Speech & Language Therapist for Acute Services

NHS; Radlett; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization in Radlett is seeking a Senior Speech and Language Therapist to reduce restrictive practices and provide leadership in patient care. This role includes clinical guidance and the opportunity for professional development. Applicants should have a relevant degree and experience in working with mental health issues. Competitive salary offered with training opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience working with mental health patients in various settings.
• Ability to provide both individual and group interventions.
• Post-registration experience in acute mental health.

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to reduce restrictive practices in a team setting.
• Manage a small caseload with complex SLT needs.
• Supervise SLT students and junior staff.

Skills

Clinical guidance for complex needs

Therapeutic intervention design

Communication optimization

Team leadership

Cultural sensitivity

Education

BSc/MSc/PG Dip Speech and Language Therapy

HCPC registration

Dysphagia Training

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Speech & Language Therapist for Acute Services

The closing date is 16 November 2025

Go back Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Are you passionate about making a real impact in healthcare through compassionate, patient‑centred care? We're seeking an experienced Senior Speech and Language Therapist (SSLT) to lead transformative change in reducing restrictive practices within our healthcare setting. This role offers the chance to shape patient care, influence policy, and lead a dedicated team focused on dignity and autonomy.

This newly funded team will support people, both those using our services, carers and staff, to reduce restrictive practice and to look at alternative therapeutic provision.

In this pivotal role, the Speech and Language Therapist will form an integral part of the team, led by the Clinical Lead Nurse, working alongside a senior Occupational Therapist.

Main duties of the job

As a team you will provide expert clinical guidance, especially for people with highly complex needs and those requiring enhanced observations. The post holder will offer the core Speech and Language therapy assessment and interventions, as well as proving advice for the MDT on SLT treatment plans. The successful candidate will be at the forefront of transforming our in‑patient services across the Trust using person centred, recovery based, trauma informed care to provide the least restrictive interventions. The team will focus on reducing restrictive practice, supporting the 14‑day review panel which will then feed into the Trust's Safe and Supportive Observation (SASO) Strategy.

The role offers the opportunity to develop managerial and leadership skills whilst delivering specialist clinical interventions aimed at reducing and enhancing therapeutic observations. The post holder will specialise in speech and language therapy and will receive support and training around the development of working with people with mental health needs and with learning disabilities as required.

The role offers opportunities to access internal and external training to help embed and develop the SLT provision within this team. This may be in Trauma Informed Care/ Positive Behavioural Support/ ASD etc and can be identified with you as part of your professional development and aligned with the needs of the service.

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:

Our Trust values are:

• 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

To support Lead Nurse for Reducing Restrictive Practice with reviews, advice, support and coaching towards from a SLT angle with respect to engagement. Promoting and providing the least restrictive approaches in line with the trauma informed, personalised care approach. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of trauma and work to actively prevent re-traumatisation. To provide culturally sensitive services, tailored to the unique experience and needs of individuals whatever their background. Demonstrate values which respect service users choice; working alongside them and their families/carers to ensure they are at the centre of care planning (recovery model). To manage a small caseload of clients with highly complex SLT needs, using evidence based/client‑centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in clinic and community settings and on home visits. To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users with acute mental health issues, additional sensory and/or physical disability, mental health diagnosis and/or challenging behaviour as part of an MDT. To be responsible for managing a defined caseload with ongoing evaluation of clinical effectiveness To work with and be available to other professionals for support and joint consultation regarding clinical practice as required Development of communication tools and material To provide leadership for junior staff, through supervision and appraisal To lead in the planning, development and evaluation of SLT services, holding responsibility for defined projects where appropriate To regularly supervise SLT students on practice placement, following attendance at an approved Fieldwork Educators course. To provide interventions in the manner that is consistent with Trust standards and values. To routinely provide detailed feedback to the MDT which inform ongoing assessment and therapeutic intervention. To provide highly specialist support and education to service users, carers and other staff regarding aspects of speech and language therapy e.g. optimising communication through activity. To maintain clinical records using the electronic patient record system. To liaise with carers and other professionals as relevant. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance. To attend mandatory training. To comply with the RCSLT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and Trust policies To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal. To maintain a professional portfolio for CPD, recording learning outcomes through participation in internal/external development opportunities. To actively participate in Trust and SLT CPD development programmes and opportunities, as a learner and a facilitator. To actively promote SLT through the sharing of clinical expertise and experience through presentation of posters, writing articles for professional publications, attendance at special interest groups, conferences etc. Be responsible for recruitment and retention of staff

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION TRAINING

• BSc/MSc/PG Dip Speech and Language Therapy
• HCPC registration
• Evidence of clinical post registration training
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages
• Awareness of Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (dysphagia) needs
• Membership of RCSLT
• First line management training
• Dysphagia Training

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability in a variety of health and social care settings
• Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions
• Highly Specialist knowledge and experience of using and applying Speech and Language Therapy assessment tools and interventions
• Documented evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience in providing advice, support and clinical supervision to junior staff and/or students
• Post registration experience in acute mental health
• Experience in research or audit
• Previous experience of having worked at Band 7 level

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

£50,008 to £56,908 a yearper annum, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)