Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare provider as a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist in London. You'll deliver expert care for stroke patients, lead assessments, and mentor junior staff in a dynamic hospital environment. This role offers the chance to make a significant impact on patient outcomes while developing your professional skills.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist in adult services.
• Experience with complex cases involving swallowing and communication disorders.

Responsibilities

• Lead assessments, diagnoses, and treatments for adults with communication disorders.
• Manage complex discharge planning and collaborate with the MDT.
• Inspire and mentor junior staff within the Stroke MDT.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Problem-Solving

Education

Speech and Language Therapy Degree

Health and Care Professions Council Licence

Job description

Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

We are thrilled to offer an exceptional Band 7 SLT opportunity within the Stroke pathway at The Royal London Hospital. Join us and be part of an inspiring team that's committed to delivering high quality patient centred care to stroke patients in an extremely busy setting. This is your chance to provide specialist, evidence-based interventions and contribute to a life-changing service in a high-paced, rewarding environment.What You'll Do:

o Lead cutting-edge assessments, diagnoses, and treatments for adults with communication and swallowing disorders, working across our HASU (Hyperacute Stroke Unit) and SRU (Stroke Rehab Unit).

o Play a pivotal role in tracheostomy management, videofluoroscopy clinics, and FEES assessments, helping shape treatment plans and recovery.

o Take the lead in complex discharge planning, working collaboratively with the MDT to ensure smooth, effective transitions for patients from hospital to home. Your expertise will be key in developing highly tailored discharge strategies that ensure patient safety and ongoing recovery

o Take charge of clinical leadership within the Stroke MDT (Multidisciplinary Team), driving forward service development, governance, audit, and Quality Improvement initiatives that enhance patient outcomes.

o Inspire and mentor a team of Band 6 and Band 5 SLTs, fostering a collaborative environment and supporting their professional growth.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist (SLT) and will be a member of the SLT service based at the Royal London Hospital. The Royal London Hospital is one of four major trauma centres across London and leads the trauma network for North East London and Essex.

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Band 7 SLT to join our multidisciplinary team. This role will involve providing specialist speech and language therapy services to adult patients within a hospital setting, focusing on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders and patients with a tracheostomy. The successful candidate will work closely with other healthcare professionals as part of an MDT to provide holistic care to patients.

As a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist, you will play a key role in leading and coordinating speech and language therapy interventions, supervising junior staff, and contributing to service development. You will manage a caseload of patients with a range of complex needs and be involved in the training and education of staff across the hospital. This position offers an excellent opportunity for professional development and to make a significant impact on patient outcomes.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Please note: When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High Cost Area Supplement) is not included for non-medical roles. This ensures fairness and consistency within our organisation, as some of our sites fall under inner HCAS, while others are classified as outer HCAS.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health and Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and relevant post-graduate qualifications (e.g., dysphagia, neurology, etc.)
• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Networks

Experience

• Significant experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist, with a focus on adult services, ideally within a hospital setting.
• Experience working within an MDT and contributing to collaborative patient care.
• Experience with complex cases involving swallowing and communication disorders (e.g., stroke, dementia, head injury, etc.).
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior staff and students.
• Independent in videofluoroscopy
• Experience with tracheostomy + mechanical ventilation
• Independent in FEES assessment

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of the relevant conditions
• In depth knowledge of a broad range of assessment and intervention tools relevant to complex communication and swallowing disorders.
• In depth knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to the areas
• Advanced knowledge of the evidence base of the relevant clinical area
• Knowledge of the influence of psychosocial and cultural factors relating to health / illness beliefs and behaviours

Skills

• Advanced clinical knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of speech, language, and swallowing disorders in adults.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with patients, families, and colleagues.
• Strong leadership and organizational skills, with the ability to manage a diverse caseload effectively.
• A proactive, solution-focused approach to problem-solving and service development.
• Highly developed negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrates excellent analytical and reflection skills
• Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent caseload management skills, including the ability to prioritise caseload and work independently.
• Demonstrates ability to be a good team member and assume leadership responsibilities

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.