Specialist Speech & Language Therapist – Adult Acute in Epsom

Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Adult Acute

Band 6

Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 343-8131447-AG-RL

Site Epsom Hospital Town Epsom Salary £45,953 - £54,254 Pro-rata pa inc HCAS (Outer) Salary period Yearly Closing 02/08/2026 23:59

At Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, above all we value respect. We put respect at the heart of all we do, by living up to our shared behaviours of kindness, professionalism, positivity and teamwork. This enables us to provide great patient care and make ESTH a great place to work. When you sign up to work with us, you sign up to this and we welcome applicants who share our values.

Job overview

Following an internal promotion an opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, self-motivated speech and language therapist, to join the Acute Speech and Language Therapy team within Epsom General Hospital.

This post is based in an acute hospital setting and involves working as an integral member of the SLT team alongside the wider MDT on the acute wards.

Applicants should have skills and experience in managing patients with swallowing and communication disorders. We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic SLT with a strong interest in acquired communication and swallowing disorders, good communication and team-working skills as well as effective time management and organisation skills.
The department has close support networks with local community based Speech and Language therapy services, including regular journal clubs and in-service training.

Main duties of the job

• Management of patients with swallowing and communication impairments in an acute setting. Caseload may encompass a range of origins such as neurology, respiratory medicine, cardio-thoracic medicine/surgery, gastroenterology, care of the elderly, general surgery, renal medicine and general medicine and HDU
• To act as a member of the multi-disciplinary team and to contribute to the coordination, overall development and management of Speech & Language Therapy input on the wards
• To develop further skills in the area of Videofluoroscopy and FEES and actively participate in the running of the Videofluoroscopy clinics and support with FEES as required
• To be accountable for own professional action and recognize own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
• To participate in team meetings, audit and research projects on a regular basis within the Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Training of SLTs, carers and other members of the MDT, as well as supervising students and mentoring junior staff with appropriate support

Working for our organisation

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust provides a range of medical services to approximately 490,000 people living across southwest London and northeast Surrey. In addition, we provide more specialist services, in particular renal and neonatal intensive care, to a wider area, covering parts of Sussex and Hampshire.

We serve an area that is rich in diversity, with a mix of urban and rural areas, and differing levels of quality of life. We cover some of the most prosperous postcodes in the country, as well as some poorer areas. Together with our colleagues at NHS Surreyand NHS Sutton and Merton, we work to make sure that we deliver the best possible care to the communities we serve.

The Trust employs approximately 5,000 staff across its hospitals and issupported by over 500 volunteers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Education and qualifications

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice
• Postgraduate dysphagia training and experience. Competencies signed off
• Membership of RCSLT

Experience

• Established experience (Band 5 or above) working with adults in an acute setting including managing your own caseload and using a range of assessment and therapy techniques
• Well established knowledge of assessment tools and therapeutic interventions relevant to adults with acquired speech, language and swallowing difficulties
• Previous experience of videofluoroscopy/FEES
• Experience of student /assistant supervision and training

Values and behaviours

• Work as one team – communicate, collaborate and share
• Treat everyone fairly regardless of protective characteristics, profession, role or level

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills and ability to communicate sensitive and complex information
• Flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable work patterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions

Your application

Please ensure your supporting statement clearly reflects the job description and person specification , as shortlisting will be based on these criteria.

Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to draft your application. We value authentic, individual responses that reflect your own experience and communication style.

References

Please provide a minimum of 3 years’ employment and/or education history , including professional email addresses (not personal accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail). If you cannot provide these, please inform the interview panel to avoid delays in pre-employment checks.

Closing date

To help us manage recruitment efficiently, some vacancies may close early once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

Shortlisting

If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be contacted by email or SMS from the South West London Recruitment Hub. Please check your registered TRAC email regularly.

Application feedback

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date , please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Safeguarding and DBS Checks

We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.