Job summary
We are seeking a passionate, experienced and highly skilled team member to take on the role of Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist to lead our Neurology Outpatient Service and Inpatient Stroke Service at our Denmark Hill site.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop a team of 4 highly skilled Speech & Language Therapists working across acute stroke and outpatient neurology pathways.
• Act as the expert clinical lead for patients with acquired communication and swallowing disorders, providing specialist leadership across stroke inpatient and outpatient services.
• Lead on our outpatient instrumental assessment services at our Denmark Hill site including outpatient videofluoroscopy and outpatient FEES.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary teams, including consultants, nurses, MND and Parkinson's Nurse Specialists, therapists and psychologists, to deliver outstanding patient-centred care

You will join a team of eight Clinical Leads across our three hospital sites, working together to shape and grow Speech & Language Therapy services. This will include contributing to service strategy, workforce development, education, research and quality improvement initiatives.

Speech & Language Therapists are fully integrated within multidisciplinary teams alongside Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Dietitians and other allied health professionals.

Main duties of the job
Clinical Responsibilities

• To autonomously assess, diagnose, treat and manage a complex caseload of adults with communication and swallowing problems in a specialist area in accordance with King's College Hospital Speech and Language Therapy service guidelines and service standards.
• To provide expert knowledge and clinical judgement, specialist recommendations and second opinion to the wider SLT and MDT.
• To provide information, advice and support to patients, carers, relatives and staff.
• To liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team to facilitate patient management.
• To attend ward and team meetings and case conferences, as appropriate
• To liaise with all appropriate agencies pre and post discharge. In particular to liaise with Speech and Language Therapists within the regional network to facilitate seamless transfer of care. This may include links with voluntary organisations.
• To provide accurate and timely reports, including transfer and discharge reports.
• To facilitate access to specialist AAC assessment and management.
• To recognise boundaries of own extended role and manage associated risk at all times.

Leadership

• To provide high quality values-based clinical and professional leadership to Neurology Outpatients & Stroke Inpatients SLT teams.
• To support the Head of SLT in the delivery of key aspects of King's strategy.

About us
The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. Transforming Healthcare is the vision at the heart of the King's Strategy - 2026 to 2031. Together, we are pursuing six strategic ambitions: delivering high-quality patient care; being a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Achieving these ambitions will require all of us to work as one Team King's, united by a shared commitment to our values of being caring, collaborative, inclusive and innovative. By living these values every day, we will transform healthcare for our patients, our communities and each other

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Details
Date posted: 30 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £66,274 to £73,496 a year pa pro rata, inc HCA
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 11 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 213-Division-A-8157301
Job locations: Denmark Hill, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Administrative Responsibilities

• To maintain comprehensive and accurate patient notes in accordance with departmental policy and to ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of these records.
• To monitor and review teams activity in accordance with local performance indicators and national requirements to help inform service delivery and evaluation.
• To ensure departmental equipment and communication devices are regularly maintained and in good working order.
• To lead and participate in values-based recruitment.

Systems and Management

• To use a range of IT skills and software packages, including those for the statistical analysis of research data
• To ensure that data collection and audit take place a minimum of quarterly to populate KCH SLT balanced scorecards.
• To ensure that all databases are protected under Caldecott principles regarding confidentiality
• To provide continual evaluation of services by ensuring accurate data collection that is reviewed regularly with action taken to improve performance as necessary and stakeholders receive timely, accurate reports.
• To write accurate and timely reports which represent KCH patient and activity data.

Research and Service Development

• To ensure that service users with living experiences are fully involved in identifying areas for service co-design and research.
• To work with patients, relatives and carers to ensure the SLT service is patient-focussed, including learning from adverse incidents and complaints.
• To work with the Head of SLT and Clinical Lead SLTs to continuously evaluate and integrate KCHs model of SLT prioritisation and streams of care.
• To be responsible for initiating and developing relevant quality improvement and research activity within KCH acute SLT teams, supporting & participating in wider MDT research.
• To actively seek sources of funding/income generation to support research projects.
• To take KCH SLT research through to presentation at national level, including publication.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• HCPC recognised Diploma, Batchelor's or Masters qualification in Speech & Language Therapy
• Registration with the HCPC as a Speech & Language Therapist
• Post graduate education in the assessment, treatment & management of patients with neurological disorders
• Active member of relevant clinical excellence network(s)

Desirable

• Post-HCPC registration research-focused MSc/MPhil/MRes
• Member of RCSLT
• Formal qualification in leadership and management

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Highly developed knowledge & extensive specialist clinical experience and in the assessment, treatment & management of both communication and swallowing difficulties experienced by patients receiving acute inpatient care
• Evidence of having independently undertaken audit, quality improvement projects and research
• Experience & high level of skill in supervision of staff and students, including quality improvement projects
• Demonstrates knowledge of public/patient involvement in service design and co-production

Skills and Competencies
Essential

• Advanced skills in working with people who have congenital and acquired communication problems
• Tracheostomy competency
• VF competency - RCSLT Greater Glasgow and Clyde Level 3; FEES competency - level 3

Desirable

• VF competency - RCSLT Greater Glasgow and Clyde Level 4 or

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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 Sponsorship
Applications 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 Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Head of Speech & Language Therapy
Justine Vella
justinevella@nhs.net
07528977404