Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Community Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 09 March 2026

Job summary

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 MDT, 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. Your clinical role will be to determine diagnosis and to develop and deliver individualised treatment programs and/or provide advice. You will hold responsibility for your own specialist caseload, working with service users in their own homes or other community settings.

Main duties of the job

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 individualized treatment programs.
Liaison and referral 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 withthe 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

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Date posted

26 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

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

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

372-COM2657

Job locations

Dean Clough, Bowling Mill

Halifax

HX3 5AX

Job description

Job responsibilities

S See job description for full details on the attached Job description template located within the application pack.

Job description

Job responsibilities

S See job description for full details on the attached Job description template located within the application pack.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

Essential

Relevant Degree/Diploma
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

Desirable

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

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Essential

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

Desirable

Experience developing, supervising and training others
Previous experience working at Band 6 level

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

Essential

Demonstrates positive attitudes and behaviours
Excellent time management skills
Ability to communicate effectively with people with complex difficulties and in difficult situations
Recognises own limitations and have 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
Problems solving/decision making skills based on patient/client needs

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

Essential

Relevant Degree/Diploma
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

Desirable

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

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Essential

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

Desirable

Experience developing, supervising and training others
Previous experience working at Band 6 level

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

Essential

Demonstrates positive attitudes and behaviours
Excellent time management skills
Ability to communicate effectively with people with complex difficulties and in difficult situations
Recognises own limitations and have 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
Problems solving/decision making skills based on patient/client needs

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dean Clough, Bowling Mill

Halifax

HX3 5AX

Employer's website

https://www.cht.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Dean Clough, Bowling Mill

Halifax

HX3 5AX

Employer's website

https://www.cht.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)