Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapies to join our team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS foundation trust.
Are you a Band 6 or Band 7 SLT with a passion for stroke and neurology? Are you looking to work within an SLT team that is passionate about patient care and service improvement?
In this role, you will be expected to provide specialist leadership, assessment and treatment within our Speech and Language Therapy service with a specialist focus on Stroke and neurology. You will work closely within the multidisciplinary team on the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) and contribute to service development, teaching, and clinical supervision within the department and across the hospital.
The post holder will manage the caseload within stroke and neurology, ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care possible.
We are looking for an SLT with:
- Significant post-registration experience in Adult communication and swallowing disorders.
- Experience in acute hospital settings
- Excellent communication and MDT working skills
- Evidence of continuing professional development
In return, we offer excellent professional development opportunities and the chance to work within a supportive specialist team.
Main duties of the job
The Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) provides rehabilitation stroke services to patients following repatriation from a hyper acute stroke unit (HASU). The post holder will develop close working relationships with SLT’s at our sister hospital in Luton who provide HASU. You will work as part of this collaborate stroke therapy team striving to achieve the highest standards of stroke care.
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY
- Take a lead role for the Speech and Language Therapy team in Stroke and acute ward activity, providing leadership support to other SLT staff working in this speciality.
- Case management and provision of highly specialist Speech & Language Therapy using models of best practice to assess the client’s needs, and provide care planning, therapy, advice and support for the patient.
- Leadership of the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) and Neuro caseload alongside leadership within the SLT department- working in close liaison to deliver SLT care within the hospital.
- Provide specialist care to patients on site at Bedford Hospitals, and working closely and flexibly with colleagues at Luton and Dunstable Hospital to deliver high quality, efficient care to patients, and clinically excellent training and supervision to staff across the two sites.
- Provide support & training to those within the ward based teams and the wider SLT team.
- Lead role in the Videofluoroscopy – using MBSImP model. Lead in clinic independently and provide training and supervision to others.
- Take a significant role in developing highly specialist services on site; SLT led FEES service, tracheostomy, complex airway/dysphagia management on CCU/ITU.
- Play a key role in Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) discussions for complex nutrition cases.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- • Able to make decisions involving complex facts / situations often under pressure (+1 for evidenced)
- • Ability to cope working in a stressful and unpredictable environment requiring intense periods of concentration and with emotional or aggressive patients and carers. (+1 for evidence)
Desirable
- • Data collection & analysis skills (+1 for ev)
- Service improvement skills (+1 for ev)
- • Project management skills (+1 for ev)
Knowledge
Essential
- • Well established knowledge of a range of assessment tools and therapeutic interventions in the areas of communication and dysphagia relevant to the specialist area.
- • In depth knowledge of RCSLT guidelines and national policies and procedures relevant to client group.
Desirable
- • Knowledge of SSNAP audit program in Stroke.
- • Clear understanding of the principles of clinical governance/audit to monitor and improve service. (1 for und, 2 for +evidence)
Experience
Essential
- • Experience at B6 within acute setting.
- • Previous leadership experience. E.g. deputising for band 7, supervising less experienced staff.
- • Experience in Videofluroscopy (1- in VFS, 2 for Lead VFS comp)
- • Experience of performance management and staff appraisal ( 1 for each)
Desirable
- • Video fluoroscopy competencies: independant use and interpretation of VFS examinations using MBSIMP.
- • FEES competencies (1 for ex, 2 for comp)
- • Experience on ITU/ CCU: assess and manage patients with tracheostomy tubes in situ (1 for each)
- • Experience using SSNAP audit program in Stroke for quality improvement or service development.
Qualifications
Essential
- • Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree or equivalent.
- • Health and Care Professions Council Registration.
- • Post-graduate dysphagia accreditation or equivalent.
- • Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses in, communication and swallowing disorders in adults with acquired disorders.
- Member of Clinical Excellence Networks.
Desirable
- • Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
- • Evidence of leadership training.
- • Project management training
- • Evidence of training as a clinical supervisor.
- • MBSImp Certified
Personal Skills
Essential
- • Motivated and Enthusiastic
- • Innovative with good problem solving skills (+1 for ev)
Desirable
- • Coaching, mentoring and counselling skills. (+1 for ev)
Communications Skills
Essential
- • Ability to give highly specialized advice to the MDT in a range of formats and in such a way that it can be clearly understood by the receiver
- • Use well developed negotiation and motivational communication skills with service users, their relatives/carers as well as colleagues in the MDT
- • Able to adapt communication method depending on the receiver and use appropriate resources to aid delivery of information, e.g. interpreter
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Luton, East of England, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 Per Annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 05 Aug 2026.
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