Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Foundation Trust in London seeks a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with expertise in paediatric dysphagia. The successful candidate will join a friendly team, providing comprehensive assessment and intervention for children with communication and swallowing challenges. They will work collaboratively across various clinical settings, ensuring high-quality care and support for patients and their families.

Qualifications

• Specialist knowledge in paediatric dysphagia and communication disorders is required.
• HCPC registration essential for practice.
• Evidence of relevant specialist training at Master's level.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning for dysphagia in paediatrics.
• Participate in videofluoroscopy clinics for swallowing evaluation.
• Deliver training and contribute to quality improvement projects.

Skills

Highly specialist assessment

Management of paediatric feeding/swallowing

Clinical judgement

Engagement with parents

Conflict resolution

Education

Health Care Professions Council license

Evidence of Masters or equivalent

Job description

Go back Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 15 June 2025

We are looking for an experienced paediatric Speech Language Therapist with a specialist interest in dysphagia, including videofluoroscopy.

The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic, innovative, diverse and friendly team, passionate about what we do. We promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, everyone is welcomed. You would be responsible for providing high quality care, including specialist assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and intervention for patients from neonates to adolescents with complex communication and swallowing problems, on the wards and in is specialist tertiary outpatient clinics

The role requires specialist knowledge and skills in paediatric dysphagia, infant feeding, tracheostomy, videofluoroscopy, acquired communication disorders, and AAC. You will work closely with the Therapies and wider multidisciplinary teams to provide a person-centred approach to acutely ill infants, children and their families.You will be required to work with patients across both hospital sites and you will share the care of patients to ensure equity. You will also be required to deliver training and be involved in quality improvement projects. We acknowledge that you might need further development opportunities when in post.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will provide a highly specialised paediatric service, with the majority of the caseload in dysphagia. We have outlined some main responsibilities below. These are further detailed in the job description and personal specifications.

• Maintain a high standard of clinical work related to paediatric dysphagia and communication.
• Provide a specialist assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment service for infants and children with complex communication, swallowing and feeding issues within the paediatric settings including paediatric intensive care, high dependence unit, wards, radiology and outpatients.
• Provide comprehensive evaluation of swallowing including participation in videofluoroscopy clinics.
• To work in all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To actively participation in cross sight peer supervision and line management.
• To be flexible to the needs of the whole Speech and Language Therapy service and demonstrate ability to work in other clinical areas as directed by lead clinicians and/or relevant Trust leadership.
• To support both SLT students and students from across the wider MDT.

About us

In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world- leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. We are taking steps towards a vision of creating a new centre of excellence that will be the global leader in the research and treatment of cardio-respiratory conditions from birth to old age. We are part of King's Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with Kings College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities and a National institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre.

Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS.

The commitment of our 18,050 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality safe and efficient care.

Job responsibilities

Please review full job description document for further details

Please review full job description document for further details

Person Specification

• Management of dysphagia across the paediatric age range
• Lead role in videofluoroscopy swallow study
• Management of feeding and dysphagia in infants
• Caseload management and prioritisation in a tertiary acute setting
• Management of acute onset communication impairment in paediatrics
• Working closely with team members and colleagues to ensure high quality care

Knowledge/Qualifications

• Relevant assessment and therapeutic interventions and an ability to compare relative benefits underpinned by evidence based practice i.e. dysphagia and acute onset communication impairment including videofluoroscopy
• The roles of other professionals and the principles of partnership working with key professionals in health, education, voluntary and social services
• The principles of clinical governance, including reflective practice, audit, outcome measures and research methodologies
• Health Care Professions Council- license to practice
• Evidence of Masters or equivalent level of specialist training

Skills

• Highly specialist assessment and management of paediatric feeding/swallowing and acute onset communication difficulties, seeking advice where appropriate (including use of videofluoroscopy swallow study)
• Use knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements and decision-making for complex cases
• Engage and negotiate with carers, parents and others around individual case management
• Ability to reflect on own practice and identify strengths and development needs
• Recognise potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and generates potential solutions

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

£46,148 to £52,809 a yearp.a. inc HCA (pro rata)