Speech & Language Therapist

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust is seeking an experienced Speech & Language Therapist to work within the Forensic Outreach Liaison Service (FOLS) for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. The role involves senior SLT support, supervision of staff, and shaping a high-quality pathway across a broad geographic area in the community setting.

The post offers opportunities to influence risk management, clinical governance, and training across multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy with HCPC registration.
• Experience as Band 6/7 therapist in relevant field.
• Experience in supervision and multidisciplinary work.
• Willingness to undertake postgraduate training to further skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision to SLT staff and clinical leadership within the team.
• Lead the development and delivery of the SLT pathway for FOLS LD.
• Liaise with professionals, carers and families to meet service user needs.
• Deliver training and development in line with the SLT pathway and service development.
• Contribute to service governance, audits and research as appropriate.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Staff supervision

Communication with carers

Risk assessment

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

HCPC registration

Postgraduate Masters level training

Job description

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Speech & Language Therapist

The closing date is 23 November 2026

Anexciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced speech and languagetherapist to work within our All-Age Forensic Community Service.

Thepost holder will work in our Forensic Outreach Liaison Service (FOLS) forpeople with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.

Thisnewly established post will be pivotal in establishing a high-quality speechand language therapy pathway offer in FOLS.

Thisis an exciting opportunity to become part of a specialist service working withadults who have a diagnosis of learning disability and/or autism and who haveoffended or are at risk of offending. The role offers the chance to influencecare and risk management across a broad geographical area.

FOLSprovides specialist forensic support across Leeds, Bradford and the wider SWYTfootprint. The service adopts a formulation-driven, trauma-informed andstrengths-based approach, ensuring that individuals receive person-centredsupport that promotes safety, recovery and positive outcomes.

As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you willwork alongside experienced knowledgeable colleagues, partner agencies andwider professional network, to keep people well and safe, promoting thecommunication and independence of our service users.

You will also be confident in upskilling staff in theunderstanding and delivery of communication strategies to ensure that theservice is inclusive and accessible.

Main duties of the job

Therole will also involve providing day to day support and clinical leadership toSaLT staff. You will provide supervision to the speech and language staff.

Youwill have experience of working with individuals with a learning disability andor Autism and be driven by a passion to support people with LearningDisabilities and/or Autism to live safer, fuller lives.

Youwill have the ability and motivation to develop and shape the direction of thespeech and language provision, ensuring it is evidence based and meets theindividuals needs.

Thepost holder would provide a highly specialist speech and language therapyservice, using expert skills to assess, advise and provide appropriateintervention to ensure individuals holistic health needs are met, informingrisk assessment and management and promoting quality of life.

The post holder will be required to liaise effectivelywith all relevant professionals, carers and family members to ensure the needsof the individual are met.

You will provide training and development in line withthe speech and language pathway and inform service development.

You will have access tooperational and professional support, clinical supervision, and strongprofessional networks and a range of profession specific training and careerprogression opportunities.

About us

Weare a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental healthand learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale,Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and arethe lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission isto help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do thisby providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employstaff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make adifference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourageand welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we valuediversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Beinga foundation Trust means were accountable to ourmembers, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people(including staff) are members of our Trust.

Joinus and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improvingthe mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet andhelp each year.

Weare committedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people andvulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share thiscommitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

Atthe time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UKVisas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forwardto receiving your application.

JOB SUMMARY

The post holder will be working with service users within communitysettings as part of the Forensic Outreach and Liasion Service for learningdisabilities (FOLS LD). They will alsoprovide senior support to Speech and Language therapists in other localitiesproviding support and advice where required.

The post holder will work effectively as part of the community team,supporting individuals who are or at risk of being in contact with the criminaljustice system or hospital settings.

The post holder will identify the clinical priorities at both anoperational and strategic level for Speech and Language Therapy for thisservice user group.

The postholder will work effectively as part of the MDT to providehighly specialist assessment, therapy, advice and support to adults with learningdisabilities and/or autism, who have specific needs in relation to theircommunication.

KEYRESULT AREAS:

Clinical

The post-holder independently assesses,diagnoses and manages the communication, in particular those with the mostcomplex difficulties, including those with challenging behaviour, to maximiseappropriate health and social benefits. It may also include the management ofservice users for whom English is not the first spoken language.

As a member of the community forensicMDT, the post holder provides aneffective and responsive service working alongside other team members to meetthe needs of individuals.

The post-holder provides both directand indirect intervention, consultation, advice and support; working within amulti-disciplinary model in order to ensure that the inter-agency needs ofservice users are met.

The post-holder undertakes advisorywork, second opinions and provides peer review and advice within his/her areaof expertise to support and develop the clinical skills of other staff.

The post- holder will provide clinicalsupervision/advice for other SLT working within the Trust around Autism andlearning disabilities.

The post-holder liaises both orally andin writing with any significant others involved in the management of theservice user, within and outside the NHS, to ensure the service users needsare met effectively and efficiently.

The post-holder contributes todiscussion in a multi-disciplinary forum where speech and language therapyrecommendations may conflict with medical/other opinion. This is in order to facilitate quality of lifeand best interest decisions.

To advise the operational manager onclinical issues relating to SLT services within the forensic Community team.

The post-holder is responsible formanaging his/her own caseload, including clinical administration andappointments, in order to meet access criteria and ensure a cost-effective,quality service.

The post-holder has autonomousresponsibility for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous (within 24 hours)service users records, in order to ensure compliance with departmental,professional and legal requirements.

The post-holder is expected to workwith service users with challenging behaviour independently and work alone inthe community conducting the appropriate risk assessments as required

The post-holder will be expected to useappropriate multi-lingual assessments and culturally sensitive therapeuticapproaches. This would include the useof interpreters and culturally appropriate resources.

ServiceDevelopment

The post-holder is aware of currentlocal and national priorities, which may impact upon service delivery andcontributes to the development of strategies for meeting needs.

The post-holder takes part in clinicalresearch opportunities and/or leads or collaborates on the writing of articlesand publications relevant to their specialist field.

Clinical Governance

Thepost-holder adheres to the standards in place within the BDU under thepillars of clinical governance, including audit, evaluation and the identificationand management of risk in any environment (clinical and non-clinical).

The post-holder is subject to annualappraisal and regular supervision.

The post-holder is expected to provideclinical supervision for a range of less experienced staff, includingassistants, newly qualified therapists and others as appropriate.

For full job description, please see attached supportingdocuments.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicantsare using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job applicationforms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms isstrongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process beforeselecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI toenhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs applicationform.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged tohave their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

Person Specification

Special Knowledge & Skills

• Evidence of a high standard of performance in a range of clinical skills, promoting clinical excellence.
• Evidence of previous involvement/leading in service developments.
• Commitment to improving the experience of service users and their cares.
• Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
• Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
• Specialist knowledge and application of current best practice in speech and language therapy and adults with Autism and/or learning disabilities.
• Up to date knowledge of NHS modernisation issues, transformation agenda and implications for speech and language therapy and wider services.
• Attendance at clinical excellence networks.
• In depth knowledge and evidence of multi-professional, multi-agency working.
• In depth knowledge of legislation/guidance relevant to clinical practice.
• Able to work independently.
• Able to carry out audits, research and developments.
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural and diversity issues.

Personal Attributes

• Good timekeeper.
• Maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• Show creativity in working to meet the needs of people with a learning disability.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.

Experience

• Management and leadership experience.
• Significant experience as a Band 6/7 therapist in a relevant clinical field.
• Significant experience of multidisciplinary working including development of effective networks/partnerships.
• Active participation in audit, service evaluation and research in relevant clinical field.
• Experience of practice in a variety of health, social care and residential settings.
• Experience of supervision, appraisal and development of therapy staff and students.
• Evidence of training others e.g. other health and social care staff.

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or relevant equivalent overseas qualification.
• Current, valid HCPC registration.
• Leadership training.
• Membership of RCSLT.

Training

• Postgraduate qualification to Masters Level or equivalent in a field related to Speech and Language Therapy, Autism and/or learning disabilities.
• To be willing to undertake post graduate training to further skills, knowledge and expertise.
• Documented evidence of continuing practice and professional development.
• Evidence of self-directed learning.
• Leadership training.
• PBS training and awareness.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust