Principal Speech and Language Therapist: Sponsorship Available

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Principal Speech and Language Therapist to provide professional and clinical leadership for Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) across CAMHS services. This senior leadership role within Sussex CAMHS offers the opportunity to provide strategic direction, clinical expertise and professional governance for SaLT practice across the CAMHS pathway, including crisis and acute care services. The post also includes a clinical role within East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LD FISS).

As the CAMHS Principal SaLT, you will provide professional leadership, supervision and workforce development for SaLT staff, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based interventions are delivered consistently and safely across services. You will play a key role in service development, influencing multidisciplinary practice and embedding SaLT within assessment, care planning, risk management and crisis intervention for children and young people with complex mental health needs.

The role includes working clinically within CAMHS LD FISS, an innovative, award-winning multidisciplinary community team supporting families whose children have moderate to severe learning disabilities and significant psychological, behavioural and communication needs. The team provides specialist assessment, intervention and intensive support to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide professional and clinical leadership for a small number of SaLTs across CAMHS Sussex, with responsibility of scoping unmet need and developing SaLT in CAMHS. This includes professional management, leadership and supervision of the SaLT workforce, and ensuring services are high-quality, effective and compliant with professional, national and local standards.

The post holder will play a key role in professional governance, contributing to the development, implementation and monitoring of the governance agenda, and ensuring a strong SaLT contribution to quality clinical care, service performance and continuous improvement across CAMHS.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the role incorporates a clinical component, involving complex assessment and intervention with children and young people, consultation and support to families and carers, and specialist advice and consultation to multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams. This clinical contribution ensures the Principal SaLT maintains direct involvement in service delivery, supports best practice, and informs strategic and professional leadership across CAMHS

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Licence to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist
  • HCPC registration

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience as a qualified SLT
  • Broad experience of working with clients with a range of abilities and disabilities
  • Experience of both group and individual work
  • Experience of multidisciplinary working
  • Experience of supervising staff and students
  • Experience in a clinical area related to the post
  • Experience of multi-agency work
  • Leadership experience
  • Experience of service development

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

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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 18 November 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.