Speech Language Therapist

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Waitaha Canterbury; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 52,000 - 76,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Waitaha Canterbury in Christchurch seeks a Speech Language Therapist to join the Burwood Hospital team. The 0.6FTE position involves assessment, management and rehabilitation for communication and swallowing disorders, including Videofluoroscopy.

You will work closely with Older Persons Health & Rehabilitation and other disciplines, providing patient‑ and family‑centered care and contributing to service-wide quality improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience in Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation (required).
• Familiar with Videofluoroscopy services and assessment tools.
• Registration with NZSTA and an Annual Practising Certificate.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive assessments, evaluations and interventions per SLT standards.
• Educate and support patients, families/whānau, and the interdisciplinary team.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation.
• Contribute to quality improvement across Burwood Hospital.

Skills

Older Persons Health

Rehabilitation

Cough reflex testing

Videofluoroscopy

Tracheostomy management

Dysphagia tools

Clinical assessment

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Comorbidity management

NZSTA registration

Tools

Videofluoroscopy equipment

Job description

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Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Waitaha Canterbury – Christchurch, South Island

Part time, Full time, Casual/Temporary, Permanent

• Permanent, part time position 0.6FTE (24 hours per week)
• Based at Burwood Hospital
• Registration with NZSTA and APC essential

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principlesof Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system thatserves all New Zealanders.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country’s largest employer,delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders. We provideessential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+locations from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.

Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders bydelivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

Our Speech Language Therapy team is an integral part of the interdisciplinary group at Burwood Hospital. You’ll work closely with colleagues across Older Persons Health & Rehabilitation, benefiting from strong professional support both on-site and within our wider community teams.

As a Speech Language Therapist, you will provide expert assessment, management and rehabilitation for a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders. The role also includes involvement in our Videofluoroscopy service.

In this position, you will:

• Provide comprehensive assessments, evaluations and interventions in line with Speech Language Therapy standards, policies and procedures
• Educate and support patients, their families/whānau, and your interdisciplinary team with relevant resources and clinical guidance
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation
• Contribute to quality improvement across your allocated wards, the SLT service and the wider Burwood Hospital site

About You

We’re looking for a skilled and compassionate clinician who is confident working within a dynamic interdisciplinary environment. You’ll bring a blend of strong clinical expertise, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to supporting patients in their rehabilitation journey.

Your skills and background will include:

• Experience working in Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation (required)
• Skills and experience in Cough Reflex Testing and Videofluoroscopy (essential)
• Experience with tracheostomy management (advantageous)
• Knowledge of dysphagia rehabilitation tools such as BISSKiT and EMST (desirable)
• Strong assessment and clinical reasoning skills, with the ability to integrate flexible, goal-led interventions
• Confidence using objective assessment tools, particularly Videofluoroscopy
• Ability to work collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams
• Experience supporting patients with complex comorbidities (advantageous)
• Registration with NZSTA and a current Annual Practising Certificate

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuringexcellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce thatis diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand andservice our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori,Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.