Speech and Language Therapist - Head & Neck Cancer

NHS; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Blackburn is seeking a qualified professional to join their dynamic Head and Neck Cancer team. The role involves comprehensive assessments, developing treatment plans, and providing leadership to junior staff. Essential qualifications include a relevant degree and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council. This full-time position offers a competitive salary of £38,682 to £46,580 annually, with opportunities for personal development.

Benefits

Support for ongoing professional development

Access to advanced clinical tools

Qualifications

• Post graduate clinical experience.
• Experience of delivering training to colleagues.
• Experience of contributing to quality improvement projects.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive specialist assessments.
• Independently maintain a clinical caseload.
• Provide specialist clinical advice to patients.

Skills

Individual and group treatment skills

Effective written and verbal communication

Ability to manage risk

Education

Profession specific Diploma/ Degree or equivalent

Registration with Health and Care Professions Council

Member of relevant professional body

Job description

Job Summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute and specialist healthcare services to the people of Pennine Lancashire. With a strong commitment to high quality, safe and patient centred care, the SLT service at the Trust is well established and offers specialist pathways in Head and Neck oncology, ENT, voice, swallowing and neurorehabilitation.

The post is within a dynamic multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer team, collaborating across surgery, oncology, ENT, maxillofacial and allied health professionals. This is a rare opportunity to be part of this incredible SLT team. The post holder will have opportunities to develop skills in FEES and will be supported by both the SLT FEES lead and the H&N SLT lead as well as working closely with the SLT voice team. The ELHT SLT team have regular access to videofluoroscopy and dedicated senior SLT leadership.

About us

Established in 2003 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personaland effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work and achievements. The SLT service has a well-established team of clinical leads - Critical Care, Dysphagia, Head & Neck, Stroke, FEES,Videofluoroscopy,Neurorehabilitation, Care Homes and Community. Actively involved in a range of service and workforce initiatives across the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICSA and research including collaborations with ELHT &UCLan's AHP Professor inNeurorehabilitationand Stroke. The service is well equipped and is supported by a team of administrators, SLT Assistants and Therapy Assistant Practitioners. Regular team meetings, an annual SLTShowcaseof best practice and SLT, Stroke andNeuroImprovement Showcase. Continual improvement is embedded in our daily work and service improvement initiatives. We are committed to continuing professional development and this is underpinned by supervision, regular line management and an annual appraisal system.

Job responsibilities

• 1. Undertake comprehensive specialist assessments, set patient centred goals, create treatment plans, monitor and evaluate a designated caseload of patients, using evidence based clinical pathways.
• 2. Independently maintain a clinical caseload and manage clinical risk, in a variety of settings including individually or in groups.
• 3. Formulate treatment plans and goals in partnership with the patient, clearly communicating your clinical reasoning to justify your recommendations and utilising most appropriate treatment/intervention.
• 4. To provide specialist clinical advice, support and educate patients and carers in the management of their condition.
• 5. Assess capacity and gain informed consent from patients for any intervention carried out. Complete mental health capacity forms as required.
• 6. Contribute to reviews involving multi-disciplinary and multi-agency staff, providing evidence-based expertise within your specialist area. The post holder may be required to take the key worker role.
• 7. Work across agencies as required and have a working knowledge and understanding of the systems within Health, Education and Social Services to facilitate appropriate treatment/interventions, equipment, access, and adaptation issues.
• 8. Postholder will participate in own supervision and supervise delegated staff in line with supervision policy.
• 9. Support junior staff, students and assistants with decision making and management of clinical risks as required.
• 10. Undertake training and development of junior staff, students and assistants.
• 11. Provide leadership, supervision, and support to junior staff in the team, including assistants and apprenticeship staff.

Qualifications (Essential)

• Profession specific Diploma/ Degree or equivalent
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council
• Member of relevant professional body
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses relevant to the clinical field

Desirable qualifications

• Involvement in Special Clinical Interest Group

Experience (Essential)

• Post graduate clinical experience
• Experience of delivering training to colleagues in health and/ or other relevant agencies
• Individual and group treatment skills
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Contribution to clinical education of junior staff/students/ assistants
• Experience of contributing to quality improvement projects for safe, personal and effective care

Knowledge (Essential)

• Awareness of local and national NHS/Social Care agenda and its relevance to service area
• Understanding of professional issues and their application to practice code of conduct/ethos
• Effective written and verbal communication skills to optimise patient management.
• Ability to manage risk in relationship to patient care

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Details

• Date posted: 04 November 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 435-D260-25
• Job locations: Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

Employer Details

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

http://jobs.elht.nhs.uk/