Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist Team Leader- Head and Neck Cancer

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist Team Leader to lead the Head and Neck Cancer SLT service. The role involves managing inpatient and clinic-based caseloads, with opportunities to supervise and mentor junior staff and students.

You will work within an established oncology and head & neck cancer team, contributing to MDT activities, supervision, and service development, including access to FEES/VFS and SVR pathways where

Qualifications

• Qualified SLT with HCPC registration and RCSLT membership
• Post-qualification experience in adult dysphagia and oncology/head & neck cancer
• Experience leading a multidisciplinary team in an NHS setting
• Experience in inpatient SLT and clinic-based care
• Willingness to deliver SVR and FEES competencies

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage patients with swallowing and communication disorders in inpatient settings, including potential specialist clinics
• Work within the H&N oncology SLT team to provide high-quality care and contribute to MDT clinics
• Lead and supervise junior colleagues and students, supporting professional development
• Contribute to service development, audits and continuous improvement
• Engage in supervision and professional development activities

Skills

Independent working

Head and neck cancer experience

Team leadership

Inpatient SLT experience

Interpersonal skills

Education

BSc or MSc in Speech and Language Therapy

HCPC registration

RCSLT membership

Secondary education incl. A-Levels

Tools

SVR interpretation (FEES)

FEES/VFS competencies

Job description

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist Team Leader- Head and Neck Cancer

The closing date is 22 November 2026

Would you like to provide Speech and Language Therapy to people with swallowing and communication difficulties due to head & neck cancer and oncological diagnoses? Would you like experience in leading a team? Due to teammovement we have an opportunity for you to be an integral part of an established oncology and head & neck cancer team working within inpatient SLT with acute surgical and oncological caseloads, specialist ENT/SLT clinics, inpatient rehab and surgical voice restoration.

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 and FEES services so opportunities to access these instrumental assessments to help to 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
• Access to instrumental assessment and management modalities
• Modern facilities with good transport links

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate would work within the Speech and Language Therapy team at QEHB serving a diverse clinical caseload across, primarily in inpatients. You would work closely with the Clinical lead SLT, Outpatient H&N SLT Team Leader, Highly Specialist SLTs, Specialist SLTs and NQP Speech and Language Therapists to provide an excellent level of care to our patient group.

The successful candidate will have a clear passion in assessing and managing swallowing and communication disorders within the oncology and head & neck cancer cohort.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• assessing and managing patients with communication and swallowing disorders in an inpatient setting, including the possiblity of specialist clinics
• assessing and managing patients with swallowing, communication and voice disorders due to head and neck cancer at any stage of their treatment
• working towards utilising specialist assessments and modalities such as nasendoscopy, FEES, VFS, SVR
• work as an integral part of specialist MDT clinics
• service development and audit
• training of junior colleagues and students
• working flexibly and thriving in a fast-paced environment

We have a large team who share a caseload of diverse patient cohorts so being a team player is essential.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A good standard of secondary education including A-Level or equivalent.
• BSc or recognised MSc degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Membership of RCSLT.
• Registration with HCPC.
• Willingness and capability to achieve SVR and FEES interpretation and scoping competencies.

Experience

• Significant experience of working independently with adult dysphagia caseload at a specialist level
• Significant experience of working with head and neck cancer/oncology caseload
• Significant experience of working independently within an acute hospital setting
• Significant experience of working successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Significant post-graduate training, through attendance at short courses and/or via personal study.
• Evidence of attendance at national conferences or similar.
• Demonstration of people management at either an individual or team level.
• Experience of training Speech and Language Therapy undergraduates and junior SLTs.
• Membership of a relevant CEN.
• Post-graduate education or research.
• Knowledge acquired through attendance at postgraduate specialist courses at Masters level or equivalent.
• Knowledge of the strategic direction of the Trust.

Additional Criteria

• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of assessment and management of dysphagia, dysarthria, dyspraxia and dysphonia and dysphasia.
• Advanced theoretical and conceptual knowledge and of evidence based practice in the area of head and neck cancer/oncology.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information effectively and an awareness of the appropriate use of counselling skills.
• Excellent skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation and problem solving skills with patients, families, colleagues and other professionals.
• Effective communication skills with people who have significant and complex communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
• Well-developed perceptual and auditory skills.
• Ability to absorb, interpret and summarise verbal information in a clinical environment.
• Systematic and organised.
• Keen to embrace change consistent with delivery of service whilst keeping the patient as an individual at the centre of care.
• Punctual and reliable in service delivery.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Organisational skills with the ability to organise own workload and work in a systematic way.
• Excellent interpersonal and team working skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work weekends as part of a 7 day working pattern (when appropriate service delivery allows and commences).
• FEES and/or VFS competencies.
• Surgical voice restoration competencies.
• Skills in training students and peers including presentation skills.
• Able to manage and negotiate complex discussions or disagreements with patients, relatives and of professional colleagues in a professional manner independently.

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.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust