Job summary
We are looking for an experienced, innovative and highly motivated Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist to provide professional, clinical and operational leadership within our Speech and Language Therapy Service.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist who is passionate about delivering high-quality patient care, supporting staff development and driving service improvement. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping service delivery, ensuring the highest standards of clinical practice and supporting a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment where colleagues are encouraged to develop and thrive, where our values are at the heart of everything we do, guiding how we care for patients, support colleagues and work together as a team.

Staff benefit from a wide range of leadership development and career progression opportunities, alongside access to a comprehensive continuing professional development programme

Main duties of the job

• Provide specialist clinical leadership for SLT services, ensuring delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centred care.
• Lead on the assessment and management of complex communication and dysphagia needs within the stroke population.
• Support service delivery in line with national stroke guidelines and best practice.
• Act as a clinical expert and resource for SLT colleagues, MDT members, patients, and carers.
• Lead and support service development, quality improvement, and audit activity within the stroke pathway.
• Contribute to workforce planning, skill mix development, and efficient use of resources.
• Provide clinical supervision, mentorship, and leadership to SLT staff and students.
• Support training and education for MDT colleagues related to communication and swallowing.
• Participate in governance, risk management, and service evaluation processes

About us
We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community healthcare premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, daycase and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.

Our Community Service for adults are provided in people's homes ,community centres, clinics, GP Practices, community hospitals. Our aim is to work with people to help them remain independent , improve their health and manage their conditions through high quality care , advice and support.

Details
Date posted: 07 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 331-8148055-UHMB
Job locations: Furness General Hospital, Dalton Lane, Barrow-In-Furness, LA14 4LF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
For more detailed job description and main responsibilities for this role - please refer to the documents attached.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Speech and Language Therapy approved by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• Registered with HPC
• On-going membership with the RCSLT
• Dysphagia qualification transferrable to the UK

Desirable

• Membership of specialist interest groups
• Leadership course/qulification

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with adults with a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders.
• Experience of working in a wide range of settings including acute hospitals, community hospitals, clinics and patients' homes.
• Leadership and management
• Supervision of staff and students

Skills
Essential

• To have highly developed auditory and perceptual skills to be able to communicate condition related information to clients and relatives
• To have a highly developed knowledge of a broad range of specialist assessments as required
• Accountable for own professional actions, to work within codes of practice, professional guidelines and policies.

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).

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.