Deputy Lead Speech & Language Therapist

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cancer treatment facility in Manchester is seeking a Deputy Lead SLT to oversee and enhance the Speech and Language Therapy services for patients with complex disorders. This role requires expertise in clinical management, operational leadership, and the provision of specialist services to improve patient outcomes. The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing their own caseload while leading a team of therapists, ensuring adherence to professional standards. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact within a renowned clinical setting.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage complex patient caseloads with communication/swallowing disorders.
• Experience in a leadership role within a clinical setting.
• Strong background in evidence-based practice and clinical auditing.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for the Speech and Language Therapy team.
• Manage and evaluate the clinical caseloads of patients.
• Develop and implement local clinical guidelines and policies.

Skills

Highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy

Clinical management

Communication skills

Leadership

Evidence-based practice

Education

Relevant qualification in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

Due to ongoing service developments, an exciting new Deputy Lead SLT position has been funded to further develop the Speech and Language Therapy inpatient and outpatient services at The Christie.

The Deputy Lead will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management and administration of the SLT service provided to patients within the inpatient and outpatient services.

Responsibilities include providing operational leadership to the Speech and Language Therapy team who deliver a highly specialist service to patients with communication and/or swallowing disorders as part of the cancer pathway for disease groups including CNS, lung, and head and neck.

The role involves monitoring and organising the clinical caseloads within the Speech & Language Therapy inpatient and outpatient services, providing highly specialist advice, teaching and training for the team and other healthcare professionals across the trust and the region, and acting as a source of senior, highly specialist clinical expertise within SLT in the field of oncology.

The Deputy Lead will manage their own caseload of patients with acquired communication and/or swallowing problems, establish a team approach to service delivery that facilitates the development and evaluation of clinical practices, identify and negotiate team objectives and projects in line with The Christie strategy, and lead the development and implementation of local clinical guidelines and policies informed by the evidence base, relevant professional guidelines and the context of local service delivery.

In conjunction with the Head of Speech & Language Therapy, the Deputy Lead will deploy staff within the designated service area and provide management direction, including supervision of practice and personal development programmes.

Additionally, the Deputy Lead will prepare management information and reports and advise the Head of Speech & Language Therapy on long‑term and short‑term planning issues concerning the service provided by the specified teams, and provide support and advice to specialist SLTs in the region or other professionals regarding the ongoing clinical management of oncology patients.

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% of patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world‑first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

CLINICAL

• Responsible for providing a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service for head and neck and other cancer patients at the Trust.
• To be responsible for own caseload management of highly complex patients to inpatients and outpatients, with complex disorders of swallowing and communication.
• To assess, diagnose and implement SLT management of complex swallowing problems, carrying out and interpreting instrumental assessment of swallowing where appropriate.
• To assess, diagnose and implement SLT management of complex communication problems and to have an awareness of appropriate communication strategies and aids including assistive technology.
• To manage patients with tracheostomy, laryngectomy and other voice conditions. You will not be required to change speech valves.
• Active participation within the multidisciplinary team.
• To independently undertake videofluoroscopy assessments as per national and Trust guidelines.
• To independently undertake scoping of patients using nasendoscopy for the purpose of FEES as per national and Trust guidelines.
• Undertake assessments to provide appropriate specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes to inform clinical judgements / decisions for case management.
• To use advanced communication skills to assess, educate and treat oncology patients.
• Communicate complex information from assessment to patients / carers / relatives in a format that will enable them to fully understand the implications and actively participate in the care programme.
• Negotiate with patients / carers / relatives around individual case management, recognising barriers if communication.
• Demonstrate clinical effectiveness by using evidence‑based practice and outcome measures.
• To effectively examine and assess patients, identify their problems and needs and ensure that patients' medical, psychological, social, environmental and cultural factors are taken into account.
• To utilise examination and assessment findings to competently plan and carry out highly specialist programmes of treatment from a range of therapeutic options appropriate to each patient, using evidence based practice.
• To be able to relate assessment results to the presenting disease / pathology / impairment.
• To set appropriate treatment aims and objectives in negotiation with the patient and/or carer.
• To take responsibility for devising highly specialist programmes of care for other professionals to carry out and for ensuring they are carried out appropriately.
• To monitor and evaluate programmes of care carried out by other professionals and carers.
• To appropriately refer patients for videofluoroscopy and FEES examinations.
• To provide a lead role in videoswallow and FEES clinics.
• To provide highly specialist advice to others regarding the management and care of patients with communication impairment.
• To monitor and review care plans against outcomes and adjust care plans to facilitate achievement of goals.
• To produce, disseminate and update reports / guidelines regarding individual care plans to patients, their carers and other Health Care professionals.

Management / Leadership

• To be directly responsible for the day‑to‑day management of a specialist speech and language therapy service at the Christie hospital and ensure all staff comply with professional standards.
• To support the recruitment and deployment of the SLT staff.
• To ensure staff are appraised annually, have clear objectives which link to department, division/directorate or corporate objectives and a personal development plan.
• To be responsible for the development and / implementation of policies and procedures for speech and language therapy.
• To be responsible for recruitment and selection of staff in line with the Trust's Processes and Standards.
• To directly manage, monitor and evaluate the workload of the SLT staff and ensure adherence to professional standards.
• To ensure complaints are managed within trust procedures and that recommendations and independent reviews are instigated.
• To be responsible for the recording, analysis and interpretation of departmental activity and statistics as required for service planning.
• To be responsible for the daily monitoring of attendance, sickness, and absence of the dietetic staff.
• To represent the speech and language oncology service at meetings internally and externally.
• To ensure all health and safety requirements are met, to include undertaking formal risk assessment and formulating action plans.
• Ensure performance issues are dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner and follow the Trust's Procedures where formal action is necessary.
• To plan, present and / or teach at internal, national and international seminars, conferences and workshops.
• To develop innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting, clinical effectiveness and building local evidence base.
• To initiate and undertake Clinical Governance / audit projects within area of clinical expertise.
• To represent the team within multi‑disciplinary systems of clinical governance within the Trust.
• To participate, as a highly specialist resource, in the relevant research projects, on a MDT basis, within the Trust.

This advert closes on Monday 9 Feb 2026.