Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist - Acute Medical Unit

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join their acute team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This role involves leading a team, managing patient care, and supporting initiatives for equality, diversity, and inclusion. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical skills in dysphagia assessment and a passion for patient care. Opportunities for professional development are available.

Benefits

Access to CPD and training opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering speech and language therapy in an acute setting.
• Ability to lead and collaborate within a multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledge of dysphagia assessment and management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the acute team of speech and language therapists and assistants.
• Manage a caseload of patients in the Acute Medical Unit.
• Provide training and supervision to SLT colleagues.

Skills

Leadership skills

Clinical assessment

Patient care

Education

Relevant Speech and Language Therapy degree

Job description

We are delighted to share a rare and exciting opportunity to join our friendly, well‑established team in a brand new role at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Due to expansion and improvement of the Acute Medical Unit (AMU), we are seeking to recruit a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to be joint team lead for the acute team, and to clinically lead on delivery of the service to AMU.

The postholder will share responsibility for leading the acute team of band 5 and 6 SLTs and a band 4 assistant alongside the other band 7 team lead, and will have access to CPD, supervision, peer support and internal and external training opportunities to develop and enhance their leadership skills.

The successful candidate will carry a caseload of patients on AMU, including patients with and without tracheostomies, and those receiving non‑invasive ventilation. Leadership of videofluoroscopy clinics for in‑ and outpatients, and delivery of the inpatient FEES service, provide ample opportunity to consolidate specialist skills in instrumental assessment of dysphagia. To provide a highly specialist SLT service to patients on the acute wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with primary responsibility for the Acute Medical Unit.

To provide cross‑cover and support to critical care as required.

To work with other members of the multidisciplinary team to develop services and standards of patient care.

To provide training and support to SLT colleagues or to colleagues from other professions.

To assist the Head of Speech and Language Therapy with service evaluation.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations.