Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (H&N/Rotational)

University Hospitals Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative and supportive healthcare team is seeking a Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist for a fixed-term position. This role offers a unique opportunity to work within Head and Neck Cancer while rotating through various specialties, including stroke and respiratory care. The successful candidate will be part of a close-knit team that values professional development and innovation, with access to advanced assessment tools. If you are passionate about making a difference in patient care and thrive in a collaborative environment, this position is perfect for you. Join us in our commitment to building healthier lives and enhancing our service delivery.

Benefits

Career Development Opportunities

Robust Supervision

Flexible Working

Induction Programme

Access to Specialist Clinics

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy and HCPC registration required.
• Experience with dysphagia and communication disorders is essential.

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage patients with swallowing and communication disorders.
• Provide training and support to junior colleagues and students.

Skills

Dysphagia

Communication Disorders

Team Collaboration

Clinical Assessment

Patient Management

Supervision

Problem Solving

Flexible Working

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Postgraduate Training in Communication Disorders

Membership of RCSLT

HCPC Registration

Tools

Videofluoroscopy

FEES

SVR

Job description

Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (H&N/Rotational)

The closing date is 6th Jan 2025

Job summary

Due to service expansion, our supportive, innovative, and forward-thinking SLT team at QEHB has the opportunity to welcome a fixed-term Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist, which is partially rotational in nature for 12 months.

The static part of this post will be within Head and Neck Cancer (2 days a week), and the remaining 2 days per week would be rotational across many specialities including stroke, voice, surgery, and respiratory care.

We have a large yet close-knit, highly skilled team who contribute to our robust supervision structure. Innovation, participation in research, and clinical/professional development are actively encouraged. We have well-established SLT-led Videofluoroscopy, FEES, and SVR services, so opportunities to access these instrumental assessments to help shape your clinical practice would also be available.

The team offers:

• A full induction programme, robust supervision, regular team meetings & peer support
• A wide range of opportunities for career development including research
• Access to videofluoroscopy, FEES, SVR, and specialist voice clinics
• Opportunities to develop your strategic and leadership skills
• Modern facilities with good transport links

We have a large team who share a caseload of diverse patient cohorts, so being a team player is essential. We would welcome a candidate who has experience working with patients in the specialist areas, but our supportive team will be willing to support your development.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Assessing and managing patients with swallowing and communication disorders
• Service development and audit
• Training of junior colleagues and students
• Working towards utilising specialist assessments such as FEES and tracheostomy
• Working flexibly and thriving in a fast-paced environment

We would welcome interested candidates to get in touch for an informal discussion. Please contact Stef Matthews (Professional Lead) via [e-mail] or 0121 371 3483.

About us

We are recognised as one of the leading NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. Our vision is to Build Healthier Lives, and we recognise that we need incredible staff to do this.

Our commitment to our staff is to create the best place for them to work, and we are dedicated to:

• Investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff, including a commitment to offering flexible working where we can
• Offering our staff a wide variety of training and development opportunities to support their personal and career development objectives

UHB is committed to ensuring that our staff are treated fairly and feel that they belong by creating a kind and inclusive environment. This is about equity of opportunity; removing all barriers, including discrimination, and ensuring each individual member of staff reaches their true potential, achieves their ambitions, and thrives in their work. This is more than words; we are taking action. Our commitment to an inclusive culture is embedded at all levels of the organisation where every voice is heard, driven by our diverse and active staff networks, and at Board level by the Fairness Taskforce led by our CEO. We nurture a culture that empowers staff to challenge discriminatory behaviours and enables people to bring their 'whole self' to a kinder, more connected, and bold place to work.

University Hospitals Birmingham is a Smoke-Free premises hospital.

*Please Note: For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see the attached Job Description*

Person specification

Qualifications

• Professional knowledge acquired at degree level in Speech and Language Therapy
• Postgraduate training/short courses relevant to working with adults with acquired communication/swallowing difficulties
• Membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• Current registration with HCPC
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

• Experience of working within an adult inpatient setting
• Experience of working independently with an adult dysphagia caseload
• Experience of working successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience working with the specialty caseload
• Experience of holding own clinical caseload

Additional Criteria

• Theoretical and practical knowledge of dysphagia, dysarthria, dyspraxia, dysphonia, and dysphasia
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of treatment and management of patients with a range of acute and/or long-term progressive conditions
• Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information effectively
• An awareness of the appropriate use of counselling skills
• Excellent skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation, and problem-solving
• Effective communication skills with people who have significant and complex communication and/or swallowing difficulties
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Ability and passion to be involved with service development
• Ability and passion to support and supervise junior members of the team
• Systematic and organised
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills
• Punctual and reliable
• Ability to use required IT systems effectively
• Keen to embrace change and work flexibly to support the patient caseload and wider team
• Ability to work weekends as part of a 7-day working pattern (when appropriate service delivery allows and commences)

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.

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.

UK Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information, please see the NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact:

Stef Matthews

01213713804

Agenda for Change

Band

Band 6

Contract

Fixed Term

Duration

12 Month(s)

Working pattern

Part-Time, Flexible Working

Reference number

304-1091259LD

Job locations

Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TH