Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Adult Acute Inpatients

Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A major health trust in the UK is seeking a Speech and Language Therapist to provide high-quality care for adults in acute medical and surgical wards. The role involves independent clinical management, complex communication assessment, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Candidates should possess post-graduate experience and strong teaching skills. Opportunities for professional development and support are available, along with flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Continuing professional development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Excellent supervision and peer support

Qualifications

• Experience managing adults with communication and swallowing disorders.
• Ability to interpret results from assessments.
• Strong teaching skills and engagement in education.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical management for acute inpatients.
• Assess needs for alternative communication methods.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings.

Skills

Independent clinical management

Instrumental assessment

Teaching skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Post-graduate experience in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

To take clinical responsibility as an autonomous specialist for the provision of a high-quality Speech and Language Therapy service to adult inpatients on the acute medical and surgical wards.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent clinical management of acute inpatients requiring assessment and rehabilitation of complex communication and swallowing disorders, aiming to restore optimum function or offer compensatory strategies.
• Assess patients' needs for alternative/augmentative communication where appropriate.
• Regularly participate in videofluoroscopic examinations of swallowing, analyse and report findings to the Multi‑Disciplinary Team (MDT) regarding implications for management and design specialised therapeutic programmes of care.
• Act as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapy resource for members of the MDT in the management of communication/swallowing disorders.
• Participate as a core member of the MDT in team meetings, ward rounds and family meetings; propose and assist in implementation of policy/service development where appropriate.
• Develop and deliver training programmes relevant to communication/swallowing disorders for the on‑going training programme of the MDT on the acute wards; take a lead in training nursing staff and carers to facilitate communication and swallowing skills, including the use of alternative and augmentative communication.

Qualifications

• Post‑graduate level experience, independently managing adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders.
• Essential experience of instrumental assessment and being able to interpret results.
• Strong teaching skills – guaranteed involvement in nurse/medical education and provision of external talks and presentations as required.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams and contributing to quality improvement projects.

Professional Development and Support

• Excellent supervision and peer support with an emphasis on team working.
• Opportunities for continuing professional development through in‑house training, clinical excellence networks and external courses.
• Optional participation in quality improvement projects and research ideas within SLT and multidisciplinary teams.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitably according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or studies at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity or reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

Flexible Working

We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work‑life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking into account the individual's personal circumstances as well as the needs of the service. We encourage prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the onboarding process.

Please ensure that you meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on the UK Government website. Your e‑mail address is important to us – we communicate to all job applicants via the e‑mail address provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e‑mail on a regular basis.

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