Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Transformationunitgm; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution in Peterborough is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join their multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will assess and treat adults with complex communication and swallowing needs. This role involves leading clinical practice, contributing to service development, and managing a varied caseload. Ideal candidates will have experience in dysphagia management and a passion for improving outcomes for people with learning disabilities. Competitive salary and flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Flexible working options

On-site free parking

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in meeting communication needs of adults with learning disabilities.
• Evidence of developing training packages for staff and service users.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage adults with a learning disability independently.
• Oversee specialist Speech and Language Therapy interventions.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team for high-quality patient care.

Skills

Communication Skills

Clinical Leadership

Negotiation Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Counseling Skills

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Current HCPC and RCSLT registrations

Post qualification training in Dysphagia management

Job description

Main area Speech and Language therapy Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Part time also considered) Job ref 310-ASMH-7596645

Employer Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site The Hollies Town Bretton Gate, Peterborough Salary £47,810 - £54,710 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 07/01/2026 23:59

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Band 7

Job overview

Are you looking to further develop your expertise as a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist?

We have an exciting and rare opportunity for a Band 7 clinician to join our dedicated team at The Hollies, a specialist service providing assessment, treatment and support for adults with learning disabilities. The Hollies is a 6-bedded unit based at the Cavell Centre on the Peterborough City Hospital campus, with free on-site parking and flexible working options available.

You will be working as part of a compassionate and skilled multidisciplinary team (MDT), committed to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. Your clinical responsibilities will include advanced communication and dysphagia assessment and intervention, working collaboratively with individuals, families and carers to support the best possible patient experience.

In your role as clinical lead for Speech and Language Therapy at The Hollies, you will guide best practice, contribute to service development, and help shape the future of communication and dysphagia care within the service. You will also benefit from peer support and clinical supervision from the wider learning disability Speech and Language Therapy team across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

If you are passionate about improving outcomes for people with learning disabilities and are ready to make a meaningful impact, we would be delighted to hear from you. Informal enquiries are warmly welcomed.

Main duties of the job

• The individual in this role will autonomously assess and manage a caseload of adults with a learning disability, which is highly specialised and complex.
• You will oversee the delivery of a specialist learning disability Speech and Language Therapy intervention. Additionally, the post holder will manage all referrals related to communication and/or swallowing difficulties (Dysphagia) within the Adult Learning Disability Inpatient Services.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. The incumbent will exhibit highly specialised knowledge and clinical skills and will have undergone appropriate post-registration training, including in the field of dysphagia management.

2. To possess an extensive understanding of Health and Social Care policies and legislation applicable to the service user group, within the context of professional practice.

3. To independently prioritize, maintain, and manage a complex specialist caseload within the multidisciplinary framework of the Adult Learning Disability Inpatient Service.

4. To be highly proficient in assessing, identifying, treating, and managing the specialist health and communication needs of adults with a learning disability. This includes risk assessment, and addressing complex conditions such as dysphagia, challenging behaviour, forensic issues, palliative care, mental health, and epilepsy.

5. To be highly proficient in identifying and implementing appropriate communication support, including manual signing, symbol use, accessible information, and approaches such as Intensive Interaction.

6. To enable the implementation, adaptation, and use of alternative and augmentative communication across various communication environments, collaborating with service users and their support networks.

7. To identify the need for and participate in the development and delivery of training packages aimed at enhancing the communication and other skills of support workers and others within the area working with adults with a learning disability.

8. To utilize highly specialist observation skills to assess service users and care/staff interactions (including verbal and non-verbal communication), encouraging adaptive strategies to maximize effective communication while being aware of cultural or linguistic differences.

9. To liaise and communicate effectively and sensitively with other professionals within the MDT and external agencies (e.g., Older People's Teams, Mental Health Teams, Drug and Alcohol, Palliative and Children’s Services, Local Authority), providing highly specialist advice as necessary.

10. To develop close working relationships, where appropriate, with other agencies involved in current cases, maintaining confidentiality requirements to promote complementary working relationships and ensure quality service in relation to service user care.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• Current HCPC and RCSLT registrations
• Evidence of ongoing attendance of short study days, conferences, and extended self-study
• Recognised Post qualification training in Dysphagia management (Specialist Level).

Experience

• Demonstrable post qualification experience working to meet the communication and dysphagia needs of adults with learning disability
• Must demonstrate evidence of highly developed clinical leadership skills
• Experience of developing and delivering training packages to adults.
• Experience of managing a complex caseload.
• Experience of working effectively within a community MD Team.
• Experience of developing service user and carer involvement
• Experience of recruitment and selection

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to provide services in a variety of environments to meet the needs of the service user
• Ability to prioritise your own work and the work of those you supervise
• Ability to work under pressure and manage stress
• Counselling Skills and Coaching skills
• Must be able to communicate information that is highly complex and contentious to clients, staff, senior managers and other agencies / professional groups, for example explaining implications of shortfall in service.
• Must demonstrate highly developed negotiation and problem-solving skills in complex situations and ability to facilitate these skills in others.
• Must demonstrate established conflict management skills in a variety of environments e.g., one-to-one or groups where responses may be unpredictable.
• Ability to generate and participate in research and Audit

Other

• Ability to Travel within geographic location of Trust

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.