Senior Speech and Language Therapist | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Rayleigh; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK healthcare provider is seeking a speech and language therapist to support stroke survivors in their recovery. The role involves delivering therapy, working collaboratively in a team, and contributing to the rehabilitation program while ensuring patient care standards are met. The position offers flexible working arrangements and the opportunity for professional development.

Benefits

Excellent training opportunities

NHS discounts for staff

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience working with stroke patients and rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of communication and swallowing disorders.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage a caseload.

Responsibilities

• Deliver speech and language therapy to stroke survivors.
• Work closely with other healthcare professionals.
• Participate in clinical audits and research.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Clinical reasoning

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

Overview

If you have an interest in Stroke and would like to support and enable stroke survivors to reach their full potential, both in their own homes and care settings then this is the job for you. We are looking for a speech and language therapist to work in our Stroke Early Supported Discharge Service. This job will allow you to broaden your knowledge base.

Stroke survivors often feel isolated and vulnerable after they are discharged from hospital. Our team is there to allay these fears and support stroke survivors at this difficult time, whilst also providing them with therapy and nursing support should they need it.

On a day to day basis you will deliver speech and language therapy alongside our other speech and language therapists for people with communication and swallowing disorders following a stroke who have been discharged from hospital into the care of the ESD service for South East Essex.

We offer a highly motivated and supportive team, regular supervision, excellent training and development opportunities and flexible working arrangements.

This is a fixed term contract (or secondment) for a 1 year period to cover maternity leave. Due to this being a fixed term post, Visa sponsorship will not be considered. Access to vehicle and UK driving licence is essential for this post.

For further information or an informal discussion contact Ailsa Miller (Team Leader) on 07908 177962 or Kirsty Jenkins (07583671281).

Key Responsibilities

• To work within the local Early Supported Discharge for Stroke (ESD) Team to provide a 7 day a week rehabilitation programme for up to six weeks following discharge from hospital into the community. This is likely to include some weekend working.
• To liaise closely with the Speech and Language Therapy team on the Stroke Unit at Southend Hospital to ensure a smooth handover from the hospital into ESD.
• To work with the Community Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service to ensure a smooth handover of those with longer term therapy needs at the end of their time with ESD.
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To use specialist skills in the management of patients with communication disorders and dysphagia following a stroke.
• To hold responsibility for own case load.
• To participate in clinical audit, protocol development, objective-setting etc as required by the SLT and ESD teams.
• To receive regular clinical and management supervision. Access to advice and support from a more senior SLT is available if required between supervision meetings.
• To undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams’ clinical practice.
• ng stroke in the local area

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

Clinical

• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work.
• Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations and multiple pathologies; using acquired clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition and skills deficit.
• Formulate and deliver an individual speech and language therapy treatment plan based on a sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills.
• Supervise student speech and language therapists and rehabilitation assistants.
• Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes.
• Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
• Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.
• Work within Trust, HCPC and RCSLT guidelines and have a good working knowledge of national and local standards to enable monitoring own and others’ quality of practice as appropriate.
• Be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with HCPC and RCSLT standards of practice.
• Liaise with health and social care professionals and other related statutory, private and voluntary organisations and provide written reports, recommendations and referrals.
• Provide help and advice to patients and their families, teaching and demonstrating use of equipment or other techniques to optimise the patients’ functional ability and independence.
• Ensure equipment/adaptations are safe and have been issued in line with departmental policy.

Professional

• Be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
• Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence-based practice, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.
• Participate in the staff appraisal scheme and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.
• Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, in conjunction with more senior speech and language therapists and develop improvement to service delivery and clinical practice.
• Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in, in-service training programmes, self directed learning, individual training sessions and external courses.
• Undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects.
• Become actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as RCSLT Clinical Excellence Networks and other professional development activities.
• Provide clinical education and training to speech and language therapy students to graduate level. Provide support, guidance and training to junior speech and language therapists and assistants, assessing and evaluating competence.
• Be aware of the requirement of the Health and Safety at Work act as it relates to the department and safety of the patients and staff.
• Report all accidents/incidents promptly to a Senior Member of staff using the appropriate incident form.
• Comply with Health Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of proficiency for speech and language therapists, and Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
• Comply with HCPC and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy Code of Ethics, Professional Conduct and CPD requirements.
• Varied NHS experience as qualified Speech and Language Therapist.

Organisational

• Ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meet the required professional standards of speech and language therapy practice.
• Ensure that you work in a manner which helps to further long-term and short-term SLT Team goals.
• Be responsible for the safe and competent use of communication equipment by patients and by junior and student speech and language therapists, through teaching, training and supervision of practice.
• Be aware of EPUT/local policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate statistics as required by the Team.
• Comply with the Trust Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidance at all times.
• Deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia or limited mobility.
• Attend mandatory trust and organisational courses.

Staff Management

• To ensure that those to whom tasks are delegated, e.g. rehabilitation assistants, have acquired the appropriate level of competence.
• To supervise the work of less experienced SLTs, students and assistants as appropriate and to participate in Speech and language Therapy student clinical placements as appropriate.
• To offer some observation experience to those applying for training as SLTs. To assist in the support of students from other professional groups as agreed with line managers.

Communication and Working Relationships

• To utilize all available methods of communication to ensure that health and social service professionals, patients, families and carers can appreciate the complex concepts behind communication, voice and swallowing difficulties, in order that they can recognise and understand the nature of these problems and manage them more appropriately.
• To ensure smooth and appropriate handover of care from hospital to ESD and from ESD to Community SLT.
• To provide reports, reflecting specialist knowledge and interpretation of specialist assessments, to other health professionals, including GPs and Hospital consultants as requested.
• To make and/or recommend onward referrals to other professionals or agencies, as appropriate.
• To contribute to the multi-disciplinary rehabilitation teams working with people following stroke in the local area.

Additional Duties

• Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures.
• To participate in the staff appraisal process and to undertake for any staff you manage.
• To keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy.
• To provide management supervision where appropriate.
• You will be expected to work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7-day a week, 24-hours a day service for 365 days a year working shifts, where appropriate and operationally required.

This advert closes on Friday 24 Oct 2025.