Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustPrincipal Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Cleft Lip & PalateThe closing date is 30 August 2026Job summaryA vacancy has arisen in Trent Regional Cleft Network for a highly specialised Principal Speech and Language Therapist in the area of cleft palate and related disorders.
The post holder will be employed by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to contribute to a service level agreement to deliver SLT services to Trent Regional Cleft Network hosted by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The post will be based at the Trent Regional Cleft Centre, situated on the Nottingham City Hospital Campus.
The Trent Regional Cleft Network supports children and adults with cleft lip and palate and related disorders across a large geographical area covering Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Grimsby. The service caters for approximately 80-100 cleft births per year.
Nottingham SLT Service (hosted by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) is a large paediatric SLT department with a range of specialist therapists, training opportunities and professional support.
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will work closely with the Regional Lead SLT and as part of a team of Specialist SLTs across the region, helping provide an effective regional cleft SLT service.
They will act as the identified specialist managing the cleft caseload for an agreed area of the region. They will work closely with local SLT services across the region to ensure clients receive the highest possible standards of care.
They will be required to deputise for the Regional Lead SLT for Trent Regional Cleft Network as necessary.
They will be an integral member of the multidisciplinary cleft team working closely with the surgeons, orthodontists, nurses and psychologists to ensure holistic care-planning.
Applicants should have excellent communication and organisational skills, broad paediatric experience, specialist knowledge/skills in the area of cleft palate and VPD and an ability to motivate others. They will be highly motivated and compassionate with excellent team-working skills.
The post is likely to require work on an outreach basis across the region for up to 50% of the time. A current driving license and a willingness to travel and work away from the base is essential.
Owing to existing clinic arrangements across the region, a commitment to working on a Friday will be essential.
The post would suit an existing specialist or someone who can show an outstanding commitment to developing their skills and knowledge in this area.
About us#TeamNottsHC comprises over 10,500 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health and forensic health services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 80 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings and secure environments.
We are one of the largest mental health and community health Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.
The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.
DetailsDate posted: 10 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year (per annum, pro rata for part time)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 186-579-26-GH
Job locations: Trent Regional Cleft Network, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB
Job responsibilities- To take a lead role in the assessment and treatment of a highly specialised caseload of clients with cleft palate and related disorders.
- To be autonomous and responsible for the assessment, formulation and management of a highly specialist clinical caseload ensuring evidence-based practice.
- To coordinate SLT care plans for children and adults with cleft lip and palate / velopharyngeal dysfunction in a designated area of Trent Regional Cleft Network. This includes providing support to local SLTs and other professional involved with these clients in the form of expert advice, second opinions and joint visits.
- To act as a key member of the multidisciplinary cleft team, provide regular clinical input to combined cleft clinics and palate investigation clinics and contribute to clinical management decisions.
- To participate in research and audit projects both locally and nationally in collaboration with other members of the Trent Regional Cleft multidisciplinary team and colleagues across the UK.
- To contribute to Trent Regional Cleft Service training and research presentations at a national / international level.
- To provide support to less experienced SLTs across the Trent Region and supervise students on placement allocated to the pathway.
- Required to attend specialist short course and advanced training and development in order to maintain and develop relevant skills and knowledge required of a highly skilled specialist therapist working in the field of cleft lip and palate / velopharyngeal dysfunction (through attendance at Clinical Excellence Networks, relevant courses, peer review, clinical shadowing and reading) and maintain HCPC and RCSLT registration.
- To maintain up-to-date and accurate case records in line with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC UK) standards and Trust policies and procedure.
- A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.Person SpecificationContractual Requirements- A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for individuals with a disability in line with the Equality Act 2010.
- Willingness to work on Fridays as required
QualificationsEssential- Recognised SLT degree qualification or equivalent
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) License to Practice
Desirable- Member of the National Cleft and Craniofacial Clinical Excellence Network (CEN)
- Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
TrainingEssential- Evidence of successful completion of relevant specialist in depth courses and advanced post-graduate training up to masters level (e.g. post-graduate certificate - cleft, CAPS-A training)
Desirable- Evidence of completion of Paediatric Eating and Drinking Difficulties training at post-graduate level
ExperienceEssential- Fully competent, experienced specialist in cleft with extensive post qualification experience of assessing and providing therapy for children with cleft lip and palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction underpinned by evidence-based practice
- Five years minimum experience of working with children with cleft lip and palate and related disorders
- Experience of attending cleft clinics and interpreting lateral video fluoroscopies and nasendoscopies
- Evidence of managing complex and specialist caseload independently
- Experience of providing advice and professional guidance on complex clinical issues including cleft lip and palate and related disorders
- Experience of working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary cleft team
- Proven evidence of leadership skills
- Experience of collaborative research
- Experience of delivering cleft-related training packages
Desirable- Fully competent and experienced to advise and support in cases of children with complex feeding difficulties
- Nationally recognised specialist in the area of cleft lip and palate and related disorders who has made a significant contribution to clinical practice
KnowledgeEssential- Highly specialist knowledge in the area of cleft-related speech difficulties underpinned by current evidence based practice
- High level of knowledge of assessment tools and therapy approaches relevant to cleft lip and palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction
- Evidence of maintaining own knowledge base through CPD and membership of appropriate local, regional and national Clinical Excellence Networks
- Able to use specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements / decision making for complex cases
- Understanding of national and local clinical guidelines on cleft
- Knowledge of application of risk assessments, clinical governance and national policies and procedures relevant to this Specialist Client Group
- Extensive knowledge of current diagnostic and management issues across the multidisciplinary team related to cleft lip and palate and related disorders
- High level of knowledge about objective tools to assess velopharyngeal dysfunction such as lateral video fluoroscopy and nasendoscopy
Desirable- A thorough understanding of the literature in relation to differential diagnosis and treatment of velopharyngeal dysfunction
- Contributes to national knowledge base through presentations at regional, national and international meetings
SkillsEssential- Highly developed and trained auditory discrimination and perceptual skills
- Ability to transcribe speech phonetically as an integral part of assessment and plan packages of care
- Skilled in interpreting lateral video fluoroscopy, nasendoscopy and other objective assessments of velopharyngeal function
- Ability to provide support and advice to professionals from a range of disciplines
- Highly skilled in developing and delivering therapy programmes to children with a range of cleft related speech disorders
- Excellent presentation skills; written, verbal and IT based
- Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills and negotiation skills, management of conflict, listening, empathy and influencing
- Excellent organisational, prioritisation and delegation skills
- Highly motivated, reliable team worker
Desirable- Externally validated listening skills based upon peer review and consensus listening
Physical RequirementsEssential- Excellent hearing
- Moderate physical effort required to complete daily tasks (e.g. transporting equipment)
Values and BehavioursEssential- All staff should be able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as identified within the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy and associated Equality, Diversity and Human Rights legislation
- All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Teamwork
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.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).Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer name: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Trent Regional Cleft Network, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Lead Speech and Language Therapist, Elaine O'Connor, elaine.oconnor4@nhs.net
