Principal Speech and Language Therapist – Mental Health and Dementia

Principal Speech and Language Therapist – Mental Health and Dementia

Join Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as a Principal Speech and Language Therapist to lead our specialist Speech and Language Therapy service for adults in Mental Health and Dementia inpatient care.

NHS AfC:
Band 8a | Permanent | Portland House, Worthing

Hours: Part time – 22.5 hours per week

Job : 354-CO-21742

Base pay range: Your pay will be competitive and commensurate with your skills and experience – please discuss with your recruiter.

As our clinical lead, you’ll assess and manage your own specialist caseload while providing strategic and clinical leadership across divisions. You’ll support teams to deliver safe, evidence‑based practice and act as an expert resource for staff working with adults who have highly complex presentations, often where communication barriers and cognitive decline intersect.

You’ll work closely with the Trust‑wide Lead for Speech and Language Therapy and operational managers to develop new initiatives, contribute to policy and quality standards, and lead on clinical audits, service evaluation and innovation projects. You’ll also have a key role in teaching, mentoring and supervision – supporting the development of junior colleagues and raising the profile of Speech and Language Therapy across mental health and dementia services.

You’ll be an HCPC‑registered Speech and Language Therapist with significant post‑qualification experience, ideally in mental health, dementia, learning disability or neurodiversity settings. You’ll bring advanced clinical skills, strong leadership capability and a clear vision for how high‑quality communication and swallowing support transforms care and patient outcomes.

Your ability to lead, influence and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams will be central to your success. A passion for continuous learning, evidence‑based practice and innovation is essential.

At Sussex Partnership, you’ll join a values‑led organisation rated Good overall and Outstanding for caring by the CQC. You’ll have access to:

• Leadership and professional development tailored to your career goals
• Opportunities for service innovation, research and quality improvement
• Protected time for CPD, clinical supervision and reflective practice
• Flexible working and strong wellbeing support
• A supportive professional network of Speech and Language Therapists across the Trust

Sussex offers the best of coastal and countryside living – from the beaches of Worthing to the open spaces of the South Downs National Park. You’ll work as part of a progressive, compassionate organisation that values your expertise and invests in your professional growth.

If you’re ready to take the lead in shaping how Speech and Language Therapy supports adults with mental health and dementia needs – and want to influence care at both clinical and strategic levels – we’d love to hear from you.