Job summaryJoin our friendly Speech and Language Therapy team at Whipps Cross University Hospital and take the lead in shaping high-quality acute adult services within one of the UK's largest NHS Trusts.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly specialist Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to lead our inpatient team, delivering expert assessment and management of adults with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties. This is an exciting opportunity to further develop advanced clinical skills in areas including tracheostomy management, videofluoroscopy and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), while working within a supportive and forward-thinking multidisciplinary environment.
As a senior member of the wider Barts Health SLT service, you will play a key role in service development and innovation, helping to shape and enhance patient care across the acute pathway.
The successful candidate will benefit from strong leadership support, receiving regular supervision from the Clinical Lead SLT, alongside opportunities for professional development and collaborative working across the wider Barts Health network.
If you are a motivated clinician looking to combine advanced specialist practice, leadership, and service development in a vibrant acute setting, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the jobThis role offers the opportunity to lead and develop the acute inpatient Speech and Language Therapy service at Whipps Cross Hospital, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care for adults with complex communication and swallowing disorders.
A key aspect of the role will be leading the delivery and ongoing development of instrumental swallowing assessment services, including the videofluoroscopy clinic and the FEES service in partnership with the Band 7 therapist in ICU. The post holder will also play a pivotal role in tracheostomy management across the hospital, contributing to weekly board rounds, monthly governance meetings and supporting the Barts Health Tracheostomy Accreditation Programme to promote best practice and service excellence.
As a senior member of the team, the post holder will provide clinical supervision, guidance and support to junior Speech and Language Therapists, fostering a positive learning culture and contributing to the continued growth and development of the wider SLT service. They will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and contribute to service improvement initiatives to ensure patients receive the highest standard of care.
About usBarts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- Registered with Health & Care Professions Council -License to Practice
ExperienceEssential- Experience in assessment and management of complex acquired communication and swallowing disorders with adult populations within a variety of settings (including acute inpatients and critical care)
- Experience of managing and leading a team including providing supervision, guidance, and completion of probation and/or appraisals
- Experience in identification of service gaps/ issues and implementation of sustainable Quality Improvement and service development initiatives
Desirable- Experience with supporting staff through performance and/or sickness management utilising Trust policies
- Experience of developing and conducting specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT at a regional or national level
KnowledgeEssential- In-depth knowledge of a broad range of assessment and intervention tools relevant to complex communication and swallowing difficulties, underpinned by national policies and guidelines relevant to the area of critical care, older people and general medicine
- In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance to inform escalation of service issues and risks
- Knowledge of cultural, linguistic and socio-economic factors impacting on the assessment and overall holistic management of patients with communication and swallowing difficulties
Desirable- Completion of relevant Leadership training
- Completion of relevant mentoring/coaching training
- Knowledge of neurorehabilitation pathways and referral processes
SkillsEssential- Demonstrates videofluoroscopy competencies at RSCLT Level 2
- Demonstrates FEES competencies at RCSLT Level 2A
- Ability to independently manage non-ventilated patients with tracheostomies from insertion to decannulation
- Excellent interpersonal skills utilising observation, active listening and empathy, in order to build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders (within SLT, wider MDT, patients and families)
- Demonstrates good organisational skills with the ability to effectively plan, prioritise, and manage clinical and non-clinical responsibilities, ensuring deadlines are met and high standards of service delivery are maintained
- Ability to multitask in a busy, fast-paced environment showing flexibility to changes in service needs and priorities, and the ability to trouble-shoot complex clinical and operational team issues as/when they arise
- Demonstrates strong leadership skills through a compassionate and WE CARE values -based approach, driving growth and development opportunities for junior staff, and fostering a positive and supportive team culture
- Proficient in Microsoft 365 and ICT software/applications to support documentation, communication and admin tasks
Desirable- Experience with tracheostomy management of ventilator-dependent patients
- Experience leading in videofluoroscopy clinics (at Level 3)
- FEES competencies signed off to Level 2B or above
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
