Job summary
We have an opportunity for a Bank Band 6 SLT to join the Trust Wide SLT adult inpatient mental health service on a Bank basis. Most clinical work will be based at Fountain Way Hospital in Salisbury.

You will work with a high degree of autonomy, providing specialist dysphagia and communication assessment and intervention on working age and older adult mental health wards, and training staff in screening and managing patients' swallowing and communication needs.

Experience in mental health or dementia is desirable. However, if you have a background in learning disability, autism, acquired/progressive neurological conditions and developmental SLCN, you will have highly relevant, transferable skills and will be considered if you demonstrate a passion or curiosity for further development in mental health. You will be involved in the supervision and training of newly appointed B4 SLT assistant practitioners and experience of supervision and support of junior staff would be important for potential candidates to demonstrate.

You will be part of the trust-wide SLT network, which organises regular CPD and professional support sessions.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) service to adult inpatients with disorders of communication and/or swallowing in Salisbury
• Highly skilled assessment and treatment of communication difficulties and eating and drinking difficulties within a caseload of people with complex and enduring mental health disorders.
• Providing written information regarding patients' communication and dysphagia needs in the form of reports, care plans and easy read information.
• Providing ongoing education to ward and catering staff in the recognition and management of dysphagia.
• Providing ongoing education to ward staff in understanding communication difficulties and developing skills in how best to support people with communication needs.
• Engaging in joint goal setting with the patient, family and wider MDT.
• Advocating for the value of Speech & Language Therapy to the MDT in the diagnosis and management of complex communication and swallowing disorders in the inpatient mental health population.

About us
We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

We aim to provide High Quality, Compassionate Care everywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all-round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.

Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200 miles, to more than 1.8 million people.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Job responsibilities
The post holder will deliver high quality, specialist SLT services across Salisbury and the Wiltshire area.

Please contact the nominated person for more information.

Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential

• Recognised speech and language therapy qualification
• Registered with HCPC
• Registered member of the RCSLT
• Recognised post-graduate dysphagia qualification/accredited training
• Working at Proficient Level of the RCSLT Speech and Language Therapist Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Competency Framework (2025) or Level C of the RCSLT Dysphagia Training and Competency Framework (2014)

Desirable

• Post-qualifying education/CPD in relevant areas (incl LD, forensic, autism etc)
• Membership of relevant CEN(s)

Experience
Essential

• Clear evidence of work-based learning to demonstrate specialist clinical skills.
• Significant post graduate experience of working in dysphagia with a range of client groups.
• Experience of speech and language assessment and treatment of service users across a range of specialist care settings, including Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism, Developmental Language Disorder, Acquired/Progressive Neurological Conditions, Forensic, and Dementia
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of compiling and using accessible information and appropriate range of IT skills to support this.

Desirable

• Experience in conducting instrumental dysphagia assessment (e.g. videofluoroscopy, FEES)

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of a range of assessment tools, therapeutic interventions/management strategies relevant to the service user group and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits of each.
• Specialist knowledge of dealing with complex cases in terms of multiple mental and physical health diagnoses, presentation and the effects of the environment.
• Knowledge of clinical evidence base and relevant literature.

Desirable

• Experience in delivery of structured groups
• Experience of working with people with a range of mental health conditions and presentations including behaviour that challenges
• Knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to the service user group and mental health.

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Able to effectively communicate complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, orally and in writing, to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Understanding of clinical risk management and the ability to manage this.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the RCSLT.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work with a high level of autonomy, within professional boundaries, seeking support from more senior clinicians where necessary.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good time management and prioritization skills
• Good presentation and teaching/training skills

Desirable

• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm, empathetic and professional manner.

Other Requirements
Essential

• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm, empathetic and professional manner.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework of assessment, formulation and treatment/intervention

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.