Community Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 16 June 2026

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a well-established community Speech and Language Therapy Team. We are looking for a dynamic, passionate and caring Speech and Language Therapist to join our dedicated friendly team, providing assessment and treatment for service users with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties. The Speech and Language Therapy team work closely as part of the wider community multidisciplinary team, which includes dietitians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

The successful applicant will be an experienced Speech and Language Therapist, who has completed dysphagia assessment and management competencies and is able to manage a dysphagia caseload independently. You will be working with adult service users with swallowing and/or communication difficulties resulting from acquired or long term conditions, including neurological disorders. The clinical role will be to determine diagnosis, develop and deliver individualised treatment programmes, and provide advice. You will hold responsibility for your own specialist caseload, working with service users in their own homes or other community settings.

Main Responsibilities:

• Manage own specialist caseload
• Work autonomously within Trust policies and professional practice, maintaining accurate and comprehensive up to date electronic records
• Carry out specialist assessment and treatment of patients in the community
• Determine a clinical diagnosis; develop, deliver, implement, evaluate and modify individualised treatment programmes
• Liaise and refer to other agencies to ensure service users receive an appropriate pathway of care; communicate effectively with the team to ensure continuity of care; provide specialist advice to patient, colleagues and the MDT
• Take part in the education and training of Speech and Language Therapists; also contribute to the education of qualified and non qualified healthcare, social services staff and medical staff
• Collaborate with the Clinical Leads for Speech and Language Therapy to contribute to evolving and embedding best practice into the clinical area
• Support the Clinical Leads in the day to day running of services
• Support and advise the wider MDT on the delivery of the service

• Registered with HCPC
• Evidence of Postgraduate Training
• Successful completion of post basic dysphagia course or completed and documented competencies from dysphagia training
• NHS experience at postgraduate/undergraduate level
• Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Member of relevant clinical excellence network, and attendance at events
• Studied at Masters level or equivalent

• Significant experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist with adults with neurological conditions, demonstrating ability to assess, treat and evaluate care
• Comprehensive knowledge of appropriate and available Speech and Language Therapy assessments and approaches
• Is competent in working at level of specialist dysphagia practitioner
• Knowledge of instrumental dysphagia assessments
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, national guidelines and best practice
• Good Clinical Reasoning skills
• Evidence of CPD, self directed learning and reflective practice
• IT literate with the ability to maintain accurate records
• Access to transport insured for business use
• Willingness to undertake additional and mandatory training as required
• Experience of case management
• Experience developing, supervising and training others
• Previous experience working at Band 6 level

• Demonstrates positive attitudes and behaviours
• Ability to communicate effectively with people with complex difficulties and in difficult situations
• Recognises own limitations and has willingness to share and learn from others
• Self motivated with ability to work independently and influence others
• Proven ability to work well in a team
• Ability to organise own work and caseload
• Problem solving/decision making skills based on patient/client needs

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.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum, pro rata