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Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
About
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT).
Since then, EPUT has grown from strength to strength, providing many community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Luton and Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk.
We are a large employer in the East of England with more than 5,500 staff working across more than 200 sites. We also provide services in people’s home and community settings.
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values
- We Care
- We Learn
- We Empower
Our strategic objectives
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory
Contact
- Address
- Trust Head Office
- The Lodge
- The Chase
- Wickford
- Essex
- SS11 7XX
- Contact Number
- 01375 364513
Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist
Accepting applications until: 17-Aug-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 17-Aug-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Gwefan
- Kingswood Centre
- Cyfeiriad
- Turner Road
- Tref
- Colchester
- Cod post
- CO5 5HG
- Major / Minor Region
- Essex
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Oriau
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Flexible, part-time and condensed hours will be considered)
Salary
- Cyflog
- £49,387 - £56,515 per annum
- Cyfnod cyflog
- Yearly
- Gradd
- (Band 7)
Specialty
- Prif leoliad
- Mental Health
Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.
Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.
You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.
The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.
We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.
We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.
We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.
Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.
Trosolwg o'r swydd
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is seeking an experienced and motivated Band 7 Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist to join our mental health services and play a key role in developing high-quality, person-centred care across Adult Mental Health, Older Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services and CAMHS. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and influence specialist Speech and Language Therapy provision within multidisciplinary teams, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
At EPUT, we are committed to investing in our workforce and developing future clinical leaders. As a Clinical Lead, you will have the opportunity to shape service delivery, drive innovation, contribute to workforce development and support the education and supervision of students and colleagues. Working within a supportive and forward-thinking organisation, you will help build the profile of Speech and Language Therapy within mental health services while contributing to our ambition to attract, develop and retain a highly skilled workforce.
If you are passionate about advancing Speech and Language Therapy within mental health care and want to make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people, adults and older adults, EPUT offers an outstanding opportunity to develop your career within a values-driven organisation that puts patient care, staff wellbeing and professional development at its heart.
Advert
Provide expert clinical leadership for Speech and Language Therapy services, across mental health inpatient adult, older adult and CAMHS settings, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, person-centred care.
Lead on and undertake highly specialist clinical work comprising of assessment, diagnosis and management of complex communication, cognitive-communication and swallowing difficulties that impact patients' treatment, recovery and discharge planning.
Act as the senior Speech and Language Therapy resource within the multidisciplinary team, providing specialist advice, training, supervision and support on communication needs, dysphagia, capacity, consent and therapeutic engagement.
Ensure Speech and Language Therapy practice contributes to safe, effective, recovery-focused and least restrictive care.
Develop and embed communication-inclusive approaches that improve access to mental health treatment, reduce health inequalities and support personalised care.
Lead on quality improvement, service evaluation, governance and innovation within the Speech and Language Therapy service. Actively contributing professional expertise to current service provision and future service developments.
Gweithio i'n sefydliad
Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.
- Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
- Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
- If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
- We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.
Benefits
- 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
- Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
- Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
- £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
- Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.
Work that wraps around your needs
- Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
- Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.
Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl
In addition to the above:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical Duties:
1. Undertake highly specialised assessments and interventions using expert clinical reasoning for adults and adolescents with severe and enduring mental illness, co-morbidities and complex communication needs.
2. Assess and manage speech, language and communication difficulties that affect engagement in psychiatric assessment, MDT therapeutic interventions, treatment planning, capacity and risk assessments.
3. Provide specialist assessment and management of eating, drinking and Dysphasia associated with mental illness, Dementia, frailty, neurological conditions and medication side effects.
4. Support MDTs to make reasonable adjustments for patients with communication difficulties.
5. Provide specialist clinical input into complex risk and capacity assessment and care planning where communication difficulties influence presentation, behaviour or treatment engagement.
