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The closing date is 14 August 2025

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Neonatal ServicesLocation:Bedfordshire Hospitals (Luton & Bedford)

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Speech and Language Therapist to deliver specialist support to infants and families within the Family Integrated Care model across our neonatal units. This role involves the assessment, diagnosis, and management of early communication and feeding challenges in premature and unwell infants. You will work as a core member of the neonatal multidisciplinary team, collaborating closely with Neonatal Consultants, Nursing Teams, the Infant Feeding Team, AHPs, Psychologists, and families to provide high-quality, evidence-based care.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To identify neonates with feeding difficulties, swallow dysfunction, and dysphagia and develop suitable management plans to reduce their risk of stress, aspiration and feeding aversion.

Provide autonomous specialist assessment, treatment and advice to patients on the neonatal unit who present with feeding/swallowing difficulties.

Utilise a range of informal and formal approaches to assess the neonates' early communication and feeding skills; and to support the MDT in identifying these needs in order to inform optimum care planning and intervention.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain an in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of neonatal clinical needs and presentations resulting from a range of acquired conditions.

To communicate effectively and clearly with clinical colleagues regarding assessments and interventions both in spoken and written reports, as well as in day-to day liaison.

Deliver therapy programmes based on current evidence and clinical knowledge to meet the needs of the infant and familys profile.

To participate in, practice and support Developmental Care practices and a Family Integrated Care approach as highlighted as good practice for neonates.

To be aware of the boundaries of own practice, and to manage the associated clinical risk effectively at all times.

Work closely with members of the MDT to holistically identify the range of needs of the infant and family and how best to support these.

To communicate effectively, empathically and clearly with families and carers regarding issues which will sometimes be complicated or emotionally charged

To work with the MDT to ensure timely community referrals, discharge planning meetings, liaison with other medical specialities and healthcare professionals.

To be able to identify need for further specialist swallowing assessment (i.e. instrumental assessment) and liaise with appropriate teams to arrange this.

To identify own training needs and maintain up to date skills.

To continue to meet clinical competency requirements according to RCSLT and HCPC standards.

To attend meetings and seminars/case conferences as appropriate, and liaise with and advise other disciplines, as appropriate, to achieve comprehensive, effective and confidential patient management through to discharge.

To behave in a professional manner at all times.

To appropriately seek and use supervision to review complex case material, develop skills, plan continuing professional development, set learning targets and address any issues which may be relevant to the fulfilment of your role.

To actively engage with neonatal clinical network via network meetings and externally via relevant Clinical Excellent Networks (CENs).

COMMUNICATION

To communicate and liaise effectively with other professionals, patients, families/ carers and other agencies to ensure and integrated pattern of service delivery.

Use effective interpersonal skills when engaging with families/ carers and other professionals.

Work effectively with families requiring a language interpreter, ensuring services are accessible for all service users regardless of their language or communication status. Adapt verbal and non-verbal techniques as the situation demands.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ ORGANISATIONAL

To take part in service/departmental policy implementation and development.

To ensure a high standard of documentation including clinical notes, reports and goals and outcome measures are maintained in a timely manner.

To manage own time effectively within the demands of the service. To demonstrate good organisational skills in terms of time and caseload management.

Input data into database including outcome measures and audit/ service related projects

To monitor and evaluate clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice using appropriate outcome measures

To demonstrate knowledge of, and adhere to Professional Body, National and Local Clinical Guidelines.

Ensure mandatory training is up to date annually.

TEACHING AND TRAINING

To support training needs of staff on the neonatal unit related to infant feeding, swallowing and communication on the neonatal uni

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree or equivalent
• RCSLT Registration
• HCPC Registration
• Post qualification training in paediatric dysphagia
• Completion of HEE Modules (Introduction to Neonatal Care and Speech Language Therapy modules)
• Membership of relevant clinical excellence networks (CENs) e,g, PDCEN, Neonatal CEN

• Minimum of 4 years paediatric post qualification experience
• Experience working with neonates and infants and/or children with complex needs
• Experience of independently managing feeding and swallowing difficulties associated with a neonatal or paediatric caseload
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience working at Paediatric Dysphagia Competency Level C

• Knowledge of processes and policies relating to work in a neonatal setting e.g. safeguarding, developmental/educational needs, RCSLT guidelines etc.
• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to neonates in order to assess, diagnose, plan and treat neonates and infants with swallowing difficulties
• Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Ability to recognise own training and supervision needs and use these to further enhance clinical skills
• Ability to interpret and apply evidence based practice in clinical work
• Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent organisational skills
• Understanding of the roles of other professionals working on the neonatal unit
• Knowledge of standards of record keeping
• Competence in computer skills, word processing, data management and analysis
• Adherence to RCSLT and HCPC guidelines, codes of ethics and professional conduct
• Able to develop and deliver internal and external training

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust