Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - ALD

The closing date is 29 March 2026

Provides highly specialised, high-intensity assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, within a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework, for adults with learning disabilities, who may also have autism, and/or complex mental health needs, particularly those at risk of placement breakdown and/or hospital admission. They work within a highly specialist multidisciplinary team to deliver person centred, often urgent, intervention to improve communication and to manage any dysphagia needs (eating/drinking difficulties).

To communicate effectively with staff, support workers, other members of the professional team, GP, family members, and all significant others on aspects of client's services.

To independently manage a highly complex, challenging and specialist communication and dysphagia caseload.

To be able to co ordinate and chair multidisciplinary team and speech and language therapy team meetings.

To lead on health case management in complex cases.

To lead on SLT case management in complex cases where behaviours that challenge services have been identified.

To gather evidence of clinical effectiveness, using appropriate outcome measures and employing evidence based practice.

To contribute to the GSTT system of clinical governance in close liaison with the line manager.

To act as a consultant to colleagues, to provide second opinions and to share information and expertise with other team members.

To initiate and undertake risk assessment and management procedures and to contribute to the development of such procedures in areas of clinical specialism by generating risk reports, developing strategies and systems, collaborating with colleagues, attending committees or working groups etc.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.

We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research's biomedical research centres, established with King's College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.

We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of a cohesive and effective speech and language therapy service, both communication and eating and drinking (dysphagia), to adults with learning disabilities who have been referred to the service.

The Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Speech and Language Therapists work in close partnership with clients and families and their support network, carrying out specialist assessments to inform communication support strategies and bespoke training.

The Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Speech and Language Therapist team works on eating and drinking (dysphagia) assessment and support for people referred to the team.

The post holder will work closely with the Speech and Language Therapy Assistants in the creation of specialist SLT communication supports.

• Masters level qualification in Speech and Language Therapy/Science or equivalent experience
• Membership of the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Makaton qualification and skills.
• Clinical Audit Training
• Membership of the RCSLT
• Membership of relevant CEN's (e.g. Adults with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge, Adults with autism)

• Experience of working with people with a learning disability.
• Experience of training carers, volunteers and health care professionals.
• Experience of supporting AAC users, who use light tech communication devices, such as symbols, photos, objects etc.
• Experience of undertaking own clinical risk assessments and joint risk assessment with wider team.
• Experience of developing independent case management skills.
• Experience with the use of audit.
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of carrying out SLT assessment and intervention for adults with learning disabilities.
• Experience of MDT working within a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework.
• Experience of carrying out SLT assessment and input within a PBS framework.
• Experience of working with AWLD and dysphagia.
• Experience of liaison with Mental health in LD, health, social services, adult education and voluntary organisations.
• Experience of working with a SaLTA and delegation of work appropriately.

• Demonstrate skills in assessing and providing intervention for people with learning disabilities who have behaviours that challenge and may have Autism.
• Demonstrate skills in assessing and providing intervention for AWLD and behaviours that challenge in a range of settings.
• Demonstrate skills in dysphagia assessment and management.
• Demonstrate skills in using reflective practice.
• Demonstrate skills in the use of AAC. e.g. Talking Mats, Makaton (keyword signing), visual timetables, symbols and photos, Light tech switches, objects etc.
• Demonstrate ability to prioritise workload and work on own initiative.
• Demonstrate ability to produce documents and training sessions in a variety of accessible formats e.g. video, easy read, objects for people with learning disabilities and their carers.
• Demonstrate skills in using multimedia software packages such as Communicate In Print, GRID 3, Boardmaker etc.
• Demonstrate ability in the use of Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrate ability to produce highly specialised reports.
• Demonstrate ability to maintain client files as per trust and HCPC guidelines.
• Demonstrate good organisational and time management skills.
• Ability and enthusiasm to work with those from diverse backgrounds including BME populations.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain intense concentration in situations where the client and the environment may be unpredictable.
• Advanced keyword signing skills.
• Ability to assess and train clients and carers in the use of appropriate communication aids (low and high tech AAC).
• Knowledge of legislation relevant to AWLD.
• Demonstrate skills in AWLD dysphagia assessment and management.
• Knowledge of appropriate strategies and skills required by others to manage extreme behaviours safely.
• Skills and knowledge to put in place, manage and use information from systems and processes that communicate across all of the service users' environments, including their home e.g. participation.
• Demonstrate ability to translate policies into clinical practice within area of specialism.
• Demonstrate ability to promote the use of AAC for AWLD and behaviours that challenge.
• Demonstrate ability to provide second opinion to colleagues in area of clinical specialism.
• Demonstrate ability to provide bespoke training in the use of appropriate AAC methods to support an AWLD and behaviours that challenge.
• Demonstrate ability to organise service development initiatives within the specialism of AWLD and behaviours that challenge.
• Demonstrate ability to plan team/specialist meetings.
• Ability to understand and interpret specialist Psychological / Psychiatric / medical information from other professionals and make these accessible to carers and people with learning disabilities.
• Demonstrable innovative abilities/ leadership skills.

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

£56,276 to £63,176 a yearp.a. incl. HCAS