6. Lead on communication support strategies that enhance recovery, reduce distress and improve therapeutic engagement.
7. To manage a complex caseload, communicate agreed treatment/care plans to multi-disciplinary team colleagues and partnership agencies at formal and informal meetings and provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy advice,
8. To apply a variety of specialist treatment modalities to meet the needs of patients, utilising clinical reasoning processes to determine the most appropriate intervention and manage efficacy through outcome measures as appropriate.
9. To delegate and monitor aspects of patient care to assistants, junior staff, students, carers and statutory or non-statutory bodies.
10. To regularly review clients’ progress in order to evaluate and interpret the effectiveness of treatment plans, and amend treatment or discharge clients accordingly.
11. To undertake research and audit to develop and initiate interventions that are evidence based and reflect a sound integration of theoretical knowledge in order to meet patient need.
12. To keep up to date clinical records in line with professional standards and local record keeping policies.
13. To provide written and verbal reports as required at any stage in the treatment process in line with Speech and Language Therapy Clinical Governance Standards.
None Clinical:
1. Provide professional leadership, promote evidence-based practice and clinical supervision for Speech and Language Therapists, assistants, apprentices and students.
2. Assume line management responsibility for Speech and Language Therapy staff consistent with Trust HR and Performance processes. Including such duties as induction, preceptorship, capability, and mandatory training compliance.
3. Provide consultation and specialist advice to multidisciplinary colleagues regarding communication needs, dysphagia management and reasonable adjustments.
4. Lead clinical discussions relating to complex cases and contribute to multidisciplinary decision-making processes.
5. In collaboration, steer the development, implementation and evaluation of Speech and Language Therapy within mental health inpatient care, including the identification of service gaps and opportunities to improve access, outcomes and patient experience.
6. Maintain professional standards in accordance with HCPC and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists guidance.
7. Review and update clinical pathways, protocols and standards of practice aligned with national guidance and local priorities.
8. Actively engage in audits, service evaluations, and quality improvement projects, use outcome measure data to inform service improvements and demonstrate impact.
9. Lead training programmes for multidisciplinary staff on communication needs, dysphagia, reasonable adjustments and communication-inclusive practice.
10. Contribute to recruitment, induction and retention of Speech and Language Therapy staff, including student placements and support workforce development.
11. Contribute to investigations, complaints responses and learning reviews where communication or swallowing needs are relevant.
12. Ensure appropriate policies, procedures and documentation standards are implemented and maintained.
13. Attend Allied Health Professional and any role or profession specific meetings and deliver training where indicated.
14. Attend appropriate training and maintain a continuing professional development portfolio.
15. To undertake annual appraisal and contribute constructively to the supervision process.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
In addition to the above duties you will also be expected to perform the below key activities in line with your job role;
- Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures
- To participate in the staff appraisal process and to undertake for any staff you manage
- To keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy
- To provide management supervision where appropriate
- You will be expected to work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7-day a week, 24-hours a day service for 365 days a year working shifts, where appropriate and operationally required.
Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.
Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.
The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.
Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Training
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Post qualification ASD specific training courses attended (including CENs)
Meini prawf dymunol
- ADOS training evidence
- Attention Autism training evidence
- GLP training/experience
- Evidence of awareness of and experience in use of low, medium and high tech AAC including Proloquo2go
Experience
Meini prawf hanfodol
- At least 3 years experience in a relevant Band 6 SLT role
- Experience working with children and young people with a diagnosis of ASD
Meini prawf dymunol
- Experience of working in school settings and liaising with education staff
- Evidence of working as part of a MDT team for assessment and/intervention related to ASD
Documents
- Job Description (PDF, 728.5KB)
- Person Specification (PDF, 376.6KB)
- Why Join The NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 91.3KB)
- Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
- Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
- Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
- Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
- Staff Benefits (PDF, 152.7KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
- Enw
- Ellen van den Hoven
- Teitl y swydd
- Lead Clinical AHP Manager
- Cyfeiriad ebost
- [email protected]
- Rhif ffôn
- 07811166399
- Gwybodaeth i gefnogi eich cais
Please do not hesitate to contact to explore the post and the options further
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