Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in Greater London is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join its innovative service in community frailty. The successful candidate will manage patients with acquired swallowing disorders and supervise junior staff while collaborating closely with healthcare professionals. This role offers professional development opportunities and is part of a supportive team recognized for quality improvement in speech therapy services. The salary is competitive, and the role includes benefits from a High Cost Area Supplement.

Benefits

High Cost Area Supplement

Qualifications

• Degree qualification in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent.
• Experience in working with patients who have neurological conditions.
• Active interest in continuing professional development.

Responsibilities

• Independently assess and manage patients with swallowing difficulties.
• Supervise junior colleagues and provide training.
• Collaborate timely with dietetic, nursing, and medical colleagues.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Problem-solving

Presentation skills

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification

HCPC Licence to Practice

NVQ level 2 or equivalent

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 09 December 2025

We are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our innovative service in community frailty. The NELFT Speech and Language Therapy service supports adults with acquired disorders in Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge. The successful candidate will join a supportive and innovative team with established clinical specialists across multiple fields, including stroke, progressive neurology, head and neck cancers, and voice disorders.

The service offers weekly community videofluoroscopy and FEES clinics, and a monthly joint voice/dysphagia clinic with ENT. Competencies in these procedures would therefore be desirable. All staff are encouraged to lead quality improvement projects. In 2024, we were highly commended at the HSJ Awards for our community laryngectomy service development.

Clinical support will be provided by the Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapists in head and neck/ENT and adult neurology. CPD is actively supported through regular supervision, appraisals, and excellent training opportunities. Members of the team are supported to get involved in CENs and research.

Main duties of the job

We are interested in recruiting an individual who is able to provide a thorough, evidence-based and holistic approach to patient care. The successful candidate will be responsible for independent assessment and management of patients with acquired swallowing difficulties. You will be expected to supervise junior colleagues and provide training to other healthcare professionals. There will be a specific expectation within this role to work collaboratively and in a timely fashion with dietetic, nursing and medical colleagues to keep people in their home environments wherever possible and work proactively to reduce future risks for the individual linked to their swallowing or communication concerns. The role will also involve collaboration with external teams, particularly primary care teams, our local virtual frailty ward and the frailty unit at the new St George's Health and Wellbeing Centre in Hornchurch.

Clinical support will be provided by the Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapists in adult neurology and head and neck/ENT and also via the clinical leads for the Community Treatment Team. CPD is actively supported through regular clinical supervision, appraisals, quality improvement 'huddles' and excellent training opportunities.

About us

The NELFT Speech and Language Therapy service provides a service to adults with acquired disorders in the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge. The successful candidate will join a supportive and innovative team with established clinical specialists across multiple fields, including progressive neurology, head and neck cancers, and voice disorders. All team members are encouraged to attend training in, and lead, formal quality improvement projects, with the team winning the trust's Make a Difference Award for Quality Improvement in 2019. Members of the team regularly present their projects at national conferences, including our Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programme, domiciliary laryngectomy service, and community FEES provision. This is an opportunity to work with this dynamic and innovative team in exploring a new area of speech therapy service provision.

Speech and Language Therapy are a respected and integrated part of the multidisciplinary team across our inpatient and community pathways. Recognised post graduate training in dysphagia management is essential. The Speech & Language Therapy service offers weekly community videofluoroscopy and FEES clinics. Experience of videofluoroscopy and/or FEES would therefore be desirable.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Job responsibilities

Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.

Person Specification

Other

• To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area

Skills

• Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
• Demonstrate clear clinical reasoning based on evidence based practice
• Able to use own initiative
• Organise and manage own caseload
• Allocate duties and supervise therapy assistants
• Formulate care programmes, identify goals by organising and prioritising
• Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy
• Negotiation, problem solving concentration, analytical and reflection skills
• Written and verbal presentation skills
• Present information in clear and logical manner
• Ability to be a good team member

Knowledge

• An awareness of NHS priorities
• Awareness of NHS Plan, NSF, clinical governance priorities and changing service needs
• Government policy and legislation and how this may affect service delivery
• Knowledge of acquired communication and swallowing disorders
• Knowledge of assessment tools, treatment techniques and therapeutic interventions
• Awareness of the roles of other professionals
• Awareness of standards of record keeping
• Understanding of safeguarding
• Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit

Experience

• Working collaboratively with carers and other professionals
• Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary team
• Working with clients who have a range of speech, language and communication needs resulting from neurological conditions
• Planning and delivery of training to other professionals
• Experience of videofluroscopy clinic
• Experience of running a FEES clinic

Qualifications

• NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• HCPC Licence to Practice
• Show active interest in CPD in line with RCSLT guidelines
• Competencies in working with patients with neurological conditions
• Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
• Competencies in FEES
• Competencies in videofluroscopy

Trust Values

• Demonstrates trust values

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.

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum (plus HCAS)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share, Flexible working, Compressed hours