Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Head and Neck Cancer)

UHCW; Coventry; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Head and Neck Cancer) to join the Head and Neck SLT team. The post is NHS AfC Band 7, fixed-term for 18 months, full-time (37.5 hours per week) at Coventry sites.

The role involves autonomous practice, caseload management for dysphagia and communication disorders, supervision of junior staff, and contribution to service development and MDT activities.

Qualifications

• Speech and Language Therapy degree and HCPC registration.
• Postgraduate dysphagia training and NHS experience.
• Experience teaching junior SLTs and supervising students.

Responsibilities

• Undertake specialist assessment of dysphagia and communication disorders related to head and neck cancer.
• Manage a complex caseload with evidence-based management plans.
• Lead supervision and mentorship for junior staff.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and participate in MDT discussions.
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Provide SLT provision across sites (UHCW and Rugby St Cross) as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Teamwork

Clinical reasoning

Line management

Training/mentoring

Education

SLT degree or equivalent

HCPC registration

Postgraduate dysphagia training

Tools

FEES

Videofluoroscopy

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Head and Neck Cancer)

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract 18 months (Fixed term - 18 months from start date. Secondment will be considered for internal candidates – If you are successful after interview, you must obtain approval from your current line manager to accept the offer.) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 218-AHP-B7-8322162

Site University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Town Coventry Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 11/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 21/10/2026

Job overview

• Provide a high-quality Speech and Language Therapy service for patients with dysphagia and/or communication difficulties resulting from head and neck cancer, working as an autonomous practitioner
• Independently manage a caseload of patients with complex clinical needs, using evidence-based, patient-centred approaches to assess, treat and evaluate care.
• Support the development of junior staff through supervision, training, mentorship and case discussion, as appropriate to experience.
• Maintain accurate clinical records in line with Trust policies, professional standards and local guidelines.
• Work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to patient management discussions and attending MDT meetings, ward rounds and family meetings as required.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of the Head and Neck Speech and Language Therapy service.
• Ensure high-quality data is accurately recorded, analysed and reported in a timely manner.
• Undertake leadership, service development and line management responsibilities appropriate to the role.
• Work in accordance with Trust policies, national guidance, HCPC standards and RCSLT professional standards.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant national and local standards and use these to develop and evaluate own practice.
• Participate in bank holiday working and work flexibly to meet service needs where required.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake specialist assessment of patients with dysphagia and/or communication difficulties. Analyse assessment findings and develop individualised, evidence-based management plans and therapy programmes
• Use advanced clinical reasoning skills to interpret & analyse clinical & non-clinical information, formulate differential diagnoses, establish prognosis and determine the most appropriate course of intervention. Evaluate outcomes, reassess patients as required and develop comprehensive discharge plans
• Undertake instrumental assessment of dysphagia, depending upon experience and competence.
• To treat and manage patients who have undergone surgical voice restoration and require management and change of their laryngectomy speaking valve depending on experience and competence
• Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment plans as required

Support service development, audit, research, quality improvement initiatives, and the education of students, staff, patients, and carers.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Accept clinical responsibility for the caseload, managing and prioritising workload effectively and efficiently. This will include prioritising and allocating patients appropriately for more junior staff.
• Communicate complex SLT information in an understandable form to staff, patients and carers.
• Be professionally & legally responsible & accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.

Lead and contribute to clinical audit, quality improvement and service development initiatives, ensuring that findings are translated into practice to improve patient care and service delivery.

• Provide specialist advice, teaching & instruction to relatives, carers & other members of the MDT regarding SLT issues.
• Plan and support with the clinical supervision and education of student SLT’s on clinical placement.
• Engage in department and own CPD activities and lead on supporting the learning and development of others, particularly more junior members of the team.
• Participate in health promotion activities of the department
• Cover the work of colleagues and deputise for senior colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads
• Participate in other duties as required such as maintaining a clean safe environment always ensuring adherence to Trust standards of cleanliness hygiene & infection control.
• To take on designated roles or responsibilities that support the overarching needs of the department.
• To provide SLT provision across sites of UHCW and Rugby St Cross as needed.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.

Secondment will be considered for internal candidates – If you are successful after interview, you must obtain approval from your current line manager to accept the offer.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or Equivalent Member of RCSLT HCPC registration – license to practice Postgraduate dysphagia training Experience of working in the NHS
• Evidence of relevant postgraduate training in relevant clinical area Tracheostomy competencies FEES and/or Videofluoroscopy competencies SVR competencies Membership of a relevant CEN

Experience

• Advanced clinical skills and knowledge in the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of complex adult swallowing and communication disorders Signficant highly specialised postgraduate experience in the assessment and management of head and neck cancer Experience of supporting and teaching junior SLT’s, volunteers, assistants and students. Experience of training staff groups at all levels Experience of contributing to service development relating to this client group Leadership experience Experience of Health and Safety/ Risk Management. Experience of participating in audit
• Experience of developing head and neck cancer services in line with national policy Experience of leading an audit Experience of being involved in research in the specialist area

Knowledge

• Knowledge of assessment tools and a range of therapeutic interventions relevant to the client group Knowledge of trends and best practice in the clinical specialism Good working knowledge of national policies and procedures relating to the client group Understanding of the impact of local cultural, linguistic and demographic factors influencing service delivery. Understanding of the roles of other professionals (relevant to the client group)

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills Able to organise/manage time effectively Ability to work under pressure and prioritise a caseload according to urgency Excellent presentation skills Able to adapt communication style to varied listeners Ability to work through interpreters to gain and impart information Demonstrates ability to be a good team member and function effectively in the multidisciplinary team Able to judge limits of skills/competence and recognise professional boundaries where appropriate Supportive to other staff Ability to negotiate and manage difficult conversations Keyboard and IT skills to support clinical practice Excellent interpersonal skills Demonstrates excellent clinical reasoning, risk assessment and leadership skills Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team Extensive line management/supervision experience
• Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s values. (As detailed in UHCW’s Values in Action document below) Applicants applying for job roles with managerial responsibility will be required to demonstrate evidence of promoting equal opportunities through work experience

To ensure that we provide world-class patient care, UHCW recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values and Behaviours in their everyday life. Therefore, if you are invited to interview, you will be undertaking a Values Based Interview/Assessment, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and Behaviours which can be accessed on the right side of this page under the job description.
The Supporting Information Section in your application should therefore reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated Behaviours. You will be expected to provide us with examples from work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviour.

The Trust is committed to Equal Opportunities within the workplace. All vacancies will be considered for Job Share unless otherwise stated. All applicants who have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be interviewed. Where a post has an overwhelming response, this Trust may use random selection in order to reduce numbers to interview, any disabled applicants will automatically be guaranteed an interview and will be exempt from this process.

In submitting an application form, you authorise University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you, including Occupational Health data (inoculations and screening tests). This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third-party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post.

UHCW NHS Trust, by virtue of its Green Plan, is committed to ensuring that the way we provide services minimises the impact on the environment and the future health of the public e.g. zero waste to landfill, reducing our carbon footprint and increasing our recycling and reuse percentages.

If you are successful at interview you will receive a conditional offer of employment and we’ll ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete all pre-employment checks to progress to a final unconditional offer.

We must confirm the identity of our staff and their right to work in the United Kingdom. We will ask you to submit proof of your identity and right to work documents via a secure digital platform approved by the Home Office, named TrustID. Alternatively, you may be asked to attend our office with original documents.

Depending on you level of exposure with patients you may be required to undertake a Standard or Enhanced DBS. The cost of this check will be charged to you and will be deducted from your salary over the first 3 months of employment at the current rate.

All correspondence will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk/SPAM folders

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.