Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Speech and Language Therapist to join our dedicated team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in shaping and developing speech and language therapy services within a dynamic and supportive multidisciplinary environment. As the Band 7 SLT, you will lead the delivery of the speech and language therapy service across the prison, while providing clinical leadership and supervision to an established Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist. You will work directly with individuals who have communication needs, carrying out specialist assessments and interventions that can have a profound impact on their wellbeing, engagement, and rehabilitation. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive innovation and service development. You will play a pivotal role in creating accessible information and services across the prison and will lead the ongoing development of the Neurodevelopmental Pathway, helping to ensure that individuals with neurodevelopmental differences receive appropriate and effective support. HMP Wormwood Scrubs is home to a specialist neurodiversity- and trauma-informed wing, providing a supportive and adapted environment for individuals who may struggle to manage on the main residential units. You will work closely with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of clinical and operational colleagues, contributing to a truly person-centred approach to care.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will benefit from strong professional support, including regular clinical supervision and opportunities to collaborate with Speech and Language Therapy colleagues across the wider service, including HMP Pentonville. There are also opportunities to maintain and develop dysphagia competencies through partnership working with colleagues in Neurorehabilitation and Long-Term Conditions services. This role offers excellent opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and collaborative working. You will build strong partnerships with healthcare, education, criminal justice, and external agency colleagues, helping to improve outcomes for a complex and often underserved population.

If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference, leading service development, and working within an innovative and supportive team, we would love to hear from you.

Please kindly refer to the job description and person specification by clicking on the JD/PS attachment in the advert

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Recognised degree or equivalent qualification in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Health and Care Professions Council registration.
• Good IT skills and experience of using computer based communication programmes

Desirable

• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
• Dysphagia Trained
• ADOS trained

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Clear evidence to demonstrate specialist experience and the acquisition of clinical skills for working in the criminal justice system with people with mental health conditions, learning disability and autism
• Experience of teaching and training others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within professional settings
• Experience of compiling and using accessible information and appropriate range of IT skills to support this
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

• Experience of working autonomously within a prison service
• Evidence of work-based learning to demonstrate clinical skills within a range of clinical settings
• Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems and where there is a history of violence.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills and ability to communicate sensitive and complex information.
• Ability to communicate findings from assessment to service users, and members of the multi-disciplinary team / other professionals.
• Collaborative and consultative skills within multidisciplinary working.
• Skills in the assessment, intervention and management of communication difficulties.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Essential

• Ability to be flexible, engaging and approachable and can work quickly and responsively with both service users and the multidisciplinary team
• Ability to be reflective about their own practice.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as under supervision and with colleagues.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Understanding of clinical risk management and the ability to manage this
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner

Closing Date: 27 July 2026