Senior Speech and Langauge Therapist - Acute | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a proactive Speech and Language Therapist to join their dynamic acute team. This role involves assessing and managing adult swallowing and communication disorders, offering ample opportunities for professional development. You will work within a supportive team and have flexible working arrangements, enjoying benefits like generous annual leave and NHS Pension Scheme membership. The position is critical for the care of patients in acute and oncology settings.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

NHS Pension Scheme

Blue Light card eligibility

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in managing adult clients with swallowing disorders.
• Ability to conduct videofluoroscopy and FEES assessments.
• Capacity to work autonomously in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, and manage clients with swallowing and communication disorders.
• Support relatives and carers in patient care.
• Update the online inpatient caseload documents daily.
• Contribute to student placements and service development.

Skills

Proactive

Flexibility

Assessment

Communication disorders

Teamwork

Job description

We are seeking a proactive and flexible Speech and Language Therapist to join our forward‑thinking acute team at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The role offers experience in a dynamic service within acute and oncology settings.

The team comprises 20 therapists and 5 assistants covering stroke, acute inpatient, and head and neck oncology services. Your primary clinical focus will be adult swallowing and communication disorders on the inpatient wards of Tunbridge Wells Hospital (TWH/MH) and Maidstone Hospital (MH). The service has on‑site videofluoroscopy and FEES and participates in research projects such as PLORAS and PhEAST.

We provide comprehensive training and pastoral support. The learning and development package includes in‑service training, journal clubs, and opportunities to contribute to quality improvement programmes. The trust is among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second‑best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

Key responsibilities include:

• Autonomously assess, diagnose and manage adult clients with swallowing and/or communication disorders.
• Advise and support relatives, carers, and medical staff in the care of these patients.
• Transfer and hand over information to residential or community SLT services in a timely manner to prevent unnecessary readmissions.
• Facilitate communication – both verbal and non‑verbal – for relatives, carers and medical staff.
• Participate in videofluoroscopy and FEES assessments.
• Update and organise the online inpatient caseload documents daily to ensure effective handover and prioritisation.
• Support the band 4 Speech and Language Therapy Assistant by providing patient‑centred therapy programmes and ongoing guidance.
• Contribute to team provision of student placements.
• Undertake service developments and quality improvement programmes.
• Provide cover across the SLT service and other sites where appropriate.
• Be part of the rota for enhanced weekend working.

Benefits and working conditions:

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public and bank holidays (pro‑rata for part‑time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits.
• Blue Light card eligibility.
• Flexibile working arrangements – adjust hours or explore other flexible arrangements to suit your needs.
• Comprehensive benefits package – additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents.

All successful applicants will be required to complete a Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level and our corporate trust induction once a start date has been agreed.

Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications and may close earlier than the original closing date. This advert closes on Monday 5 January 2026.