Verified Skilled Worker sponsor

Band 7 Bank Speech and Language Therapist - Salisbury

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Salisbury, SP2 7FD £49,387 – £56,515 a year Bank Posted 25 August 2026 Apply by 14 September 2026

Home Office register entry: Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health NHS Partnership, Bath

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Closest occupation match: SOC 2223, Speech and language therapists. Pay for this occupation is set by national pay scales (NHS bands), so no single Home Office going rate applies.

This occupation falls under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

We have an opportunity for a Bank Band 7 SLT to join the Trust Wide SLT adult inpatient mental health service on a Bank basis. Most clinical work will be based at Fountain Way Hospital in Salisbury.

You will work with a high degree of autonomy, providing specialist dysphagia and communication assessment and intervention on working age and older adult mental health wards, and training staff in screening and managing patients' swallowing and communication needs.

Experience in mental health or dementia is desirable. However, if you have a background in learning disability, autism, acquired/progressive neurological conditions and developmental SLCN, you will have highly relevant, transferable skills and will be considered if you demonstrate a passion or curiosity for further development in mental health. You will be involved in the supervision and training of newly appointed B4 SLT assistant practitioners and experience of supervision and support of junior staff would be important for potential candidates to demonstrate.

You will be part of the trust-wide SLT network, which organises regular CPD and professional support sessions.

The Trust is required to carry out mandatory employment checks. Please bring the original ID documents requested below to your interview if selected.

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) service to adult inpatients with disorders of communication and/or swallowing in Salisbury

Highly skilled assessment and treatment of communication difficulties and eating and drinking difficulties within a caseload of people with complex and enduring mental health disorders.

Providing written information regarding patients' communication and dysphagia needs in the form of reports, care plans and easy read information.

Providing ongoing education to ward and catering staff in the recognition and management of dysphagia.

Providing ongoing education to ward staff in understanding communication difficulties and developing skills in how best to support people with communication needs.

Engaging in joint goal setting with the patient, family and wider MDT.

Advocating for the value of Speech & Language Therapy to the MDT in the diagnosis and management of complex communication and swallowing disorders in the inpatient mental health population.

About us

We are the lead provider of healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

We aim to provideHigh Quality, Compassionate Careeverywhere, every day. This means our services will be safe, clinically effective and provide a positive all-round experience for our patients, families and carers. And we believe passionately in treating everyone with kindness, respect and empathy.

Key to this is providing a supportive and safe environment for our 4,000 staff where we all feel welcome and able to do the best we can for those we support. Our staff and teams work incredibly hard delivering services across more than 90 locations, covering 2,200miles, to more than 1.8million people.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Date posted

25 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£49,387 to £56,515 a year pro rata

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Flexible working

Reference number

342-BASLT-0826

Job locations

Fountain way hospital

Wilton R

Salisbury

SP2 7FD

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will deliver high quality, specialist SLT services across Salisbury and the Wiltshire area.

Please contact the nominated person for more information.

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

Recognised speech and language therapy qualification
Registered with HCPC
Registered member of the RCSLT
Recognised post-graduate dysphagia qualification/accredited training
Working at Proficient Level of the RCSLT Speech and Language Therapist Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Competency Framework (2025) or Level C of the RCSLT Dysphagia Training and Competency Framework (2014)

Desirable

Post-qualifying education/CPD in relevant areas (incl LD, forensic, autism etc)
Membership of relevant CEN(s)

Experience

Essential

Clear evidence of work-based learning to demonstrate specialist clinical skills.
Significant post graduate experience of working in dysphagia with a range of client groups.
Experience of speech and language assessment and treatment of service users across a range of specialist care settings, including Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism, Developmental Language Disorder, Acquired/Progressive Neurological Conditions, Forensic, and Dementia
Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Experience of compiling and using accessible information and appropriate range of IT skills to support this.

Desirable

Experience in conducting instrumental dysphagia assessment (e.g. videofluoroscopy, FEES)

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of a range of assessment tools, therapeutic interventions/management strategies relevant to the service user group and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits of each.
Specialist knowledge of dealing with complex cases in terms of multiple mental and physical health diagnoses, presentation and the effects of the environment.
Knowledge of clinical evidence base and relevant literature.

Desirable

Experience in delivery of structured groups
Experience of working with people with a range of mental health conditions and presentations including behaviour that challenges
Knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to the service user group and mental health.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

Able to effectively communicate complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, orally and in writing, to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
Understanding of clinical risk management and the ability to manage this.
Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the RCSLT.
Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Ability to work with a high level of autonomy, within professional boundaries, seeking support from more senior clinicians where necessary.
Excellent interpersonal skills
Good time management and prioritization skills
Good presentation and teaching/training skills

Other Requirements

Essential

Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm, empathetic and professional manner.

Desirable

Experience of working within a multicultural framework of assessment, formulation and treatment/intervention

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.