Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic, flexible and innovative therapist to work in a dynamic multidisciplinary community clinic setting with infants and children (aged 0–5 years) with a range of eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS) and communication needs.

The Harrow Speech and Language Therapy Service is an innovative team who strive to provide family‑centred services to the diverse population of the London Borough of Harrow.

This post will require proficient skills in the assessment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties for infants and children as well as communication difficulties in the community with NHS experience

Main duties of the job

The post will involve

• Working in a community clinic setting
• Detailed assessment and management of infant feeding and children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs.
• Risk management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties for 0–5‑year‑olds.
• Provide second opinions for feeding assessments within the service.
• Working in collaboration with parents/carers, health and education professionals involved with the infant/child and other partner organisations.
• Offer training and workshops to parents/carers/education settings where appropriate.
• Work in joint clinics with the Enteral Feeding Dietitian.
• Demonstrate a broad range of practical skills to work with these client groups and have up‑to‑date knowledge of professional/national guidelines and related research.
• Take an active role in service development alongside the Clinical Service Lead.
• Head of Service/Clinical Service Leads to develop the service as a whole.
• Collaborate with MDT colleagues to support best health outcomes

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification on this advert for further info.

Band 7 Children's and Infant Dysphagia (0.6 WTE / 22.5 hours per week) Community SLT Dysphagia Team 0-5 years

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to work within the Community Dysphagia Team, providing specialist assessment and intervention for infants and children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs. This 0.6 WTE role offers the opportunity to lead within a highly specialist area while contributing to service development and supporting colleagues across the department.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage a complex and highly specialist caseload independently, demonstrating sound clinical judgement and effective use of outcome measures, with access to support and supervision as required.
• Demonstrate highly specialist clinical knowledge within paediatric dysphagia, underpinned by current evidence‑based practice.
• Reflect on practice with peers and identify professional strengths and development needs.
• Apply highly specialist clinical reasoning and utilise evidence‑based practice and outcome measures to inform assessment and intervention.
• Act as a lead Speech and Language Therapist within the relevant clinical specialism, providing expert guidance to the wider team.
• Provide support and supervision to junior colleagues as directed by the Team Leader.
• Offer specialist second opinions, advice and training to less experienced colleagues and other professionals involved in the care of children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs.
• Produce high‑quality reports and case notes that reflect specialist knowledge and clinical reasoning.
• Communicate effectively—both verbally and in writing—with parents, carers, and clients regarding assessment findings, diagnoses, and therapy plans, including delivering sensitive or difficult information when required.
• Negotiate effectively with parents, clients and other professionals around case management, recognising and managing potential conflict or breakdown in communication.
• Use negotiation and problem‑solving skills in the management of conflict across a range of clinical and professional situations.
• Address initial complaints sensitively, working to resolve concerns before escalation.
• Attend and contribute to Speech and Language Therapy team meetings, participating in projects, audits and service development initiatives.

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.