Job summary
- Main area
- Forensic Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed term: 18 months (Maternity Cover)
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Compressed hours
- Job ref
- 346-FMH-078-25-B
- Employer
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Various, inc Frankland, LRH
- Town
- Durham area
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 28/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 7
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Job overview
Have you ever considered working within Health and Justice? Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist?
A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a fixed term band 7 Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join our dynamic Health and Justice Team. The post is a floating role to cover maternity leave and will involve working into community forensic services and prisons in the North East, Durham region. This may include working into high secure estate. This post is for fixed term for 18 months but may be extended if funding becomes available. This is an idea opportunity to try out working in this field and gain an insight into what the service provides and the variety of the roles
You would also be joining a wider supportive and dynamic health and justice SLT team.
Applicants must ensure that prior to applying they have agreement from their current line manager that they can be released on a secondment basis. In the event that permanent funding is secured for this post the successful applicant will be confirmed in post on a permanent basis.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will assess and provide intervention for a range of communication difficulties They will work alongside a team of health care professionals (including nurses, occupational therapist, psychologists, psychiatrists, support workers and talking therapies practitioners) and partner colleagues (including prison staff, primary health care providers). As such, you must be committed to collaborative working and have an excellent teamwork ethos. You would also be joining a wider Trust SLT department who provide excellent CPD opportunities and support. The post holder should be motivated by the opportunity to become part of the growing SLT workforce working into justice settings and be able to work flexibly. They need to demonstrate excellence in clinical care, provide training to the team in SLCN and promote a culture of evidence-based practice and person-centred care.
The post holder will have a degree in Speech and Language Therapy and have significant experience working in mental health or learning disability services and complex needs. Experience of working in forensic settings would be welcomed. They will have knowledge of related issues and national directives and understanding of the criminal justice system would be essential. The post will be subject to level 2 enhanced and CTC Prison clearance , additionally to work in a category A prison you must have been resident in the UK for the past three years
Working for our organisation
We invest in your training and development.
All staff who join TEWV will be provided with a comprehensive induction programme.
Continuous professional development is important to TEWV. Once you are comfortable in your new role, you and your manager will work collaboratively to form a Personal Development Plan (PDP), your personal career aspirations are taken into account and the trust will provide you with the resources you need to develop.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for further detailed information regarding the role and main responsibilities.
Person specification
Qualifications/Experience
Essential criteria
- Pre-registration qualification in speech and language therapy as recognised by HCPC
- Registration with HCPC.
- Evidence of post-registration Masters level learning
- Or in the absence of masters level learning • equivalent experience in relevant area. E.g. relevant level 7 courses, researcher role, quality improvement activity, leading service development, project management, strategic leadership, NICE involvement, service evaluation.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 7 (SLT =8) for International recruits
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in Multidisciplinary Team
- Complex clinical risk assessment and application in practice
- Substantial knowledge of evidence- based practice in designated specialist area
Experienceand Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Substantial clinical experience of complex speech and language therapy delivery in relevant specialist area in collaboration with service users, families and relevant others.
- Significant experience of supporting people with mental health conditions, learning disability or autism
- Significant understanding of the needs of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities or autism
Desirable criteria
- Comprehensive awareness of professional standards and their application to practice
- Experience of participating in quality improvement activities, service development, and/or project management.
- Experience of participating in clinical governance activities including clinical audit, quality assurance of practice
- Participation in research and development e.g. critical appraisal of research papers, service evaluation, small scale or large scale research.
- Highly competent in clinical supervision of staff and/or students.
- Substantial experience in design and delivery of high quality and effective training
- Substantial experience of application of relevant legislation (i.e. Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act) in practice.
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Tracey Forster
- Job title
- Associate Consultant SLT
- Email address
- [email protected]
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