Speech and Language Therapist

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Worcester; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable healthcare organization in Worcester is seeking a Speech & Language Therapist. The role involves working with acute or stroke patients across various sites, providing essential assessments and interventions. Candidates should hold a degree in Speech and Language Therapy and have experience in managing communication issues. The position offers a supportive environment, opportunities for professional development, and requires the ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Benefits

Continuous Professional Development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Supervision from senior staff

Qualifications

• Must demonstrate skills in managing communication difficulties in acute settings.
• Experience in dysphagia therapy is required.
• Ability to work under supervision and independently is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide a service to patients with communication and swallowing difficulties.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary team discussions and planning.
• Manage a caseload with evidence-based client-centered principles.

Skills

Good written and verbal skills

Demonstrates initiative

Good personal organisational skills

Ability to cope well under pressure

Education

Degree in SLT or equivalent

RCSLT registered HCPC registered

Experience of working with patients with communication difficulties

Tools

Microsoft Office

Low-tech communication devices

Job description

Speech & Language Therapist

The closing date is 31 January 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Worcester Acute Adult SLT service due to promotion of the current postholder. You will work with acute or stroke patients.

Our team here are supportive, friendly and innovative, and it will be an ideal place to develop your skills in a supported environment.

You will be responsible for providing a service to inpatients across Worcester Acute Hospitals, seeing a diverse range of patients. This will involve some ad hoc sessions at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. You will therefore need to meet the travel requirements of this post.

You will be well supported by senior SLT's and your peers. We offer plenty of CPD opportunities, and regular supervision, including peer supervision with other Band 5's. There is also an excellent preceptorship programme.

We have good access to FEES and videofluorocopy and there will be opportunities to develop your knowledge in these areas.

Main duties of the job

• Provide a service to the acute or wards at Worcester Royal Hospital for patients who have communication and swallowing difficulties, taking responsibility for a designated case load within agreed clinical parameters.
• Participate in training to acquire the skills required for the post, which may include dysphagia training.
• Plan and prioritise own caseload with support from senior clinicians.
• Manage a caseload of patients with varying diagnosis and complex needs, using evidence based client‑centred principles.
• Participate in the planning, development and evaluation of clinical practice & service development within area.
• Contribute to maintenance and development of the SLT service.
• Participate in information management to ensure high quality data which is recorded, evaluated & reported in a timely manner.
• To be involved in the education and training of volunteers, students and other staff.
• To work as an effective and flexible member of the team focused on improving the care of our patients and contributing to best practice models of care.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital‑based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient‑centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex‑positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in SupportingInformation section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities

1) Patient/client care

• To provide a high‑quality service to patients at Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as an integral part of the multi‑disciplinary team. This includes providing detailed written treatment plans with client‑centred goals.
• To be professional, legally responsible & accountable for all aspects of own work and activities.
• Work as an integral part of the multi‑disciplinary team, contributing to team discussions and influencing decisions about patient care programmes, taking on the role of care co‑ordinator where appropriate.
• Develop and carry out robust treatment and management plans individually or in a group setting, evaluating the outcomes as appropriate.
• Follow appropriate discharge criteria, discussing and agreeing this with the MDT, and disseminating information to ensure smooth transfer to other services on discharge from Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
• Provide specialist advice, teaching & training to other members of the MDT regarding the SLT management of patients with communication and swallowing disorders.
• To share information with others, observing data protection guidelines

2) Professional

• To work in accordance with RCSLT and HPC rules of professional conduct and within local care pathways, policies and standards.
• To establish and maintain effective communication networks with patients, carers, MDT, other workers and agencies across health, social care and the private sector locally and regionally.
• To promote awareness of the role of Speech and Language Therapy within Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
• To be responsible for own personal development in order to establish and maintain competence and fitness to practice as a Speech and Language Therapist with stroke and other adult patients. To maintain a professional evidence‑based portfolio, meeting the requirements of the HCPC.
• Contribute to the supervision of Speech and Language Therapy students on practice placement within the Trust, including written assessment.
• Contribute to the Trust’s Divisional and Team clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda including reporting clinical risks.

3) Organisational

• To ensure that high quality up‑to‑date records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards & produce in a timely manner.
• Be involved in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols using where appropriate national guidelines / legislation.
• Be aware of and assist with managing resources and equipment necessary to meet service needs in the clinical area, reporting any faults.
• Work at weekend & out of hours as appropriate & necessary within competencies, but not necessarily with your usual caseload.
• Accept responsibility for delegated tasks within the overall management of the Speech and Language Therapy service.

4) Financial and physical resources

• To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate
• To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained including equipment loaned to clients

5) Human resources

• To supervise the work of assistants and volunteers
• To participate in student placements once established within the department and full preceptorship requirements have been met.
• To explain the role of Speech and Language Therapists to visitors, students and volunteers

6) Research and development

• To contribute to Clinical Governance /audit projects/collecting of research data within the local service under supervision and to participate in departmental research

7) Freedom to act

• To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
• To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct
• To work independently accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre‑determined intervals

8) Knowledge and Skills

Communication and relationship skills

• To contribute to clinical teams both multi‑disciplinary and uni‑disciplinary by discussing own and others input around clients needs ensuring a well‑coordinated care plan
• To communicate complex condition‑related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi‑disciplinary team/other professions
• To work closely with clients, carers and families, agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management
• To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist
• To develop skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic process
• To develop negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties

9) Training and experience

• To identify personal/professional development evidenced by Personal Development Plan/ Professional Portfolio developed within an appraisal framework
• To participate in Individual Performance Review ensuring that the objectives set reflect the Service and Trust plans
• To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain skills and knowledge required of a therapist working in the field of general medicine and maintain up‑to‑date HCPC and RCSLT registration.
• To demonstrate knowledge of, and adhere to HCPC & RCSLT Professional and Clinical and National and Local Clinical Guidelines.
• To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others with and without support.
• To keep up to date with new techniques and developments for the promotion and maintenance of good practice in working with clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders following stroke or other medical cause.
• To attend relevant course, meetings and CENs
• To develop a working knowledge of the principles of Clinical Governance and their application to professional practice

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree in SLT or equivalent RCSLT registered HCPC registered.
• Experience of working with patients with communication difficulties either as a student or post‑qualification.
• An awareness of the types of swallowing difficulties that may arise in acute hospital.

Knowledge and Skills

• A knowledge of the types of communication difficulties affecting adults in an acute setting.
• A knowledge of a range of formal and informal assessments relevant to the client group.
• An up‑to‑date knowledge of evidence‑based practice for patients with communication difficulties.
• Good written and verbal skills.
• Proficient in using email, Microsoft and Outlook
• Some knowledge of national policies relating to the client group Experience of making low‑tech communication devices

Personal Qualities

• Good personal organisational skills.
• Demonstrates initiative.
• A good team player.
• Copes well under pressure

Experience

• Experience of working with adults with a communication difficulty, either independently or under supervision.
• Experience of delivering training in communication.
• Experience of working with patients in an acute setting either as a student, post‑qualification or SLT assistant.
• Experience of delivering dysphagia therapy and observing SLTs working with dysphagia.
• Experience of working independently with patients with communication difficulties

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.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust