Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway

King's College Hospital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist for the Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway at PRUH. The post supports highly specialist inpatient SLT care, working within the Acute team and across multidisciplinary colleagues to deliver tailored assessment, management and training.

We seek a senior clinician with leadership experience, robust knowledge of dysphagia and communication disorders, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to

Qualifications

• Significant experience in adult neurological and medical disorders in acute, rehab, or elderly care settings.
• Experience in dementia and communication/cognition disorders management.
• Experience with risk management and multidisciplinary liaison.
• Experience supervising and mentoring SLTs or similar staff.
• Experience with audit and quality improvement in SLT service.

Responsibilities

• Autonomously manage and provide highly specialist intervention for acute care patients.
• Provide input into policies for the SLT Acute Team and wider service.
• Act as a link between SLTs across sites and multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead rehabilitation planning and goal-setting for acute ward patients.
• Deliver training on communication and swallowing to carers and staff.
• Supervise and train others in instrumental assessments (VF/FEES).
• Coordinate with MDTs and attend meetings/ward rounds.
• Maintain clear documentation and reporting using EPIC.
• Lead development projects and service improvement in the SLT Acute Frailty pathway.

Skills

Leadership

Communication (written & spoken)

Clinical supervision

Teaching and presentation

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Policy input

Education

BSc/MSc/Diploma in SLT

HCPC registration

Postgraduate dysphagia/FEES training

RCSLT membership/leadership

Management training

Tools

EPIC

Job description

Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 213-Division-A-8196691-B

Employer King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Princess Royal University Hospital Town Orpington Salary £55,524 - £62,652 per annum, inc HCA Salary period Yearly Closing 14/10/2026 23:59

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

The Speech and Language Therapy post is based within the Acute team at King's College Hospital, PRUH site. The post holder will provide a highly specialist inpatient service to adults who have communication and/or swallowing disorders, working closely with the MDT to deliver optimal clinical care in the acute and post-acute phases of hospital admission.

The post holder will establish, build and maintain working relationships within Speech & Language Therapy (cross-site) and all multidisciplinary teams within the speciality of acute frailty and elderly care. They will be expected to be involved in Southeast London/London/England-wide Acute networks for Speech & Language Therapists.

Main duties of the job

To autonomously manage and provide highly specialist intervention, which will include assessment, contribution to differential diagnosis, and highly specialist SLT management for patients with acute, acquired communication and swallowing disorders, following King's College Hospital (KCH) Speech and Language Therapy evidence-based guidelines and abiding by KCH Speech and Language Therapy service standards.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

1.To autonomously manage and provide highly specialist intervention, which will include assessment, contribution to differential diagnosis, and highly specialist SLT management for patients with acute, acquired communication and swallowing disorders, following King's College Hospital (KCH) Speech and Language Therapy evidence-based guidelines and abiding by KCH Speech and Language Therapy service standards.

2.To provide highly specialist input into policies and protocols regarding the management of patients on the Speech and Language Therapy Acute Team and wider service.

3.To act as a link between all SLT’s involved in treating patients in Acute and Frailty beds to ensure the patient receives treatment from the most appropriate therapist and that knowledge and resources are shared across the service.

4.To act as a link with the other therapy professions to develop the process for planning rehabilitation goals and programmes for relevant patients on these acute wards.

5.To provide accurate appropriate and current information for clients and their carers to enable autonomy and choice where possible.

6.To carry out instrumental assessments (VF/FEES) and assist in the training and supervision of other SLT staff in these assessments.

7.To liaise effectively and work collaboratively with the relevant multidisciplinary teams to plan and facilitate appropriate management.

8.To attend clinical meetings/ward rounds/case conferences where appropriate.

9.To maintain an active liaison role, including SLT colleagues in the acute and community sector, members of the in-patient and community multidisciplinary teams, GPs, other members of the primary health care team, local authority services and voluntary organisations, ensuring consultation and feedback.

10.To carry out joint assessments with other members of the multidisciplinary team where appropriate.

11.To identify barriers to effective communication within the environment and suggest and implement solutions where feasible.

