Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist - Paediatrics

Job overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic Speech & Language Therapist with proven experience and skills in acute paediatrics including neurosurgery, neuro rehabilitation, acute dysphagia and videofluoroscopy.

This is a 6 month fixed term role starting in March 2025 as the Interim Clinical Lead SLT in our Paediatric SLT team at Kings

You will work alongside the Neonatal Clinical Lead SLT to develop and manage our team of paediatric SLTs. You will also be responsible for leading and coordinating our Paediatric Videofluoroscopy clinic as well as supporting competency development for the SLTs who support the clinic.

As the interim clinical lead, you will join our well established multidisciplinary teams within Child Health, SLT and wider Therapies teams who strategically lead and develop our services at Kings.

King’s College Hospital has a large Therapy department with over 400 therapists from Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy.  Each service is organised under a Head of Profession with a Chief of Therapies representing Therapies across the Trust as well as externally.  The department has a well-established provision of education and training, supervision and appraisal, ensuring that all staff have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and to reach their full potential.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Responsibilities

• To work at an advanced level in the field of acute paediatric speech and language therapy by receiving referrals and independently assessing and treating own caseload of patients, ensuring evaluation and progression of treatment programmes to a high standard, and in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways where they exist.
• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.  To ensure a high standard of clinical practice for patients under your management and to support more junior staff to do likewise.

Communication

• To demonstrate an expert ability to communicate effectively with others, and to be able to persuade and motivate others, including staff and families / carers.
• To be highly skilled in communicating with parents and children of all ages and abilities including those with learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviour.
• To respond appropriately to the parent / carer’s level of communication and understanding, facilitating the best possible communication outcomes. For example, patients may be deaf, blind, or unable to communicate in English.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details of the role requirement and essential and desirable criteria

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further details or if you have any questions in relation to the role or the role requirements, please contact: Justine Vella - Head of Speech & Language Therapy: [email protected] /07528977404