Job Description

Job Overview

Are you an experienced Speech & Language Therapist ready to lead, influence, and make a real difference within Adult Mental Health services?

Then come and Join Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, where we offer a wide variety of challenging and rewarding roles within a supportive, innovative and dynamic work environment!

We are seeking a dynamic Band 7 SALT Team Lead to provide clinical leadership and specialist expertise across Adult Mental Health, including dysphagia management and communication.

About the Role

As the Band 7 Team Lead, you will:

Lead and develop a specialist Adult Mental Health SALT service

Provide advanced clinical assessment and intervention, including dysphagia in complex mental health presentations

Support safe, person-centred care for adults with communication and swallowing needs

Work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to influence care pathways and outcomes


This role combines hands-on clinical work with leadership, service development, and staff supervision.

The hours of work are 8.30 till 4.30 p.m. four days a week with flexibility on the non-working day.

About You

You will be:

A HCPC-registered Speech & Language Therapist

An experienced clinician with Adult Mental Health and/or dysphagia expertise

Confident in managing complexity, risk, and uncertainty

Passionate about leadership, service improvement, and staff development

Skilled at working across systems and influencing MDT practice


The health and wellbeing of our team members is very important to us and we offer a robust induction period, as well as regular supervision and support. You will have opportunities to progress your career with a structured learning journey that will enable you to achieve your long-term goals and work to your strengths.


We also offer:

A generous pension contribution and holiday allowance starting at 27 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years of service and 33 days after 10 years of service Free onsite parking Access to a wide range of additional benefits (attached) such as discounted shopping, recognition schemes and various other packages you can draw from to help support your work-life balance Health and Wellbeing Support Various Staff Support Networks

Contact Details:

Anette Ryan 07920085320, annette.ryan4@nhs.net

Summary (Main duties and responsibilities)

Clinical Leadership

o Act as a specialist resource for communication and dysphagia within Adult Mental Health

o Manage complex clinical cases, including risk-related feeding and swallowing decisions

o Lead on dysphagia governance, training, and best practice within the service

Service & Team Leadership

o Line manage and support Band 4/5/6 SALT and students

o Provide clinical supervision, appraisal, and mentorship

o Contribute to service development, audits, and quality improvement initiatives

Multidisciplinary Working

o Work collaboratively with AHP, psychology, dietetics, and ward nursing teams

o Embed SALT input into care planning, risk management, and recovery-focused practice

o Advocate for communication-accessible and trauma-informed care

Training & Education

o Deliver training to MDT staff on communication needs and dysphagia in mental health

o Promote reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice across services

We may close the advert early, if we receive a sufficient number of applicants, so please apply as soon as possible.

About Us


Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides a range of community health, mental health and learning disability services for people of all ages. Delivered through over 100 settings from inpatient wards to out in the community, our 6,500 staff serve over 1 million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.


We aim to develop a workforce that reflects our community. We actively implement equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and seek people who share our commitment. We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from underrepresented groups.


Details of our benefits, leadership behaviours and other important information including AI in our recruitment process can be found in the Information for Applicants document attached.


We will consider requests to work alternative hours or varied working patterns in line with our flexible working policy.


For all substantive roles, new staff (excluding medical staff) are appointed subject to a 6-month probationary period (see Probation Policy).


All jobs will require permission to work in the UK.


For all jobs the cost of any DBS disclosure required will be met by the individual. This will be deducted from salary once started.


Applicants at risk within the local NHS who meet essential criteria will have preference for interview.