12.To co-ordinate and promote communication developments e.g. mental capacity act issues, developing and delivering training on supporting communication, advising on environmental changes that support those with communication difficulties.

13.To provide complex and sensitive clinical information to patients and carers in clear, accessible and empathetic format, both in written and verbal form.

14.To develop and deliver training regarding communication and swallowing to carers, relatives and staff.

15.To instigate referrals, when appropriate, to internal/external agencies and to liaise with other agencies to ensure appropriate follow up and care arrangements for patients.

16.To assist with clinical cover in other areas as required.

Administrative Responsibilities

1.To be responsible for prioritising and managing own caseload. To support the Acute SLT Clinical Lead in overseeing the organisation of the acute caseload across the SLT service, identifying shortfalls and risk.

2. To maintain full, accurate and contemporaneous records within EPIC.

3. To provide timely and accurate reports including transfer and discharge reports.

4. To prepare for and participate in an annual job appraisal which includes a 6 monthly review with the SLT acute clinical lead.

5. To attend King's College Hospital Speech and Language Therapy team meetings.

6. To provide full, accurate and timely statistical data.

7.To comply with departmental procedures and policies and contribute to developments in clinical effectiveness, including risk management

Leadership

1.To jointly lead the Acute Frailty and Elderly SLT team at PRUH provide clinical support and supervision to junior therapists within the team.

2.To assist in the ordering and be responsible for the accurate record keeping, safe-keeping and maintenance of therapy equipment, in line with standards and policy, including infection control.

3.To assist in the co-ordination of Acute Frailty and Elderly SLT team objectives and projects.

4.To attend and participate in King's SLT and Multiprofessional team meetings as appropriate.

5.To develop care protocols and standards relating to the delivery of the SLT Acute Frailty and Elderly service.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant experience of adult acquired neurological and medical disorders in a medical, health & ageing and acute care setting, including managing own swallowing and communication caseload and using a range of assessment and therapy techniques
• The management of patients presenting with dementia and disorders which impact on communication, cognition / behavioural feeding
• Experience of risk identification and management including multidisciplinary liaison and decision making.
• Experience of audit within specialism
• Experience of specialist assessment and differential diagnosis with a complex caseload
• Previous experience of clinical supervision of others, including supporting approaches with appropriate theoretical models of management

Education and Qualification

• BSc or recognised post graduate MSc or diploma in speech and language therapy
• Registration with the Health Professions Council
• Postgraduate training in communication disorders and aphasia therapy
• Active member of RCSLT CEN or equivalent
• Postgraduate short courses in language, cognition and motor speech disorders and swallowing specifically to frailty assessment and management
• Postgraduate training in management of dysphagia, including training and experience in instrumental assessment of swallowing skills (Videofluoroscopy and / or FEES)
• Member of RCSLT
• Attended leadership & management training course(s)

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent communication skills – written and spoken
• Highly motivated and able to demonstrate ability to lead designated clinical area
• Clinical supervision and line management skills
• Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to devise appropriate training and information packages
• Ability to work at a senior level in partnership with other professionals and agencies
• Ability to plan and implement appropriate highly specialist treatment packages
• Excellent observational and analytical skills
• Ability to undertake complex assessment and make differential diagnoses
• Ability to communicate complex and emotive information, including where there are barriers to understanding
• Ability to plan and implement treatment programmes
• Good organisational and time management ability
• Ability to plan and prioritise own autonomous caseload within professional guidelines and policies
• Able to work flexibly, under pressure and to use appropriate conflict resolution skills
• Able to demonstrate awareness of current NHS changes and professional issues
• High level of motivation and initiative
• Good auditory and perceptual skills
• Excellent IT Skills including data and presentation packages
• Evidence of professionally written and spoken public presentation skills

AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include. They shouldn’t however replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.

Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success because automatically generated answers:

• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often see generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Lisa Edwards Job title Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist - PRUH Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07747599393 Additional information Annabel Davies; Clinical Lead Neuro Rehabilitation SLT [e-mail]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Jennie Lee House
2nd Floor
Love Walk Lane
SE5 8AD
Telephone [phone]