Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS Scotland; Kirkcaldy; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supportive working environment

Continuing professional development

Service development opportunities

Impact on patient care

Job summary

NHS Scotland’s Fife Speech and Language Therapy Service is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 7) to lead the acute adult team at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. The role combines clinical leadership with a highly specialist caseload in stroke, frailty, and critical care, within a supportive, forward-thinking service.

You will lead on supervision, training and development, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to deliver evidence-based, person-centred care in a

Qualifications

• Significant experience with adult acquired disorders, especially in acute settings.
• Demonstrates advanced clinical reasoning and robust decision making.
• Experience in supervision, teaching and supporting development of others.
• Strong leadership and ability to drive service improvements and quality initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership within the acute SLT team.
• Deliver highly specialist assessments and management of adults with communication and swallowing disorders in the acute hospital.
• Lead on quality improvement, service delivery and innovation.
• Collaborate with the SLT Operational Lead and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, patient-centred care.
• Support and mentor colleagues through supervision, teaching and training.

Skills

Advanced clinical leadership

Autonomous practice

Excellent communication

Team leadership

Education

Postgraduate dysphagia qualification

Job description

An exciting leadership opportunity in acute SLT

NHS Fife Speech and Language Therapy Service is seeking an experienced and motivated Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 7) to join our adult acquired acute team based at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.

This is a key clinical leadership role within a well-established and supportive service, offering the opportunity to shape and develop acute SLT provision while maintaining a highly specialist clinical caseload.

You will:

• Provide clinical leadership within the acute SLT team
• Deliver highly specialist assessment and management of adults with communication and swallowing disorders within the acute hospital setting
• Lead on quality improvement, service delivery and innovation
• Work closely with the SLT Operational Lead and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, effective and person-centred care
• Support and develop colleagues through clinical supervision, mentoring and training in accordance with service processes and systems

The post involves working with a complex caseload, including:

• Stroke and neuro-rehabilitation
• Frailty and acute admissions
• Critical care (HDU / ICU)

We are looking for a clinician who:

• Has significant experience in adult acquired disorders, particularly within acute settings
• Holds a post graduate dysphagia qualification and has experience of managing complex swallowing disorders
• Demonstrates advanced clinical reasoning and robust decision making in autonomous practice
• Has experience in supervision, teaching and supporting the development of others
• Is confident in leading service improvements and contributing to quality improvement initiatives
• Has excellent communication, leadership and team-working skills

You will be committed to delivering person centred, evidence based care within a tiered model and you will be able to thrive in a fast-paced acute environment.

You will join a collaborative, forward-thinking team with strong links across multidisciplinary services and will benefit from:

• A supportive and inclusive working environment
• Access to continuing professional development
• Opportunities to be involved in service development and leadership
• A chance to make a meaningful impact on patient care and service delivery.

The Fife Speech & Language Therapy Service is currently engaged with Better Communication CIC to support transformation of delivery of services, ensuring easy access, locality-based services and a continuum of support. You will influence changes in practice as we consider how to deliver a tiered model of intervention within the areas of family support, environment, workforce, identification and intervention. There are many opportunities to demonstrate leadership qualities within the role.

Fife Speech and Language Therapy Service is professionally led and provides a lifespan service across acute, community and primary care settings. The service is delivered within a tiered, outcomes-focused model of care and we are committed to clinical excellence, innovation and quality improvement and development.

Informal Enquiries: Ailie Mackay, Speech and Language Therapy Operational Lead Email: [e-mail] Telephone: [phone]

A requirement of this post is to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Prior to appointment.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK websitehere.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsoredBEFORE submitting your application form.

We offer flexible working and family-friendly policies and fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

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Reference: 261117

Contract Type: Permanent

Posted On: 30 Sep 2026

Closing Date: 14/10/2026