Important Visa Information
This position comes with a certificate of sponsorship for eligible international candidates. However, applicants must verify their specific visa eligibility directly with the employer before applying. The certificate of sponsorship does not guarantee visa approval, and candidates should familiarize themselves with UK visa requirements through the official UK government immigration website.
Job Details
Company: Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Pullman Place, Gloucester
Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 per annum
Position: Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Employment Type: Permanent
Working Hours: Full-time
Language Requirements: English
Application Deadline: 11 January 2026
About the Position
Are you a highly experienced Speech and Language Therapist passionate about supporting people with learning disabilities? This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic speech and language therapist to join our Learning Disability Speech and Language Therapy Team in Gloucestershire. This is an ideal post for an experienced Band 7 or Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist looking for their next step and opportunity to develop skills.
About the Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT)
The Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT) provides high-quality, person-centred care to individuals with learning disabilities and their families. As a member of this team, you will help provide specialist communication assessment and interventions, specialised eating and drinking assessments and interventions, education, training, support and advice to colleagues and carers, and clinical supervision for less experienced Speech and Language Therapists and students.
About the Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS)
LDISS is a nationally recognised service that provides people with learning disabilities who cannot be supported in mainstream services with community support, aiming to keep people in their homes and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. In addition to supporting people to live their best lives in the community, LDISS provides assessment, therapy and training in Berkeley House, a seven-bedded assessment and treatment service for people with learning disabilities.
Key Responsibilities
The post is full-time and will be split across our Community Learning Disability Team in Gloucester and our Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS). You will be part of a small friendly multidisciplinary team comprising Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists.
Main Duties Include:
- Providing a highly specialist speech and language therapy service to adults and children with learning disabilities
- Providing highly specialist communication assessment and implementation of evidence-based interventions to individuals referred to LDISS or Berkeley House
- Providing specialist eating and drinking assessments and interventions to adults with learning disabilities referred to either service
- Acting as a supervisor and mentor for Band 5/6 SLTs and students under the remit of the profession
- Carrying out delegated tasks outlined within policy development
About Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.
Staff Satisfaction and Culture
Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region. Additionally, 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
Commitment to Excellence
We are committed to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys. While we are in a healthy position with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas and continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to excellence.
Person Specification – Experience
Essential:
- Significant experience as a speech and language therapist
- Demonstrate continuing professional development and willingness to continue
Desirable:
- Experience of working with individuals with learning disabilities and autism
Person Specification – Qualifications
Essential:
- Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- Health and Care Professions Council – Licence to Practice
- Registered Member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapist
- RCSLT accredited training in dysphagia management
Desirable:
- Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses
- Membership of relevant Special Interest Groups
- Evidence of post-graduate training in learning disabilities/autism, mental health needs, up to master’s degree level
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.
UK Registration Requirements
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website. The Trust is required to work in line with the Governments UK Visa and Immigration Rules and Regulations.
How to Apply
Apply via the NHS Jobs website. For questions about the job, contact Michael Walsh (Lead SLT for GHC Learning Disabilities) at michael.walsh@ghc.nhs.uk or call 03004214305.
Application Instructions
When applying, please ensure you include all relevant documentation that demonstrates your qualifications and experience. For international applicants, please also include details of your current visa status or any visa sponsorship requirements you may have. The Trust values diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of their background.
International Applicants Checklist
- Verify your eligibility for UK Skilled Worker visa with the employer
- Prepare evidence of your professional qualifications and certifications
- Obtain criminal record certificates from all countries where you have resided for 12+ months in the past 10 years
- Prepare a CV highlighting your relevant experience with learning disabilities
- Contact the hiring manager before applying to discuss your specific circumstances
Professional Development and Support
We provide excellent appraisal, mentoring and clinical supervision, and you will benefit from working closely with highly experienced and approachable speech and language therapists. Person-centred coordinated care is a fundamental value throughout services delivered by Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, and we are keen for you to help us continue to deliver this high standard of care.
Equal Opportunities
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation or age. We are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds who can enrich our workforce and bring different perspectives to our team.
Further Information
For more information about working for Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, please visit our careers page at https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/. You can also find our privacy notice at https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/privacy-notice/ for information on how we process your personal data.
Contact Information
For questions about the job, contact:
Name: Michael Walsh
Title: Lead SLT for GHC Learning Disabilities
Email: michael.walsh@ghc.nhs.uk
Phone: 03004214305