Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Central London Community Health Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Central London Community Healthcare is seeking a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist for a Band 5 permanent post in the Harrow Adult Community SALT service. You will provide assessment and therapy for dysphagia and communication, with opportunities to attend instrumental assessments and develop services.

You will be supported by a Clinical Supervisor, engage in CPD, research, audits and QI projects, and contribute to MDT collaboration across the team.

Qualifications

• Recognised SLT degree or equivalent.
• Registration with Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
• Registered member of RCSLT or equivalent professional body.
• Post-registration education and training (e.g., Stroke, Supervision).
• Member of a Clinical Excellence Network.
• Evidence of competence in managing dysphagic patients.

Responsibilities

• Assess and treat dysphagia and communication to adults with complex conditions.
• Attend instrumental assessments with patients referred to the local hospital.
• Engage in service development, audits and quality improvement projects.

Skills

Therapy interventions

Dysphagia management

Aphasia assessment

Communication skills

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Education

Recognised SLT degree or equivalent

HCPC registration

RCSLT membership

Post-registration education/training (Stroke, Supervision)

Clinical Excellence Network member

Competence in managing dysphagic patients

Job description

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Following an internal promotion, we are pleased to be able to offer a Band 5 permanent post to a Speech and Language Therapist within the Harrow Adult Community SALT service. In our growing SLT team, we are committed to providing high standard patient-centred care with emphasis on continuing service development and with excellent links with our local acute SLT team, the Harrow Dietetics Service and the rest of the Rehabilitation Multi-disciplinary team.

You will have the opportunity of working with patients within the area of Harrow, offering both domiciliary and outpatient care and will be responsible for service development projects and for supporting speech & Language Therapy students. Supported by highly qualified clinicians and a Clinical Specialist Speech Therapist, you will be provided the opportunity to develop you communication and dysphagia skills. We will provide access to a named Clinical Supervisor with opportunities for regular clinical supervision. Peer support groups with other newly qualified practitioners in the Trust will be encouraged.

Main duties of the job

You will provide assessment and therapy in dysphagia and communication to a wide range of adult clients with complex conditions including acquired and progressive neurological conditions e.g. Motor Neuron disease, Parkinsons, stroke. You will have the opportunity to attend instrumental assessments with the patients that we refer to our local hospital. We have two bases across the borough, Honeypot Lane Health Centre and Alexandra Avenue Health Centre. We are a paper light service and staff have an office base and also access to mobile working devices.

The post holder will be committed to improving patient experience at all times. We will provide a lot of opportunities to engage in service development, including research, audits and QI projects. A framework of regular supervision including 1:1, peer supervision, and appraisal is in place. We will also support your continuing professional development with training opportunities both internal and external and protected time for training and development.

About us

We are proud to be one of the largest community healthcare providers in the country, with more than 4,500 colleagues caring for over four million people across London and Hertfordshire. Every day, our teams bring their skill, compassion, and determination to the people who depend on us.

What inspires us is at the heart of who we are: when we work together, we can help people move forward in ways that truly matter. Our teams support children as they take their first steps in life, and they stand beside adults as they rebuild strength, confidence, and independence. From newborn health visiting to community nursing, stroke rehabilitation, and palliative care, we are there for people through some of life's most important moments.

Joining Central London Community Healthcare means becoming part of a community that lifts each other up. It means working in an organisation that values compassion, welcomes new ideas, and believes in the potential of every colleague. Your development matters here. Your wellbeing matters. Your voice helps shape the future of the care we provide.

We offer a competitive employment package because the work you do matters. At Central London Community Healthcare, you will join an inclusive organisation that invests in its people, supports development, and helps you thrive while delivering high-quality care.

Job responsibilities

Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate alignment with the Trusts values & the behaviours aligned to those values - Accountability, Inclusion, Compassion, and Empowerment, alongside fulfilling the duties detailed in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised SLT degree or equivalent.
• Registration with Health & Care Professionals Council.
• Registered member of RCSLT or equivalent professional body
• Evidence of relevant post-registration education and training e.g. in Stroke, Supervision
• Member of a relevant Clinical Excellence Network
• Evidence of competence in managing dysphagic patients

Experience

• Experience of working, or student/volunteer placements in a variety of clinical settings within the UK/NHS.
• Experience of (including SLT placements) working and liaising with other MDT professionals.
• Ability to understand complex issues, problem solve and propose solutions.
• Able to communicate with patients in an empathetic manner regarding their treatment and procedures
• Experience of working with a community SLT service
• Experience of working with Clinical Support Workers, SLT Assistants.
• Experience of training other students.

Skills

• Knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions and evidence of clinical expertise in relevant areas.
• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to an adult client group including: aphasia, dysarthria, dyspraxia, dysphonia, cognitive communication difficulties and dysphagia.
• Knowledge of a range of relevant communication and dysphagia interventions relevant to the client group e.g. dementia, Parkinson's, COPD, stroke, etc.
• Knowledge of out of hospital care and the role of the Community Health Services
• Ability to listen effectively and ability to give constructive feedback to clients and colleagues.
• Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal.
• Knowledge of how Equal Opportunities can be implemented in practice
• Knowledge of reasonable response to service user needs and prioritising and dealing with those needs with a required urgency.
• Awareness of the management and use of data in the NHS setting
• Knowledge of risks involved in working in the community.
• Ability to identify and assess the potential risks involved in work activities and processes for self and others.
• Knowledge of evidence based practice.
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Experience of working with a community or acute SLT/ MDT service
• Knowledge of the audit process

Key Attributes

• Ability to work in a team and be a proactive member and able to engage in change process in the team.
• Ability to organise and participate in weekly work allocation and be able to prioritise and delegate effectively.
• Ability to assess a situation and act promptly.
• Ability to implement learning in practice and inform others.
• Ability to communicate well verbally and in writing such as computerised documentation and data entry
• Ability to facilitate and support students and HCAs
• Ability to critically analyse and evaluate research relevant to practice
• Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)

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.

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

£36,943 to £44,900 a yearper annum, inclusive of HCAS