Job vacancy: Speech and Language Therapist, South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London

Job summary

Main area: Learning Disability, Physical Health & Wellbeing
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 294-MHCA-7409724-JB

Employer: South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Balham Health Centre
Town: London
Salary: £46,419 - £55,046 per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 24/08/2025 23:59

Speech and Language Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.

We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".

When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.

As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide specialist assessment, diagnosis, direct and indirect intervention for clients with complex speech, language and communication disorders, who may have challenging behaviour and or a mental health diagnosis

• To provide specialist assessment, diagnosis, direct and indirect intervention for clients with complex dysphagia

• To use investigative skills and a broad knowledge of standardised assessments together with sound, analytical clinical reasoning skills in order to form a baseline measure or differential diagnosis from which to plan a programme of intervention.

• To use a holistic, client-centred approach, gathering and synthesising information from other professionals and parents/carers, in order to ensure that intervention packages are best suited to the client, family and place of delivery.

• To liaise with other colleagues and professional groups to refer clients for further investigation and/or second opinion as required such as Clinical Psychologists, Consultant Psychiatrists, specialist centres, out of borough specialists.

• To assess clients using clinical/technical skills including listening, phonetic transcription and analysis, linguistic profiling based on linguistic models of development, social communication analysis, use of AAC such as signing and use of electronic communication aids and a range of formal and psychological assessment tools.

• To demonstrate acute observational skills in working with clients with profound and multiple learning disabilities who display subtle communication.

• To develop and implement specialised Speech and Language treatment plans for individuals and groups as well as to advise others regarding the management and care of clients with communication needs and oro-motor difficulties.

• To provide detailed and clear SLT targets and programmes fully integrated into the client’s multidisciplinary aims and goals across multiple environments or agencies (college, school, day centre, client’s own home, workplace, psychiatric wards, local community etc.) in consultation with carers and staff. The post holder will demonstrate clear clinical reasoning and use therapeutic activities and techniques and strategies which are meaningful and appropriate to the client’s cognitive ability level and social cultural and educational background.

• To empower parents, carers and staff in understanding the nature of the client’s disability or dysfunction and the impact of this on their learning, communication and behaviour. This will enable the client’s environment to best support his difficulties and potential development.

• To ensure clinical effectiveness of intervention packages by evaluating evidence based practice and outcome measures, where there may be conflicting or inconclusive evidence or where families or educational settings are requesting specific approaches.

• To independently manage and prioritise a defined caseload, balancing own workload of both direct and indirect contacts.

• To be skilled in establishing and maintaining sustained communication with a client, building trust to such a level that samples of speech, social interaction and language can be elicited as a key part of assessment and treatment procedures.

• To manage the emotional consequences of working with clients with distressing conditions and be aware of the needs, demands and pressures on their families.

• To provide therapy intervention for clients taking account of the impact of communication breakdown on the clients emotional wellbeing, mental health, functional ability, life chances, family dynamics and social and educational inclusion.

Person specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential criteria

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
Health and Care Professions Council – Licence to Practice
Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Desirable criteria

Post registration dysphagia training
Post graduate training e.g. Makaton, Talking Mats, Challenging Behaviour

Experience

Essential criteria

Relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
Evidence of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working

Desirable criteria

Experience of paid work in the NHS
Experience of working with people with a learning disability

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria

Broad knowledge of current best practice in SLT and Learning Disabilities
Theoretical and practical knowledge of communication impairments
Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the specialist client group
In depth knowledge of national policies and procedures [relevant to the client group]
In depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit

Desirable criteria

In depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit

At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

BME (Evolve) Staff Network
Christian Staff Network
DiverseAbility
Deaf Staff Network
Mental Health Staff Forum
Women's Staff Network
LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.

Please note:

That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3^rd party e-recruitment system
That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
That we are a smoke-free Trust

Mindful employer. Being positive about mental health.

Stonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name: Adebisi Bisi-Balogun
Job title: Team Manager
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone number: 020 3513 6363

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Job summary

Employer heading

Speech and Language Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

Job overview

Main duties of the job

Working for our organisation

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

Experience

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

Documents to download

Further details / informal visits contact

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