Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Critical Care

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust; Romford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Romford is seeking a Critical Care Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) at Band 7 level to join their team. This role will involve working across multiple ITU units and providing specialist care to patients with complex swallowing and communication difficulties. Candidates should have substantial experience in acute care settings, essential competencies, and strong leadership skills. The position offers ongoing development opportunities and a collaborative team environment, ensuring the highest level of patient care.

Benefits

Ample CPD and training opportunities

Supportive team environment

London Living Wage employer

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing acquired swallowing and communication difficulties within acute and ITU settings.
• Essential VFSS competencies and basic trache competencies required.
• Desirable FEES competencies with training provided.
• Band 7 level clinical experience and competency is essential.
• Strong leadership and communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Provide autonomous specialist assessment and treatment to inpatients with complex swallowing and communication difficulties.
• Support assessment, treatment and advice to patients within acute inpatient areas.
• Work alongside other members of the MDT to give guidance and education.
• Provide leadership for planning and coordinating the SLT service.
• Represent SLT at MDT meetings, quality and safety meetings, and tracheostomy ward rounds.
• Lead teaching, supervising and appraising peers and assistants.
• Contribute to service development through audit and evidence-based practice.
• Undertake supervision and performance management.

Skills

Extensive experience managing acquired swallowing and communication difficulties

VFSS competencies

Basic trache competencies

Strong leadership skills

Teaching skills

Communication skills

Job description

Overview

A Vacancy at Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Are you ready for change and to develop as a Critical Care SLT?

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join BHRUT SLT Team as a Band 7 to continue developing and lead our Critical Care services across both our sites (Queen’s Hospital/King George Hospital).

This role covers 4 ITU units alongside the MDT working with lots of different specialities. We also run an ITU step-down service on our acute wards to improve the patient experience and ensure continuity of care. We are also incredibly proud to have recently established a Phagenyx (pharyngeal electrical stimulation) service for suitable patients presenting with profound neurogenic dysphagia.

You should have extensive experience managing acquired swallowing and communication difficulties within acute and ITU settings. VFSS competencies and basic trache competencies are essential. FEES competencies are desirable; we can provide in-house training on FEES and vented traches if needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide autonomous specialist assessment, treatment and advice to inpatients presenting with complex swallowing and communication difficulties secondary to critical care admissions, including management of patients with tracheostomies.
• Support highly specialist assessment, treatment and advice to patients within acute inpatient areas including acute medicine, surgical and respiratory patients as required.
• Work alongside other members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) to give highly specialist guidance, advice and education on matters relating to your specialist area.
• Provide leadership for your team (in conjunction with the Clinical Lead) for planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Speech and Language Therapy service provided to patients within your area; this may be cross-site.
• Lead on representing SLT at weekly MDT meetings, quality and safety meetings, tracheostomy ward rounds, and much more.
• Provide lead role in teaching, supervising and appraising peers, Band 6, Band 5, Student Speech and Language Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapy Assistants.
• Contribute to running and developing the Speech and Language service through audit, development of policies, procedures and guidelines using evidence-based practice.
• Undertake supervision, mentoring and performance development plans to promote clinical and professional effectiveness of self and others. This includes performance management and management of disciplinary issues in liaison with the Clinical Lead SLT.
• Participate in 6 VFSS slots and FEES clinics 3 days per week.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing acquired swallowing and communication difficulties within acute and ITU settings.
• Essential VFSS competencies and basic trache competencies.
• Desirable FEES competencies (training provided).
• Band 7 level clinical experience and competency.
• Strong leadership, audit, teaching and communication skills.

Benefits and Development

Our SLT Team is ever-growing and very supportive. We provide ample CPD, training opportunities and peer support. Service development, audit and quality improvement are actively encouraged throughout the team.

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer and value a diverse workforce.

Application Process

All new staff appointments are subject to a probationary period. Applications should be made online. For queries regarding the application process or support for applicants with a disability, please contact Pubudu Chandrasekera, Recruitment Advisor, on 01708 435000 ext. 5110. Further details regarding the post may be obtained by contacting the manager as per the above contact details.

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification. The full specification is required for application assessment.

Closing Date

This advert closes on Sunday 18 Jan 2026.