Job overview
Do you want to advocate for people with a learning disability to communicate and live well? As senior specialist speech and language therapist in this role, you will use your clinical expertise and experience to support people with the most complex needs to live well with their learning disability. You will provide specialist communication and dysphagia assessments and interventions for people referred to the service as well as being an integral member of a very friendly and supportive team. You will have the autonomy to manage your own diary, and opportunities for hybrid working. You will be a key figure in shaping service provision in this area and across the county. This post is for 18.75 hours per week. Please contact either the Team Leader or the Principal Speech and Language Therapist if you would like to discuss the role further.
Main duties of the job
Contributing to the management of a team caseload of individuals with complex needs, you will assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, which will be delivered in a variety of community settings. The team encourages multi-disciplinary working wherever possible and you will convene, facilitate, and contribute to meetings to develop a holistic understanding of the person and their needs. You will supervise more junior therapists within the team and have leadership opportunity and responsibility within a West Sussex LD SLT leads team in the management of LD SLT services across the county. You will be supervised by the Principal Speech and Language Therapist.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- This role sits within the multidisciplinary Community Learning Disability Team. The post holder will need a minimum of 4 years post qualification experience and a recognised post basic qualification in dysphagia. 2. The clinical role will be to provide Speech & Language Therapy assessment, diagnosis and intervention to Adults with a Learning Disability and their carers referred to the service, using established models of Speech & Language Therapy, ensuring practice is evidence based. 3. To provide a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to people with learning disabilities , who have complex communication disorders and /or dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing disorders). 4. To provide supervision to other Speech and Language Therapists or Speech and Language Therapy Assistants within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as necessary. 5. Work in collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues. 6. Liaise and consult with other Speech and Language Therapists and/or other professions within mainstream primary and secondary provider services. 7. Take on a supervisory role with other SALTS as part of the Teams role in building capacity of others working with people who have complex communication needs and/or dysphagia
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post graduate experience as a Speech & Language Therapist working in adult learning disabilities.
- Experience of training other professionals
- Awareness of the wider context of the NHS within specialist clinical field.
- Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group
- Knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to client group).
- Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance / audit
- Knowledge of record keeping standards
- Ability to adapt written and verbal communication to suit the needs of people with communication and learning disabilities. This may include Makaton signing, symbols and pictures etc
Qualifications / Education / Training
Essential
- Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree or Masters Qualification or equivalent
- Health Professions Council – license to practice
- Registered member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
- Evidence of completion of specialist courses related to adults with a learning disability
- Post basic qualification in dysphagia RCSLT accredited
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Worthing, South East, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 29 Jul 2026.
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