Speech and Language Therapist | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

We have a fantastic opportunity for a motivated Speech and Language Therapist to join our dynamic Inpatient Team at Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust. The post is full time, working 37.5 hours per week and will involve assessment, treatment and management of patients with communication and swallowing difficulties. This job is ideal for anyone who is about to qualify or is recently qualified, would like to have experience working with adults or we can support someone wanting to return to practice.

The post involves providing Speech and Language assessment and rehabilitation to patients at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. There will be opportunities to develop your skills in all clinical areas including Stroke, Acute in-patients, Cancer services, Voice, Head and Neck and Critical care. You will be fully supported to complete your dysphagia competencies and will have the opportunity to develop skills in instrumental assessment to support your clinical practice.

You will be joining an established Speech and Language Therapy Team who work along side Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians and Therapy Support Workers supported by a Clinical Lead Therapist. You will be encouraged to take an active role in current projects, including service development and evaluation, internal and external training, audit and research review.

You will be working in a rewarding and challenging clinical environment and will be responsible for taking students when established within the team. The therapies department at Dorset County Hospital is committed to ensuring staff feel supported with their wellbeing and career progression through supervision, appraisal, in-house and external training and leadership development.

The Therapies Service at Dorset County Hospital is an integrated Therapies Service working together to ensure that Therapies provision is the best that it can be, balancing quality and resourcing to provide and improve patient centred services. Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a modern District General Hospital offering an excellent working environment. Much of West Dorset is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty, and the Jurassic coastline is protected by World Heritage status. There are numerous beaches within easy reach, and Portland Harbour (host of 2012 Olympic Sailing) promotes a wide range of water sport activities. The area is largely rural, with good rail and road links. The closest airport is situated in Bournemouth. We are a Trust that celebrates diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We would welcome applications from people in groups which are under-represented in our organisation.

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.

Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

UKVI Sponsorship

This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibility criteria.

This advert closes on Sunday 14 Jun 2026

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