# Consultant Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist – Head and Neck > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/consultant-clinical-lead-speech-and-language-therapist-head-and-neck/7dc2be82-57aa-4540-a8fa-f24bdaf8b10b - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/consultant-clinical-lead-speech-and-language-therapist-head-and-neck/7dc2be82-57aa-4540-a8fa-f24bdaf8b10b.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - **Location:** University College Hospital - **Workplace type:** onsite - **Profession:** Speech and Language Therapist - **Grade:** Band 8 - **Salary:** £75,328 - £86,114 per annum inclusive of HCAS (Pro rata) - **Contract type:** Permanent - **Employment type:** Part time - 22.5 hours per week - **Closing date:** 2026-09-20T22:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-09-04T07:40:51.390Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/London/London/University_College_London_Hospitals_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Clinical_Support/Clinical_Support-v8262386 - **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8262386?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002 - **Employer website:** https://www.uclh.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job overview We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Speech and Language Therapist to provide strategic, operational and clinical leadership for our specialist Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). This is an exciting opportunity for a clinician with extensive expertise in Head and Neck Cancer rehabilitation to lead a well-established, nationally recognised service within a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. The post holder will be responsible for the operational management and strategic development of inpatient and outpatient Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, innovative and patient-centred care. Working closely with the head and neck cancer SLT Co-Team Leads, SLT Manager, Divisional Manager/ Chief AHP and multidisciplinary colleagues, you will provide leadership across workforce development, service performance, governance, quality improvement, transformation and service planning. Alongside your management responsibilities, you will provide expert clinical oversight and act as a specialist resource for complex clinical decision-making, supporting excellent outcomes for patients with complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing needs. ### Main duties of the job This role is ideal for an experienced Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapist who is committed to delivering quality strategic and operational leadership, service innovation and delivering outstanding patient-centred care within a leading tertiary referral centre. As the Service Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will provide professional, clinical, strategic and operational leadership for the Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service across UCLH, in collaboration with the SLT Manager for the Medicine Board, working closely with the other SLT Leads at UCH. You will lead the delivery and development of specialist inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation pathways, ensuring high-quality, safe and effective care for patients with complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing disorders. You will be responsible for workforce leadership, service performance, governance, quality improvement, service transformation and operational planning. Working closely with consultant surgeons, oncologists and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will support the achievement of divisional objectives, operational targets and excellent patient outcomes. ### Detailed job description and main responsibilities For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description. The role includes: - Providing strategic, operational and clinical leadership for the Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service. - Leading and developing specialist inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation pathways and tertiary referral services. - Providing expert assessment, diagnosis, treatment and consultancy for patients with highly complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing disorders. - Leading service development, transformation projects and quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and experience. - Supporting workforce planning, staff wellbeing, recruitment, supervision and professional development. - Monitoring service performance, referral pathways, waiting lists and clinical governance requirements. - Working collaboratively with consultants, nursing teams, dietitians, psychologists and allied health professionals to deliver high-quality multidisciplinary care. - Contributing to research, audit, innovation and implementation of evidence-based practice. - Representing the service at Trust, regional and national meetings and professional networks. - Providing expert professional leadership and acting as a specialist resource for complex clinical decision-making. Our organisation is driven by our strategic objectives and organisational values. This position will suit an experienced specialist clinician with strong leadership, service development and operational management skills who is keen to contribute to innovation and transformation within Head & Neck Cancer services. The team offers excellent professional and peer support, opportunities for collaborative multidisciplinary working and access to specialist networks across UCLH and beyond. You will join a highly skilled and supportive Speech and Language Therapy team committed to delivering outstanding clinical care, education, research and service improvement. You will be employed in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Agenda for Change. This post involves working with vulnerable adults and the successful candidate will be required to undertake appropriate pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service clearance. Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff* * UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row. UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working. To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH? ### Applicant requirements 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. ## Person Specification ### Experience **Essential** - Significant proven competence in the independent assessment, treatment and management of complex specialist acute and long-term airway, swallowing and communication disorders in the Head and neck population. - Significant proven experience using and interpreting Videofluoroscopy and FEES and implementing its findings to practice - Previous proven experience as a expert SLT - Proven experience in the independent assessment, treatment and management of patients with a tracheostomy and surgical voice restoration. - Proven experience in provision of mentoring, supervision and support to other qualified specialist SLTs and provision of second opinions in this specialist field - Experience of leadership in clinical governance and audit projects including team representation - Experience in initiating and undertaking research, particularly in area of expertise - Demonstrates ability to lead, plan, organise, teach and evaluate uni- and multidisciplinary teaching programmes using advanced presentation skills to a wide range of national and international audiences, including to other specialist SLTs. - Evidence of ability to develop innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness in relation to SLT rehabilitation - Experience in managing recruitment and retention of staff - Demonstration of ability to interpret National and local policies and identify implications for SLT service and implement as appropriate - Experience of developing strategic direction for own service area - Evidence of training in SLT student clinical supervision and experience of supervising final year SLT students and co-ordinating student placements - Proven experience in provision of mentoring and support to other members of the multidisciplinary team with regard to SLT rehabilitation. - Experience in chairing operational and strategic meetings ### Communication **Essential** - Highly developed written and verbal communication skills - Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders - Evidence of leadership and change management skills ### Personal Qualities **Essential** - Ability to express reasons for desire to work in this area - A flexible approach to the changing service needs ### Skills and Knowledge **Essential** - Autonomous expert practitioner who has the proven ability to work unsupervised - Effective time management and the ability to prioritise own SLT workload and that of other SLTs equitably across SLT services as required, responding to unpredictable changes in staffing levels - Ability to supervise staff directly accountable to post holder - An understanding of interdisciplinary issues and an ability to work efficiently and effectively in an interdisciplinary team - Demonstration of professional and effective verbal and written communication skills, including excellent negotiation skills with medical consultants, patients, carers and other health professional staff in complex case management, conflict management and service delivery issues including situations where complex, sensitive and/or contentious information needs to be discussed. - Demonstration of expert clinical leadership qualities e.g. management of change, clinical competence, the ability to negotiate and influence at operational and strategic levels - Expert knowledge of current best evidence-based practice in SLT intervention. - Proven experience in leading development of local and national policies, care protocols for head and neck speech, language & swallowing problems informed by a strong evidence base. - Proven advanced skills in leading on planning, reviewing and auditing uni- and multidisciplinary service delivery. - Proven ability to develop bids for resources to match service needs. - Proven ability to identify areas for personal/professional development and those of other SLT staff, through highly developed reflective practice skills. - A positive approach to the treatment of acute, chronic and progressive disability. - Evidence of initiative in research, service development and strategic planning. - Application of complex clinical reasoning to a diverse patient group, demonstrating expert analytical and diagnostic skills during assessment and intervention - Ability to plan, coordinate and advise appropriate treatment and evaluate outcomes, using generic and uni-disciplinary measures, for patients with highly complex needs. - Evidence of up to date Continued Professional Development including reflective practice, in-service training, any courses attended, and clinical experience gained - Evidence of being self-motivated - Ability to reflect critically and appraise own and other SLTs performance - Evidence of expert knowledge and proven experience of multidisciplinary goal setting, team-working, key-working and integrated care pathways within the field of head and neck rehabilitation. - Advanced approaches to support patients with challenging behaviours, mental health needs or in high levels of distress - Evidence of effective clinical reasoning in the management of complex patients. - Demonstrate expert skills in managing the needs of patients with acute and long-term disability, including the use of counselling skills as appropriate - Demonstrate sensitivity to the emotional needs of patients and carers and ability to use strategies to manage emotional behaviour within acute, chronic and palliative phases of the patient’s complex condition - Demonstration of an understanding of multidisciplinary team practices and an ability lead and work efficiently and effectively in a multidisciplinary team - Proven ability to monitor equipment resources and identify needs for SLT team - Application of Health and Safety and risk management policies - Competent IT skills ### Equality and Diversity **Essential** - Demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to the Equal Opportunities Policy ### Knowledge and Qualifications **Essential** - Degree or Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy - HPC registered - Evidence of post-graduate training modules (equivalent to Masters level) in Head & Neck (e.g. Surgical Voice restoration, Tracheostomy Care, FEES, Videofluoroscopy, including air insufflation, Advanced Dysphagia course) - Active member of Head & Neck clinical expert network - Evidence of management training - Evidence of appraisal training **Desirable** - Full master’s degree - Evidence of teaching skills course - Experience working in the NHS ### Quality and service improvement **Desirable** - Experience working across organisational boundaries and networks - Experience of financial or workforce planning - Experience presenting to senior operational or governance groups - Evidence of research activity or publication ### Information processing (IT skills) **Essential** - Advanced IT and presentation skills ## Documents - [uclh values (pdf, 919.9kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2685) - [job description (pdf, 848.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10576363) - [functional requirements (pdf, 262.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10576345) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.