Highly Specialist Team Lead Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Margate; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Margate seeks a Highly Specialist Team Lead Speech and Language Therapist to lead the SLT team covering maternity leave. The ideal candidate will be energetic and self-motivated, with experience in dysphagia assessment and management. This role involves leading a small team, engaging hospital stakeholders, and providing high-quality patient care. If you're looking for a rewarding challenge in your career, consider joining our innovative SLT team.

Qualifications

• Experience working in acute hospital settings, especially in stroke services.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and specific competencies.
• Experience of assessing patients and developing specialized care programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team to deliver specialist SLT services on-site.
• Engage hospital stakeholders and direct service delivery.
• Support patients with communication and swallowing difficulties.

Skills

Dysphagia assessment and management

Clinical skills in assessment and therapy

Leadership skills

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Diploma/Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

HCPC registration

Master's Degree in a health-related subject

NHS Leadership Academy qualification

Job description

Go back East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Team Lead Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 29 December 2025

We are looking for an energetic, self-motivated Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) to lead our QEQM SLT team on a fixed-term contract covering Maternity leave. If you are enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated, then we would love you to join our team at East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job

Due to maternity leave and vacancy, we are looking for a self-motivated and dynamic SLT who is able to lead a small team and deliver highly specialist SLT services for our patients. You will be able to engage key hospital stakeholders with distant supervision, directing the service delivery on-site at QEQM.

We take pride in the work we do to support people with communication and swallowing difficulties to reach their potential. Are you looking for the next challenge in your career? If so, this is a great opportunity to play a key role in supporting our SLT services at QEQM.

We are a friendly, hard-working team who get together regularly for team meetings, clinical supervision and CPD. We provide a high quality SLT service across three busy acute hospital sites.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a motivated and progressive SLT service who are continuously striving towards best-practice care. We are passionate about providing high quality care for our patients.

About us

We form part of close MDT working on all the wards and the therapy team are key team members in the rehabilitation of patients and discharge planning. We firmly believe that developing our staff is key to success; we have a dynamic and progressive training and development ethos, providing excellent opportunities to enhance your knowledge and competencies, nurturing your personal and professional development by encouraging and supporting you to reach your full potential. As the organisation is moving towards a skills based workforce, the future opportunities are endless!

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Job responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in 'supporting documents'.

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

• Hold a diploma/degree in Speech and Language Therapy
• HCPC registration
• Formal teaching or mentoring qualification
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Clinical competencies in videofluoroscopy, tracheostomy, FEES and/or laryngectomy
• Post-graduate experience of working in the acute hospital setting in stroke services
• Completed or started Master's Degree in a health related subject relevant to area of clinical specialty and advanced practice
• NHS Leadership Academy qualification e.g. 'Edward Jenner', 'Mary Seacole'.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Significant experience in dysphagia assessment and management
• Highly developed clinical skills in assessment, therapy and management of patients with communication and swallowing impairments
• Significant postgraduate healthcare experience equivalent to L7 demonstrating professional development across the four pillars of practice.
• Significant experience working with acutely unwell patients
• Experience of working with patients/service users to resolve concerns and improve their experience.
• Evidence of effective networking or matrix working
• Experience of supervising staff and delivering training
• Experience of assessing patients and developing specialised programmes of care
• Experience of presenting to groups of staff/public
• Skills and experience in specialist dysphagia and communication management
• Clinical and non-clinical prioritisation skills
• Highly developed clinical skills in assessment, therapy and management of patients with communication and swallowing impairments
• Proven skills in leadership
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Highly developed problem-solving skills
• Excellent analytical and reflection skillsExcellent written and verbal communication skills
• Effective team player

Governance

• Understanding of quality governance, patient safety and patient experience tools to support clinical practice and service improvement.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of national policy and guidance
• Utilisation of clinical effectiveness tools to deliver quality improvement e.g. risk management and clinical audit.
• Evidence of innovative practice utilising research and audit.
• Experience of contributing to quality improvement in safety/quality improvement projects.
• Experience of writing reports and presenting to teams or small groups
• Experience of implementing and evaluating improvements in care

Personal/professional attributes

• Ability to work within a team to achieve goals for a shared vision.
• Evidence of service development and delivery in practice.
• Knowledge of health policy and application to practice.
• Ability to problem solve, anticipate and plan, individually and within a team
• Demonstrate self-awareness and critical reflection

Other requirements

• Flexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service (including weekend working)
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Self-motivated, positive, adaptable and flexible approach
• Upholds and role models the Trust values
• Willing to work across sites (including moving base-site when stroke services move to William Harvey Hospital)

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.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust