Specialist Speech and Language Therapist LDA Service

A Vacancy at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust. Join our dynamic team as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) and contribute to transforming the quality of care for individuals with mental health needs, learning disabilities, and autism in acute inpatient settings. This exciting role is part of the Mental Health Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme (MHLDA IQTP), a national initiative dedicated to improving outcomes and experiences for service users and their families.

Responsibilities

• Providing assessments and interventions to promote communication and inclusion among people who have complex needs, particularly those with learning disabilities and neurodiversity.
• Assessing and planning interventions for safe eating and drinking where identified needs exist.
• Leading the implementation of speech and language practices across inpatient services.
• Supporting and training staff to develop skills around communication and swallowing issues for service users with complex needs, particularly those with learning disabilities and neurodiversity.
• Driving research, quality improvement initiatives, and innovative care approaches.
• Acting as a role model, supervisor, and mentor for less experienced staff within the MDT.
• Working alongside a multidisciplinary team and fostering collaborative relationships within the Trust and beyond, ensuring inclusivity, resilience, and hope in care delivery.
• Providing specialist assessment, diagnosis and intervention for clients with complex acquired/developmental speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulties.
• Autonomously managing time to access and have presence on all acute and rehabilitation wards and meeting the speech and language needs of adults who are autistic or have learning disabilities.
• Clinically supervising junior Speech and Language Therapists within the service where required.
• Planning and delivering interventions to assist communication/dysphagia service with a high level of independent working.
• Acting as the lead specialist in dysphagia and communication, and serving as a resource and support for other therapists and professionals.
• Providing timely and targeted individualized management and treatment for identified adults, involving relatives and carers and giving appropriate recommendations and training to professionals from other agencies and other professions.
• Devising and providing training to multi‑agency staff and advising service users and carers in the field of acquired communication issues or swallowing, speech and language disorders.
• Serving as a point of expertise in communication and swallowing issues and sharing skills/model interventions to improve staff awareness and skills around working with people with learning disabilities or autistic people.
• Participating in continuing professional development and other activities to maintain evidence‑based best practice and provide observation opportunities for other professionals.
• Sharing skills as a core part of Speech and Language Therapy provision.
• Leading on designing and setting up robust data collection systems to demonstrate clinical need and support, setting out a strategic development plan to expand services.
• Working as a member of the multidisciplinary team, initiating, participating and supporting the line manager and professional lead in team development and service improvement, ensuring that systems and processes are in place to deliver an efficient and effective service.
• Developing and overseeing an effective and comprehensive speech and language service for service users who meet the project criteria and ensuring these are embedded within their pathways.
• Training, delivering and (where appropriate) advising on the delivery of high‑quality care and ensuring consistently high standards of practice.
• Contributing to effective multidisciplinary team working ensuring that care is delivered in a holistic way which involves service users and carers.
• Working as an autonomous practitioner within the standards of professional practice stipulated by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Qualifications

• High level of clinical and professional expertise in learning disabilities and autism.
• Expertise in dysphagia and communication.
• Ability to autonomously supervise junior Speech and Language Therapists.
• Commitment to continuing professional development and evidence‑based practice.
• Proof of right to work in the UK.

Location Springfield Hospital

Closing Date This advert closes on Sunday 31 May 2026