Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist

The Methodist Church in Britain; East Finchley; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS)

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Barnet Hospital, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, is seeking a Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to assess and manage adults with communication and swallowing disorders. The role involves urgent and emergency care pathways and autonomous caseload management within a busy acute setting.

The post offers opportunities to develop FEES and videofluoroscopy skills, contribute to teaching, and participate in service evaluation and quality improvement within the adult SLT team.

Qualifications

• Degree in speech and language therapy (or equivalent)
• HCPC registration or eligible for registration
• Active involvement in CPD and audit activities

Responsibilities

• Specialist assessment and management of adults with communication and swallowing disorders
• Support timely clinical decision-making and safe patient flow through acute services
• Manage a busy acute caseload prioritising autonomous practice
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary colleagues to optimise patient flow and service delivery
• Contribute to service evaluation, audit and quality improvement
• Develop and evaluate innovative models of care and future service planning
• Participate in FEES and videofluoroscopy services
• Engage in teaching and contribute to training programmes
• Develop specialist competencies in urgent and emergency care while supporting wider adult services

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Communication skills

Caseload management

Teamwork

CPD/audit

Instrumental assessment

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Tools

Instrumental assessment

Job description

This Band 6 role sits in the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team at Barnet Hospital, part of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder assesses and manages adults with communication and swallowing disorders who arrive through urgent and emergency care pathways, working within the Rapid Emergency Assessment Care Therapy Team. It is fixed-term to December 2027 and helps develop and evaluate a new model of care, with scope for FEES and videofluoroscopy work. Dysphagia competencies and autonomous practice are essential.

What the job involves

• Specialist assessment and management of adults with communication and swallowing disorders
• Supporting timely clinical decision-making and safe patient flow through acute services
• Managing a busy acute caseload focused on urgent and emergency care pathways, prioritising autonomously
• Working with multidisciplinary colleagues to optimise patient flow and service delivery across acute pathways
• Service evaluation, audit and quality improvement, including collecting and interpreting clinical activity and outcome data
• Contributing to the development and evaluation of innovative models of care and future service planning
• Taking part in inpatient and outpatient FEES and videofluoroscopy services
• Contributing to the Trust's regular teaching and training programme
• Developing specialist competencies in urgent and emergency care while keeping flexibility for the wider adult service

What’s required

Qualifications

• Degree or graduate diploma in speech and language therapy, or equivalent
• Certificated graduate courses or equivalent in-house training in clinical specialty areas

Registration & licences

• HCPC registration as a speech and language therapist

Experience

• Broad clinical experience at Band 5 or above, with a good understanding of relevant clinical guidelines
• Teaching, training or presentations to staff or students, and supervising junior staff, assistants or students
• Active participation in audit or project work, with evidence of CPD

Skills & knowledge

• Clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice, including critical appraisal of research
• Differential diagnosis in communication and swallowing disorders in adults with acquired disorders
• Knowledge of instrumental assessment
• Effective verbal and written communication with patients and professionals on complex, sensitive issues
• Autonomous caseload management, prioritisation and time management
• Working effectively within multi- and uni-disciplinary teams

Other

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust's shared commitments
• Compliance with trust manual handling guidelines
• Strong interpersonal skills, including assertiveness and negotiation
• Positive attitude to change and self-motivation

Nice to have

• Membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Membership of a special interest group
• Experience of working in an acute, hospital-based setting, including within an MDT

What’s offered

• High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) included in pay
• Opportunities to develop specialist competencies in urgent and emergency care