provide this service-to-service users, who present with communication and/or dysphagia difficulties.

To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team.

Job Responsibilities (Band 6):

To manage a diverse caseload, using evidence-based, person-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To provide this service to service users with communication and/or dysphagia difficulties.

To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team.

Working Relationships of the Job (Band 5 and 6):

To work with other members of Norfolk Learning Disabilities Service.

To work with service users and carers within Specialist Learning Disability Services.

To work with other stakeholders including Health Facilitation, Community Learning Disability Teams, Primary and Secondary Care Services.

To link with other SLTs.

Communication Requirements of the Job (Band 5 and 6):

To monitor and evaluate treatment to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.

To establish effective communication networks with service users and carers, team members, AHP colleagues and other agencies.

To participate and work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to client care programmes.

To provide support and deliver education to clients, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team.

Clinical Responsibility (Band 5):

To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users, including those with profound learning disabilities, additional sensory and/or physical disability, mental health diagnosis and/or challenging behaviour.

To select and apply SLT assessments for a designated caseload, addressing communication and/or dysphagia needs.

To work with service users and carers to identify SLT requirements as part of the overall care plan.

To plan and implement individual interventions, in collaboration with the service user and carer.

To monitor, evaluate and modify interventions with service users to ensure effectiveness of intervention and positive outcomes.

To instruct and advise Assistant Therapy Practitioners (ATP) in the appropriate provision of interventions.

To have knowledge and understanding of the application of alternative and augmentative communication.

Clinical Responsibility (Band 6):

To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users, including those with profound learning disabilities, additional sensory and/or physical disability, mental health diagnosis and/or challenging behaviour.

To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users presenting with dysphagia.

To be responsible for assessment, differential diagnosis, formulation of treatment plans, writing assessment reports, providing appropriate intervention, evaluating treatment outcomes and reviewing and discharging service users.

To be responsible for managing a defined caseload.

To work with and be available to other SLTs and ATPs for support and joint consultation as required.

To be an autonomous practitioner.

To work with service users and carers to identify SLT requirements as part of the overall care plan.

To have knowledge and understanding of the application of alternative and augmentative communication.

To have the skills needed to facilitate group work.

To undertake risk assessments and manage clinical and organisational risk.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility (Band 5):

To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and reliable attendance.

To demonstrate basic leadership skills.

To participate in the induction, training and education of students and other staff as appropriate.

To apply knowledge and skills to make decisions in the absence of senior staff.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility (Band 6):

To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and reliable attendance.

To co-ordinate day-to-day activities of junior staff where applicable.

To participate in the induction, training and education of students and other staff as appropriate.

To participate in supervision of junior staff as appropriate.

To apply knowledge and skills to make decisions in the absence of senior staff.

Financial responsibility (Band 5 & 6):

To be responsible for maintaining stock, advising on resources to carry out the job.

To be responsible for the safekeeping and use of equipment and materials.

Service Development and Improvement (Band 5):

To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols.

To participate in the delivery of the SLT development plan.

To ensure Health & Safety Regulations and Data Protection Act Regulations are observed and instituted.

To take part in Risk Assessment and to attend mandatory training sessions.

Service Development and Improvement (Band 6):

To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols.

To participate in the delivery of the dysphagia pathway development plan.

To ensure Health & Safety Regulations and Data Protection Act Regulations are observed and instituted.

To take part in Risk Assessment and to attend mandatory training sessions.

To critically appraise and review current literature on relevant topics.

To take part in the annual appraisal process and develop a personal development plan.

To undertake professional and educational activities to develop knowledge and ensure maintenance of professional and clinical standards.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills (Band 5 & 6):

To apply increasingly complex skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practice as a Specialist SLT.

To demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.

To comply with the HCPC and RCSLT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and Trust procedures.

To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

Planning and Organisational Skills (Band 5 & 6):

Plan own diary and appointments with the service users and their carers in conjunction with the Specialist Learning Disability Community Service.

Physical Working Conditions and Environment (Band 5 & 6):

To work within the team base, clinic, community and in-patient setting as appropriate.

Information Resources (Band 5 & 6):

To ensure that up to date written electronic records and reports are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.

To record appropriate statistical activity.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Registration with HCPC.
• Member of the RCSLT.
• Evidence of continuing Professional Development (CPD) – professional portfolio.
• Willingness to undertake post graduate dysphagia training.

Previous Experience

• Specialist knowledge and application of speech and language therapy assessments and interventions.
• Detailed knowledge of evidence-based practice and its contribution to practice governance.
• Planning and coordination of treatment packages.
• Previous experience working in the field of Learning Disabilities or other relevant transferable setting (e.g. older adults, long term neuro).
• Experience of managing a caseload.

Skills

• Experience of managing a caseload.
• Broad knowledge of current best practice in SLT, Learning Disabilities and mental health.
• Understanding of team dynamics.

Physical Skills

• Basic word processing skills.
• Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving).

Mental Effort

• Ability to manage own workload and determine priorities.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Application of health, safety and risk management policies.
• Working with service users with barriers to understanding.

Emotional Effort

• Regular requirement to deal with distressing or emotionally charged situations.

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.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

£31,049 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata