Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

Job summary

Are you looking for a role that offers clinical variety, professional growth, and the opportunity to make a real difference to children and families? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Speech and Language Therapy team at Leeds Children's Hospital as a Band 7 Highly Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist 0.4 WTE. We are seeking a dynamic, innovative and skilled clinician to provide high-quality specialist care within our Paediatric Critical Care services. This unique role offers the chance to work within a highly specialised and fast-paced environment, supporting infants, children and young people with complex feeding, swallowing and communication needs. You will be part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team, working collaboratively with colleagues across critical care and cardiac services to deliver outstanding patient-centred care.

Main duties of the job

To assess differentially diagnose and manage complex communication and swallowing breakdown relating to a wide range of conditions. Utilise highly specialist knowledge in line with local policies/protocols and professional guidelines. Provide specialist second opinions on request to other health and social care professionals. Build links with allied agencies across primary and secondary care improving local and regional care pathways across in/outpatient settings. Diagnose, assess, treat and manage complex communication, swallowing, cognitive and emotional impairments. Ensure all patients have opportunities to improve their swallowing/communication function and decrease reliance on enteral feeds and communication aids. Develop a rehabilitation care pathway focussing on education, enablement and empowerment of service users and their carers Please see Job Description for further information.

About us

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do.

Details

• Date posted: 10 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: 001547
• Job locations: Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3EX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

For questions about this job, contact:

Name: Victoria Watson Position: Clinical Service Manager Email: vickywatson@nhs.net Phone number: 0113 3920620

Job Summary

We offer a supportive, stimulating and forward-thinking environment where you will have opportunities to develop and enhance your advanced clinical skills, contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives, and become involved in research activity. You will play a key role in supporting children and their families throughout their hospital journey, helping to achieve the very highest standards of care and outcomes.

If you are passionate about paediatric speech and language therapy, thrive in multidisciplinary team working, and are looking to further develop your expertise in a highly specialised acute setting, we would love to hear from you. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a friendly and ambitious team at one of the UK's leading children's hospitals.

Why you should join our Team

Leeds Children's Hospital is one of the largest and most specialised children's hospitals in the UK, providing world-class care for children and young people across Yorkshire and beyond. As part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust you will have the opportunity to work within a nationally recognised teaching hospital at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research.

Our diverse caseload spans a wide range of highly specialised services including Paediatric Intensive Care (PICU), Neonatology, Neurology, Neurorehabilitation, Cardio-Respiratory Medicine, Gastroenterology, Oncology, Haematology and Surgical specialties. This breadth of experience provides exceptional opportunities for clinical development and specialist practice.

Joining our highly skilled and supportive Speech and Language Therapy team will allow you to work alongside colleagues with expertise in acute paediatric specialisms including critical care, tracheostomy management, long-term ventilation, neonatal care and instrumental swallowing assessments. Whether you are looking to build specialist skills or further develop existing experience, you will be supported every step of the way.

We are committed to investing in our staff and offer a comprehensive induction programme alongside a well-established supervision and mentorship structure. This includes regular individual and group supervision, dedicated opportunities for joint working and shadowing across both Speech and Language Therapy and the wider multidisciplinary team. Our collaborative culture ensures that learning is embedded into everyday practice.

Continuous professional development is a key priority within our service. Our monthly Clinical Hour provides protected time for therapists to share knowledge, discuss complex cases, explore emerging evidence and contribute to service innovation. We actively encourage participation in quality improvement, research and service development initiatives.

You will be based in modern, well-equipped clinical and office environments designed to support a variety of working styles. Located in the heart of Leeds, one of the UK's fastest-growing and most vibrant cities, the hospital benefits from excellent transport links and a thriving cultural, retail and social scene.

Most importantly, we pride ourselves on being a friendly, inclusive and supportive team. Staff wellbeing is at the heart of our culture, with access to Trust-wide wellbeing resources, staff support networks, wellbeing champions and Mental Health First Aiders within the SLT team. We recognise the importance of work-life balance and offer flexible working opportunities alongside regular team socials and events throughout the year.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service where you will be supported to thrive, develop specialist expertise and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and their families

What you will bring to the role

To thrive in this highly specialist role, you will bring experience in the assessment, instrumental evaluation, differential diagnosis, treatment and management of children and young people with complex Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (EDS) difficulties, alongside communication needs arising from acute and complex health conditions.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a well-established and highly regarded Acute Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy team within Leeds Children's Hospital. As a core member of the multidisciplinary team, you will work alongside Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians, Nurses and Therapy Assistants to deliver outstanding, family-centred care.

The role offers exposure to a diverse and rewarding caseload across acute paediatric services, including the paediatric wards and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). You will play a key role in supporting children with complex feeding, swallowing and communication needs throughout their inpatient journey, from assessment and intervention through to discharge planning and transfer of care across local and regional services.

This post provides excellent opportunities to further develop advanced clinical skills within a supportive and innovative environment. Experience in paediatric instrumental assessment and tracheostomy management would be advantageous, enabling involvement in specialist outpatient clinics and further broadening your expertise.

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic clinician with excellent interpersonal, organisational and team-working skills, who is committed to delivering high-quality care and ongoing professional development. You will work closely with children, families, multidisciplinary colleagues and health and social care partners to ensure the highest standards of care are achieved and maintained.

If you are passionate about acute paediatric practice, enjoy multidisciplinary working, and are looking for a role that offers clinical challenge, professional growth and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children and families, we would love to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your career within one of the UK's leading children's hospitals

Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.

About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

Our Trust values

The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.

We are….

Responsible Open and Honest One Team Kind

Our Trust priorities

Our purpose: Excellent, safe and sustainable care for every patient every time

Our priorities:

People Improvement and Innovation Partnerships Outcomes

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.