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Job overview
Join our friendly Speech and Language Therapy team at Whipps Cross University Hospital and take the lead in shaping high-quality acute adult services within one of the UK's largest NHS Trusts.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly specialist Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to lead our inpatient team, delivering expert assessment and management of adults with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties. This is an exciting opportunity to further develop advanced clinical skills in areas including tracheostomy management, videofluoroscopy and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), while working within a supportive and forward-thinking multidisciplinary environment.
As a senior member of the wider Barts Health SLT service, you will play a key role in service development and innovation, helping to shape and enhance patient care across the acute pathway.
The successful candidate will benefit from strong leadership support, receiving regular supervision from the Clinical Lead SLT, alongside opportunities for professional development and collaborative working across the wider Barts Health network.
If you are a motivated clinician looking to combine advanced specialist practice, leadership, and service development in a vibrant acute setting, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
This role offers the opportunity to lead and develop the acute inpatient Speech and Language Therapy service at Whipps Cross Hospital, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care for adults with complex communication and swallowing disorders.
A key aspect of the role will be leading the delivery and ongoing development of instrumental swallowing assessment services, including the videofluoroscopy clinic and the FEES service in partnership with the Band 7 therapist in ICU. The post holder will also play a pivotal role in tracheostomy management across the hospital, contributing to weekly board rounds, monthly governance meetings and supporting the Barts Health Tracheostomy Accreditation Programme to promote best practice and service excellence.
As a senior member of the team, the post holder will provide clinical supervision, guidance and support to junior Speech and Language Therapists, fostering a positive learning culture and contributing to the continued growth and development of the wider SLT service. They will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and contribute to service improvement initiatives to ensure patients receive the highest standard of care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates videofluoroscopy competencies at RSCLT Level 2
- Demonstrates FEES competencies at RCSLT Level 2A
- Ability to independently manage non-ventilated patients with tracheostomies from insertion to decannulation
- Excellent interpersonal skills utilising observation, active listening and empathy, in order to build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders (within SLT, wider MDT, patients and families)
- Demonstrates good organisational skills with the ability to effectively plan, prioritise, and manage clinical and non-clinical responsibilities, ensuring deadlines are met and high standards of service delivery are maintained
- Ability to multitask in a busy, fast-paced environment showing flexibility to changes in service needs and priorities, and the ability to trouble-shoot complex clinical and operational team issues as/when they arise
- Demonstrates strong leadership skills through a compassionate and WE CARE values –based approach, driving growth and development opportunities for junior staff, and fostering a positive and supportive team culture
- Proficient in Microsoft 365 and ICT software/applications to support documentation, communication and admin tasks
Desirable
- Experience with tracheostomy management of ventilator-dependent patients
- Experience leading in videofluoroscopy clinics (at Level 3)
- FEES competencies signed off to Level 2B or above
Knowledge
Essential
- In-depth knowledge of a broad range of assessment and intervention tools relevant to complex communication and swallowing difficulties, underpinned by national policies and guidelines relevant to the area of critical care, older people and general medicine
- In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance to inform escalation of service issues and risks
- Knowledge of cultural, linguistic and socio-economic factors impacting on the assessment and overall holistic management of patients with communication and swallowing difficulties
Desirable
- Completion of relevant Leadership training
- Completion of relevant mentoring/coaching training
- Knowledge of neurorehabilitation pathways and referral processes
Experience
Essential
- Experience in assessment and management of complex acquired communication and swallowing disorders with adult populations within a variety of settings (including acute inpatients and critical care)
- Experience of managing and leading a team including providing supervision, guidance, and completion of probation and/or appraisals
- Experience in identification of service gaps/ issues and implementation of sustainable Quality Improvement and service development initiatives
Desirable
- Experience with supporting staff through performance and/or sickness management utilising Trust policies
- Experience of developing and conducting specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT at a regional or national level
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- Registered with Health & Care Professions Council -License to Practice
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist with Barts Health NHS Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £55,524 - £62,652 Per annum inc. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 15 Jul 2026.
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