Speech and Language Therapist

NHS; Swindon; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for a recently-qualified Speech and Language Therapist to join a dynamic team focusing on adults with communication and swallowing disorders. You will have autonomy in managing your caseload, receive supervision from experienced clinicians, and benefit from CPD opportunities. The role supports professional development in a supportive environment, integrating holistic approaches to patient care.

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent.
• Registered with HCPC and RCSLT.
• Experience working with adults during student placements.

Responsibilities

• Manage own caseload of patients and make clinical decisions.
• Conduct assessments to evaluate communication and swallowing conditions.
• Communicate complex SLT specialist information to patients and families.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Empathy

Assessment analysis skills

Observational skills

Education

Degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Membership of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Job description

Go back Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 29 June 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a recently-qualified Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly and dynamic team working with adults with acquired disorders of communication and swallowing. The role may include a combination of inpatients and outpatients, both in the hospital setting and in the community. This post would provide a valuable opportunity to develop your skills in a wide variety of adult acquired conditions.

Supervision and support will be provided from more experienced and specialist clinicians within the team. CPD opportunities will also be offered. Some knowledge and skills in dysphagia management is preferred.

Main duties of the job

1. With appropriate support from designated and more experienced SLT, be an autonomous practitioner ie, have responsibility and accountability for own caseload of open referrals, requiring admission, treatment and discharge decisions, within own level of competence and professional and service parameters.

2. Assess and analyse type, severity and impact of all conditions of speech, language, communication and within own competency-level swallowing impairments in a wide age range of patients. This will be through a variety of formal and informal assessments and information gathering methods; with a high level of support from designated SLT clinical supervisor.

3. Use and analyse results of some formal standardised assessments and, with support, able to analyse and interpret results in relation to theoretical and clinical knowledge of individual patients.

4. Use and develop further sensory skills, in order to carry out core clinical work, such as acoustic and phonetic transcriptions; structured and detailed observation of verbal and non-verbal communication behaviours; and ability to distinguish between discrete differences in oro-pharyngeal muscle function.

About us

Our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.

Job responsibilities

5. Make differential diagnoses and clinical decisions regarding options for hypothesis driven clinical intervention (eg, whether to treat, type of treatment, frequency and duration of treatment, need for onward referral, re-evaluation and discharge) with significant regular and frequent support for clinical practice from designated SLT clinical supervisor.

6. Concentrate intensely during clinical activities (eg, working with patients for therapeutic interventions, writing reports with recommendations, and acting as an expert witness when called).

7. With support, develop insight, skill and experience to work in partnership with the patient, to determine an intervention programme that balances all aspects of their needs depending on their level of impairment, disability, handicap and distress.

8. Apply best available research evidence and evaluative thinking in all areas of practice.

9. With support, communicate highly complex SLT specialist information and clinical judgements of a sensitive or contentious nature where the situation may be emotive, to patients, carers and family, and to other members of the clinical team.

10. Develop the ability, with support, to integrate psychosocial, physical, emotional and environmental factors within a holistic patient centred approach, while working towards a specific therapeutic goal.

Please refer to the JD for full responsibilities

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy (or equivalent qualification)
• Licence to practice from Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, which is issued following attainment of degree as well as the successful completion of the requisite number of hours in clinical placement
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Membership of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Experience

• Relevant experience working with adults during student placements.

Skills

• Have knowledge of the use of some formal assessments of speech and language and, with support, able to analyse and interpret results in relation to theoretical and clinical knowledge of individual patients.
• Have highly developed awareness of own sensory skills, to interpret information in order to carry out core clinical work, such as: - acoustic and phonetic transcriptions; structured and detailed observation of verbal and non-verbal communication behaviours; and ability to distinguish between discrete differences in oro-pharyngeal muscle function.
• To be able to demonstrate empathy, support and reassurance to individuals who have a communication and/or swallowing impairment and with their carers and families
• Have good knowledge of the integration of psychosocial, physical, emotional and environmental factors within a holistic patient centred approach, while working towards a specific therapeutic goal.
• Some knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of dysphagia is desirable (able to see non-complex cases under supervision

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.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£29,970 to £36,483 a yearper annum pro rata