Speech and Language Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
- Posted
- 10/09/2026
- Closes
- 24/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This is a Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist role for newly qualified or early career professionals, offering a varied experience across inpatient stroke and community settings in Buckinghamshire. The post holder will work three days a week with the inpatient stroke team at Wycombe Hospital and two days a week with the community SLT team, providing assessment and intervention for adults with communication and swallowing difficulties. Regular supervision and training are provided to develop clinical skills, including communication and dysphagia competencies. The role requires a compassionate, reflective, and motivated individual keen to learn and gain experience in both hospital and community pathways.
Key responsibilities
- Work as a Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist within the Adult Speech and Language Therapy service.
- Support adults with communication and swallowing difficulties across inpatient stroke and community pathways.
- Work three days per week with the inpatient stroke team at Wycombe Hospital, contributing to assessment, rehabilitation, discharge planning and patient/carer education.
- Work two days per week with the community SLT team, providing assessment and intervention in patients' homes, care homes and outpatient settings.
- Manage a defined caseload with an agreed level of autonomy, appropriate to Band 5.
- Assess communication and swallowing needs, contribute to clinical formulation and treatment planning, and seek advice and supervision where required.
Essential criteria
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree, degree apprenticeship or equivalent qualification.
- HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist, or pending registration
- Registered member of RCSLT, or eligible for membership.
- Special Circumstances
- Able to travel across Buckinghamshire as required for cross-site working and home visits.
- Relevant adult clinical placement experience, including assessment and management of communication, swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties.
- Awareness of stroke, neurological conditions and the role of SLT within inpatient, community and multidisciplinary settings.
Desirable criteria
- Previous Band 5 SLT experience in adults or paediatrics
- Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to listen, explain information clearly and adapt communication where barriers exist.
- Able to demonstrate empathy and provide appropriate support and advice to patients, carers and colleagues.
- Awareness of SLT assessment and intervention approaches relevant to stroke, neurological conditions, dysphagia and communication disorders.
- Awareness of student-level eating and drinking competencies, including safe assessment, risk identification, implementation of recommendations and escalation to a qualified SLT where required.
- Able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and understand the roles of other professionals.
- Able to organise and prioritise own workload with support, maintaining concentration and professionalism in busy clinical environments.
- Developing clinical reasoning, analytical and reflective skills, with ability to identify own learning needs and seek supervision appropriately.
- Awareness of clinical governance, safeguarding, confidentiality, risk management and accurate clinical documentation.
- Able to manage the emotional demands of working with patients and families affected by communication and swallowing difficulties.
- Education, Qualifications and Training
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree, degree apprenticeship or equivalent qualification.
- HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist, or pending registration
- Registered member of RCSLT, or eligible for membership.
- Special Circumstances
- Able to travel across Buckinghamshire as required for cross-site working and home visits.
- Relevant adult clinical placement experience, including assessment and management of communication, swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties.
- Awareness of stroke, neurological conditions and the role of SLT within inpatient, community and multidisciplinary settings.
- Previous Band 5 SLT experience in adults or paediatrics
- Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to listen, explain information clearly and adapt communication where barriers exist.
- Able to demonstrate empathy and provide appropriate support and advice to patients, carers and colleagues.
- Awareness of SLT assessment and intervention approaches relevant to stroke, neurological conditions, dysphagia and communication disorders.
- Awareness of student-level eating and drinking competencies, including safe assessment, risk identification, implementation of recommendations and escalation to a qualified SLT where required.
- Able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and understand the roles of other professionals.
- Able to organise and prioritise own workload with support, maintaining concentration and professionalism in busy clinical environments.
- Developing clinical reasoning, analytical and reflective skills, with ability to identify own learning needs and seek supervision appropriately.
- Awareness of clinical governance, safeguarding, confidentiality, risk management and accurate clinical documentation.
- Able to manage the emotional demands of working with patients and families affected by communication and swallowing difficulties.
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 5 at £29,970 – £36,483 a year, across England.
This advert: £32,073 – £39,043 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 14d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Speech and Language Therapist
The closing date is 24 September 2026
Job summary
Are you a newly qualified or early career Speech and Language Therapist looking for a varied and supportive Band 5 role across both inpatient and community settings? We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Speech and Language Therapist to join our Adult Speech and Language Therapy service in Buckinghamshire. This post offers an excellent opportunity to develop a broad range of clinical skills across the inpatient stroke pathway at Wycombe Hospital and the community SLT service. The successful applicant will work three days per week with the inpatient stroke team at Wycombe Hospital, supporting adults with communication and swallowing difficulties as part of a wider multidisciplinary team. They will also work two days per week with the community SLT team, providing assessment and intervention for adults in patients' homes, care homes and outpatient settings. This is a supportive post with regular supervision from senior Speech and Language Therapists across both pathways. You will be encouraged to develop your clinical skills, including communication and dysphagia competencies, through structured supervision, training and experience. We are looking for someone who is compassionate, reflective and keen to learn. If you are looking for a role t
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