# Lead Neonatal Speech and Language Therapist > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/lead-neonatal-speech-and-language-therapist/951290f6-2670-4fc1-b760-07a62fd9697e - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/lead-neonatal-speech-and-language-therapist/951290f6-2670-4fc1-b760-07a62fd9697e.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - **Location:** Leeds General Infirmary - **Workplace type:** onsite - **Profession:** Speech and Language Therapist - **Grade:** Band 8 - **Salary:** £58,528 to £64,750 a year - **Contract type:** Permanent - **Employment type:** Part-time - **Closing date:** 2026-09-15T23:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-09-01T11:03:20.986Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/C9298-26-0864 - **Application URL:** https://vacancies.leedsteachinghospitals.jobs/Job/JobDetail?jobid=1996&source=JobtrainNHSJobs - **Employer website:** https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job summary This role offers an excellent opportunity to enhance your specialist neonatal skills while contributing to the ongoing development of a progressive and innovative service. We are a dedicated and cohesive neonatal AHP team delivering high quality, evidence based developmental care for babies and their families. Recent investment offers an exciting opportunity to expand our workforce and strengthen AHP provision within neonatal services across St James's University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary. As we progress through a period of transformation, we are enhancing developmental pathways, improving outcomes and embedding collaborative, family centred practice. This is an exciting time to join our fantastic team and be part of meaningful service improvement. We are committed to supporting professional growth and offer excellent opportunities to become involved in service development, quality improvement initiatives and research activities, helping shape the future of neonatal care both locally and regionally. If you are passionate about neonatal care, thrive within multidisciplinary teams and are looking to be part of an ambitious and forward-thinking service, we would love to hear from you. ### Main duties of the job To fulfil the role of Neonatal Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will be an expert practitioner with substantial experience working at an advanced level in the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of neonatal feeding and swallowing difficulties and early communication and interaction within a tertiary neonatal setting. Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy. ### 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: 01 September 2026 - Pay scheme: Agenda for change - Band: Band 8a - Salary: £58,528 to £64,750 a year - Contract: Permanent - Working pattern: Part-time - Reference number: 001994 - Job locations: Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3EX, United Kingdom ### Job responsibilities For questions about this job, contact: Victoria Watson Clinical SLT Manager vickywatson@nhs.net Shortlisting Date: 15th September Interview Date: 22nd September Job Summary Thanks to significant new NHS England funding, an exciting opportunity has arisen to join our expanding neonatal workforce as a 0.6 WTE 8a Neonatal SLT Clinical Lead within Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We are seeking dynamic, enthusiastic and highly motivated Speech and Language Therapists to lead on the delivery of expert care to infants and their families across our neonatal services. Working within a Family Integrated Care (FiCare) model, you will provide specialist support and SLT leadership across our two neonatal sites at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital, making a meaningful difference to the lives of babies born across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. You will lead the neonatal SLT team and will work alongside specialist colleagues to further develop and strengthen Speech and Language Therapy provision across our busy Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and wider neonatal services. Why you should join our Team Leeds Children’s Hospital provides care across the region and is a well established teaching hospital. Leeds Teaching Hospital it is one of the largest acute health providers in the UK.Our hospitals provide a diverse and exciting range of specialist services, including Neurology, Neurorehabilitation, Neonatal Care, Cardio-Respiratory Medicine, Gastroenterology, Long-Term Ventilation, Critical Care, Surgery, Oncology and Haematology. Based in Leeds, one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant cities in the North, the Trust benefits from excellent transport links and a thriving city-centre location. Joining our team offers a unique opportunity to develop your clinical expertise within a highly skilled and supportive Speech and Language Therapy service. You will be part of a well-established SLT team with access to a broad range of acute specialties, including Neonates, Tracheostomy, Long-Term Ventilation, Critical Care and Videofluoroscopy. We are committed to supporting your professional growth through a structured induction programme, robust supervision framework and extensive opportunities for joint working, shadowing and multidisciplinary collaboration. Continuous professional development is at the heart of our service. Alongside regular individual and group supervision, we host a monthly Clinical Hour, providing protected time for staff to share learning, discuss current evidence and research, and develop best practice together.You will be based in a modern, purpose-designed workspace that supports a variety of working styles, with excellent facilities and personal lockers. Staff wellbeing is a key priority within the Trust. We foster a positive and inclusive team culture, with access to staff wellbeing initiatives, internal support networks, wellbeing champions and Mental Health First Aiders within the SLT team. We also recognise the importance of work-life balance, offering flexible working opportunities and a vibrant social programme throughout the year.The successful candidate will join an innovative and forward-thinking Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service that values collaboration, learning and excellence in patient care. Alongside comprehensive supervision and a well-established Continuing Professional Development programme, you will benefit from regular team meetings and the opportunity to contribute to ongoing service development and innovation. What you will bring to the role To fulfil the role of Neonatal Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will be an expert practitioner with substantial experience working at an advanced level in the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of neonatal feeding and swallowing difficulties and early communication and interaction within a tertiary neonatal setting. You will demonstrate practice