Paediatric SLT Dysphagia Lead

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust; Ashton-under-Lyne; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to lead paediatric eating, drinking and swallowing services. You will provide clinical expertise, guidance and leadership across the pathway, ensuring high-quality care for children and young people.

HCPC registration, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists membership, and specialist postgraduate training in EDS are essential.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration and RCOT membership are required.
• Extensive paediatric SLT experience with eating, drinking and swallowing disorders.
• Experience in supervision, mentoring and service development.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership for the eating, drinking and swallowing pathway.
• Supervise, train and mentor therapists within the team.
• Lead quality improvement, audits and service evaluation activities.
• Represent the service at multi-agency forums and shape EDS development.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Paediatric SLT expertise

Multi-agency collaboration

Education

HCPC registration

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists member

Specialist postgraduate training in EDS

Job description

The Children and Young People's Therapy Service provides integrated Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy services to children and young people across Somerset. Our teams work closely with families, schools, health services and community partners to help children achieve their full potential and reach the goals that matter most to them.

In this senior specialist role, you will act as the clinical expert for eating, drinking and swallowing across the service. You will provide leadership to therapists working within the pathway, represent the service at multi-agency forums and help shape the future development of EDS provision across the county.

You will be confident managing highly complex clinical presentations, providing second opinions and supporting multidisciplinary decision-making. You'll also play a key role in developing colleagues through supervision, training and mentoring, while contributing to quality improvement, audit and service evaluation activities.

We are looking for someone who brings extensive paediatric Speech and Language Therapy experience, including significant expertise in eating, drinking and swallowing disorders. You will hold HCPC registration, be a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and have completed specialist postgraduate training in EDS practice. Strong leadership skills, experience of supervision and a passion for service development are essential.

In return, you'll benefit from working within a supportive leadership team that values innovation, collaboration and professional growth. You'll have opportunities to contribute to service development, lead projects, participate in specialist interest groups, shape training programmes and further develop your leadership career.