Senior Speech and Language Therapist – Paediatrics

Medforce; Leinster; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Medforce seeks a Senior Speech and Language Therapist – Paediatrics to provide specialist assessment and intervention for children with feeding, swallowing and communication needs. Focus on paediatric feeding and swallowing with clinical leadership, supervision and MDT collaboration.

You will lead specialist caseload management, supervise junior therapists and contribute to feeding pathways and CPD. Strong paediatric dysphagia experience is essential.

Qualifications

• Post-qualification Speech and Language Therapy experience in paediatrics.
• Specialist knowledge of paediatric feeding/eating/drinking.
• Experience with oropharyngeal dysphagia and aspiration risk.
• Ability to develop individualised feeding plans and trajectories.
• Strong multidisciplinary collaboration and supervision skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the paediatric SLT service and manage a specialist caseload.
• Provide supervision and mentoring to junior therapists and students.
• Contribute to clinical guidelines, feeding pathways, audits and quality improvement.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continuing professional development.

Skills

Paediatric feeding

Oral motor skills

Oral sensory skills

Dysphagia assessment

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Supervision

Job description

Senior Speech and Language Therapist – Paediatrics

The Senior Speech and Language Therapist will provide specialist, evidence-based assessment and intervention for children with speech, language, communication, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

The role will have a particular focus on paediatric feeding and swallowing, alongside clinical leadership, supervision and multidisciplinary working.

Key Clinical Responsibilities of Senior Speech and Language Therapist

• Specialist assessment and management of paediatric feeding, eating and drinking difficulties.
• Assessment of oral motor, oral sensory and functional feeding skills, including chewing, biting, tongue movements and bolus management.
• Supporting development of age-appropriate feeding skills, including bottle, cup and straw drinking and progression through textures and consistencies.
• Assessment and management of children with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including identification of aspiration risk and appropriate onward referral.
• Development of individualised, safe and practical feeding and swallowing management plans.
• Supporting children with food refusal, restricted diets, sensory-based feeding difficulties and complex mealtime presentations.
• Working collaboratively with families to develop practical strategies that can be implemented at home and in everyday mealtimes.
• Contributing to multidisciplinary management of children who are tube-fed or transitioning towards oral feeding.
• Providing assessment and intervention for speech, language, communication and AAC needs as appropriate.

Clinical Leadership

• Provide clinical leadership within the paediatric SLT service.
• Manage and prioritise a specialist caseload according to clinical need and risk.
• Provide supervision, mentoring and support to junior therapists and students.
• Contribute to clinical guidelines, feeding pathways, audit and quality improvement.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continuing professional development.

Essential Experience of Senior Speech and Language Therapist

• Significant post-qualification Speech and Language Therapy experience.
• Substantial paediatric clinical experience.
• Strong specialist experience in paediatric feeding, eating, drinking and swallowing.
• Experience assessing and managing children with dysphagia and complex feeding presentations.
• Experience developing individualised feeding plans and supporting families.
• Excellent clinical reasoning, communication and multidisciplinary working skills.
• Experience providing supervision or mentoring to less experienced clinicians.

Desirable Experience

• Paediatric hospital experience.
• Complex paediatric dysphagia and tube feeding.
• Sensory-based feeding difficulties and food selectivity.
• Instrumental swallowing assessment.
• AAC and complex communication needs.
• Clinical audit, research or service development experience.