consistent with RCSLT Neonatal Competency Framework Level D, providing clinical leadership for highly complex neonatal dysphagia and communication needs across the service. You will possess highly developed specialist skills in the assessment, treatment and management of infants presenting with complex feeding and swallowing disorders, including those requiring tracheostomy management, instrumental assessments such as videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) and Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), and multidisciplinary decision-making regarding feeding and airway management. You will be an autonomous practitioner with advanced clinical reasoning skills, capable of managing highly complex and unpredictable clinical situations. As the clinical lead for neonatal speech and language therapy, you will provide professional and operational leadership for the neonatal SLT service, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based and family-centred care. You will lead service development initiatives, quality improvement programmes, audit, research activity and implementation of national standards and best practice guidance, ensuring compliance with relevant clinical drivers and governance requirements. You will hold responsibility for a complex clinical caseload whilst providing expert advice, supervision and support to SLTs, neonatal colleagues and the wider multidisciplinary team. You will lead the development and delivery of training programmes for clinical staff and contribute to workforce development, competency frameworks and succession planning within the service. 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. ## Person Specification ### Practical Skills **Essential** - Be an autonomous practitioner, clinically, legally and professionally being responsible for own caseload in Neonatal SLT. - Work as a member of Neonatal MDTs - Use advanced clinical decision-making and analytical skills to provide expert SLT assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients with swallowing and communication breakdown. - Provide highly specialist advice and support regarding potential short and long term effects of treatment. - Provide ongoing psychosocial support to patient and/or carers and facilitate communication with other members of the MDT in meetings which they attend - Advise on the risk of aspiration with reference to the need for enteral feeding ie NG, PEJ or PEG as appropriate if at high risk of aspiration on oral intake. - Contribute to referral and/or delivery of instrumental assessment within Neonatal SLT - Facilitate effective communication; supporting parents and neonates to have a close and loving relationship. - Liaise with SLT’s in the acute setting re patient management, transfer of care - Develop clear care plans and implement clinical intervention based on differential diagnosis, sound clinical judgement, underpinned by current evidence based best practice and advanced clinical decision making and analytical skills. - Negotiate with carers, clients and others around individual case management and to adapt practice to meet individual patient/client circumstances. - Draw on expert knowledge and research to treat, manage and support patients and carers of patients with highly complex communication and swallowing disorders in Neonatal SLT. - Provide ongoing input for patients post discharge from Neonatal SLT in line with national guidance and current evidence base. - Provide expert advice and second opinions to others involved in the management and care of patients in Neonatal SLT, including other highly specialist SLTs in the same field of expertise. - Act as an expert clinical resource within the Neonatal SLT specialist field, providing protocols guidance and advice - Employ negotiation skills and expert specialist knowledge in the management of conflict across a range of situations as it arises e.g. resolving differences in clinical opinion - Ability to formulate independent clinical decisions following assessment. - Able to negotiate with client / carer and medical / AHP teams around individual case management - Able to communicate complex, sensitive condition-related information from assessment to patients and carers - Ability to give clear advice, instruction and training to patients, carers and other professionals relating to complex communication/ swallowing disorders - Excellent time management, organisational and prioritisation skills. - Leadership skills - Excellent prioritisation and delegation skills - Demonstrate well developed analytical, reflective, negotiation and problem solving skills. - Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal. Evidence of presenting at a national level. - Evidence of mentoring and supervision. - Able to lead on audit and quality improvement projects - Able to communicate highly complex information which may be sensitive or contentious to all concerned where there may be barriers to understanding e.g. , psychosocial, issues language barriers, speech problems, learning difficulties or where English is not the first language. - Able to communicate effectively establishing and maintaining relationships - Able to utilise persuasion, negotiation and reassurance skills to ensure agreement and co-operation. - To feedback constructive criticism with tact and diplomacy. - Ability to communicate and present highly complex information effectively, in written and verbal formats to individuals or groups of more than 20 people. - Ability to motivate, train and teach own and other disciplines of staff ### Behaviours/Skills **Essential** - Be a pro-active team member of the SLT department at LTHT by leading in departmental development projects, attending, participating and leading in departmental meetings and clinical updates. - Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex, specialised and sensitive information with empathy and understanding. - Demonstrate the ability to provide complex Communication and Swallowing counselling to patients and families and use of advanced reassurance, motivational and negotiation skills to overcome barriers to change. - Demonstrate established clinical expertise in the specialist area of Neonatal SLT - Demonstrate the ability to motivate team members to achieve individual and team objectives/goals using developed motivational and negotiation skills - Demonstrate the ability to analyse clinical and non clinical information to form accurate therapy care plans in a highly specialist area. - Demonstrate advanced analytical skills in prioritising the best course of SLT treatment in patients with highly complex clinical conditions, where therapeutic goals may conflict with other ongoing physical, emotional, psychological and medical problems. - Ability to use a range of specialist equipment with precision and accuracy during communication and swallowing assessments, including Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing and Videofluoroscopy. - Demonstrate excellent time management, prioritisation and organisation skills, able to respond to unexpected challenges and pressures, and support the continuing development of these skills within the team. - Demonstrate research consciousness and implementation in practice - Demonstrate the ability to coordinate, analyse, interpret and report complex data collected through rigorous audit and service evaluation - Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills. Active and empathetic listening/ counselling skills - Values differences; regards people as individuals and appreciates value of diversity in the workplace - Able to work effectively within and lead a team, co-operating to work together and in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate. - Able to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation. - Able to work under pressure, dealing with peaks and troughs in workload. - Innovative and willing to exchange, develop and implement ideas - Proactive within own team, between teams and within wider specialist MDT. - Positive attitude to dealing with change; flexible and adaptable, willing to change and accept change and to explore new ways of doing things and approaches - Highly motivated and reliable - Has a strong degree of personal integrity; able to adhere to standards of conduct based on a sense of right and wrong and be dependable and reliable ### Other Requirements **Essential** - Must be willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties and to support clinically where required - Willing to work cross all appropriate sites - Occupational Health Screening ### Qualifications and Training **Essential** - Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree accredited by RCSLT - Health and Care Professions Council license to practice as a Speech and Language Therapist. - MSc or relevant post graduate qualification - Post-graduate training, completion and maintenance of Neonatal SLT competencies - Working towards level D (neonatal competencies) - Paediatric dysphagia competencies: enhanced to expert level - Tracheostomy competencies e.g. RCSLT tracheostomy competencies - Knowledge and awareness of safeguarding procedures and the SLT role within that - Advanced professional knowledge acquired through extensive experience of working in the field and postgraduate informal and formal education. - Up-to-date with good clinical practice training and relevant Trust research training **Desirable** - Management skills - Evidence of undertaking Quality Improvement Projects and audit - Evidence of successful completion of relevant specialist post graduate short courses e.g. SOFFI, FINE, - Extensive portfolio and evidence of advanced personal and advanced/highly specialist professional development with skills, experience and achieved outcomes. - Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists - Member of specialist interest networks in relation to neonatology - Training and experience in instrumental assessment of swallowing skills e.g. VFSS and FEES competencies - Knowledge and experience of implementing developmental care strategies - Experience of risk identification and management including MD liaison and decision making - Formal qualification in Leadership / management courses - Appraisal training - Coaching training - Research / QI courses - Active member of relevant clinical excellence networks ### Special Knowledge including experience **Essential** - Significant postgraduate experience working within acute neonatal care and infant dysphagia - Significant Experience of working at a highly specialist level on a neonatal unit - Significant Knowledge and experience of Developmental care, Family Integrated Care and Baby Friendly Initiative - Extensive experience of working as part of a Neonatal MDT - Highly developed knowledge & extensive specialist clinical experience in the management of neonates and infants including in-depth understanding of a broad range of complex neonatal conditions including tracheostomy and ventilation - High level of in-depth knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions and evidence of highly specialist clinical expertise relevant to this caseload - Competent and experienced to advise and support in complex cases and provide second opinions - Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance, including audit cycle, continuous quality improvement and user involvement. - Line Management experience - Experience in conducting appraisals - Well established knowledge of RCSLT Professional and Clinical Guidelines/Policies both locally and nationally in the specialism of Neonatal SLT, as well as relevant national strategy and drivers. - Experience of working in MDT’s and acting as a specialist SLT resource. - High level of knowledge and experience in conducting or referring to, a range of assessments ( including VFSS and FEES) to support diagnosis and management of patients presenting with complex dysphagia. - Uses specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements and decision-making for complex cases - Experience of providing advice and professional guidance on complex clinical issues relating to Neonatal SLT - Experience in teaching and supporting competency development for less experienced Speech and Language Therapists. - Experience in the provision of second opinions and advice to internal and external professional colleagues. - Experience in delivering Communication and Swallowing training to SLT colleagues and other members Healthcare professionals. - Experience of conducting clinical audit and quality improvement. - Demonstrates involvement in research activity within specialist field. - Knowledge and experience of qualitative & quantitative research using scientific methods to understand and explain how health care services can be improved for their users and reduce the researchto-practice gap - Experience in methodologies for the re-design and transformation of services in response to a changing context &/or new evidence base - Understanding of current NHS issues and structure, particularly in relation to paediatrics - Demonstrates knowledge of public/patient involvement in service design and co-production **Desirable** - Member of Neonatal SLT CEN/Pediatric Dysphagia CEN - Contribution to the profession or clinical area e.g. CEN committee member. - Recognised specialist resource in Neonatal SLT having made a significant contribution to clinical practice - Attended Clinical Supervision training and / or practice educator training - Evidence of participation in audit leading to service changes - post registration research with published papers/ posters - Experience in research/audit - Contributes to regional/ national knowledge base through presentations at Clinical Excellence Networks, meetings and conferences regionally, nationally and internationally ## Documents - [Job Description (DOCX, KB)](https://vacancies.leedsteachinghospitals.jobs/Job/GetJobAdvertDocument?Id=3415&JobId=1996) ## Agent Notes - 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