SEHSCT Speech and Language Therapy Assistant Band 4
Ref:55983949
Branch: Trustwide (SEHSCT)
Location: LPCCC or Ards Hospital w/ trustwide reqs
Salary: Band 4 (£27,485 - £30,162)
Contract Type: Temporary
Opening date: 10/11/26
Closes: Tue, 24 November 2026 @ 5:30 PM
Interview Dates: to be confirmed.

Notes: Online and Manual applications accepted. If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage.

A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.

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Flexible Working
We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

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JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Speech and Language Therapy Assistant – AHP Care Home Support Team
Band: 4
Directorate: Nursing, Primary Care and Older People
Initial Location: LPCCC or Ards Hospital, with expectation to travel Trust-wide
Reports To: Speech and Language Therapist, Care Home Support Team
Accountable To: Clinical Lead, Care Home Support Team

Job Summary
The Speech & Language Therapy Assistant will be employed as an intrinsic part of the Allied Health Professional (AHP) Care Home Support Team. This post will have a specific remit for swallowing/dysphagia. This primarily involves regular audit of meals within Independent Sector Care Homes across the South Eastern Trust, as well as other tasks supporting dysphagia care, directed by the Care Home Support Team Speech and Language Therapist. Occasionally other administration tasks for the team will also be required. In-service training will be provided, and the Assistant’s work will be regularly monitored by the supervising Speech and Language Therapist.

Key Duties / Responsibilities
Main Responsibilities

• Work within the AHP Care Home Support Team, who comprise part of the wider Care Home Support Team within the SET.
• Assist the Speech and Language Therapist in supporting Care Homes to enhance their quality of care of residents who have dysphagia.
• Train and support care home staff in safer eating, drinking and swallowing.
• With training, complete Care Home meal-time audits as requested by the Speech and Language Therapist. These will be conducted on a regular schedule, but may also be completed in response to requests from the wider Care Home Support Team. This will largely involve supporting implementation of REDS (Recommendations for Eating, Drinking and Swallowing), and monitoring adherence to this.
• Exercise some degree of independent judgement during audits, with support where required being provided by the Speech and Language Therapist.
• Provide accurate and timely feedback to Care Home staff, managers and the Speech & Language Therapist regarding the outcomes of audits and expected actions. Complete re-audit where this is required.
• Identify and escalate dysphagia risks noted during the audit process.
• Monitor audit outcomes for trends and themes.
• Manage the audit activity across multiple homes.

Clinical/Professional/Specific Managerial Responsibilities

• Be a member of the Speech and Language Therapy and Multidisciplinary team.
• Respond to related queries from Care Home staff and managers.
• Maintain and update records around their own tasks, making returns (for example relating to Clinical Governance and quarterly Scorecards) and assisting the Speech and Language Therapist in collection of relevant statistics as required.
• Assist in the review of current practice and implementation of new processes as required, contributing to service improvement.
• Assist in the full range of administrative tasks required by the Team.
• Be aware of and comply with the Trust policies as they pertain to the role e.g. Health and Safety, Patient Confidentiality, Protection of Vulnerable Adults, etc.

Generic Managerial Responsibilities both within an operational and strategic context

• Participate in induction and training programmes as required
• Attend staff meetings and supervision as required.
• Ensure compliance with all Trust policies and procedures as they pertain to the post.
• Undertake any other duties as considered appropriate by the Clinical Lead of the Care Home Support Team and/or Speech and Language Therapist, Care Home Support Team.

General Management Responsibilities

• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust’s Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.
• Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.
• Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.
• Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example: Smoke Free policy; IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct; standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour.
• Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.
• Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.
• All employees of the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the South Eastern HSC Trust’s policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.
• Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.
• Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

eHealth
The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. Trust staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure that they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills required to support their role.

Personnel Specification
Job Title and Band: Speech and Language Therapy Assistant – Care Home Support Team
Department / Directorate: Speech and Language Therapy, Nursing, Primary Care and Older People
Salary: £24,852-£27,485 per annum
Hours: Part-time, 18.75 hours per week – work pattern negotiable

Essential Criteria

• Experience working within the care home sector and be able to demonstrate recent experience of working with both clients and care home staff in the areas of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.
• I.T. Skills.
• NVQ 3 or equivalent in relevant area plus 2 years relevant experience, OR HNC/D in relevant subject or equivalent plus 1 year’s relevant experience, OR 4 years’ relevant experience.
• Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. These criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.
• Ability to accept responsibility and demonstrate initiative.
• Maturity and self-confidence to form effective working relationships with colleagues.
• Organisational ability to manage the caseloads in line with service policy and protocols.
• Demonstrable knowledge of dysphagia and the IDDSI framework.

Volunteering experience may be considered appropriate in particular for roles within the context of direct patient/client care.
As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed. To access a copy of the Access NI Code of Practice, please Click here. The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has guidance on the Recruitment of People with Criminal Convictions. To access a copy of this guidance, please Click Here. Protecting and using your information: To access a copy of the Trust’s Data Protection Policy Statement, Click Here.
THE TRUST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
Successful applicants may be required to attend for a Health Assessment.