Senior Speech and Language Therapist: Paediatrics in City of Westminster

Senior Speech and Language Therapist: Paediatrics

Band 6

Main area Children’s Therapies Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 30 hours per week Job ref 290-MIC-2280

Site St Mary's Hospital Town London Salary £47,951 - £56,863 pa inclusive pro rota Salary period Yearly Closing 26/10/2026 23:59

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

This job role focuses on providing a specialist SLT service to Paediatric inpatients with disorders of feeding, swallowing and communication as part of the Acute Paediatric SLT team and to the Neonatal MDT Outpatient Feeding Clinic based at St Mary’s Hospital (SMH) and Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital (QCCH).

The post holder will be a Speech and Language Therapist with specialist skills in the field of paediatric dysphagia. The clinical role will include working closely with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to provide a specialist service to infants and children both as in- and outpatients.

The SLT will provide input to a caseload of infants and children with complex and possibly long-term feeding/swallowing and communication disorders on the acute wards at St Mary’s Hospital, including the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and neurorehabilitation.

They will ideally have experience in independently carrying out videofluoroscopy assessments, although VFSS competencies can be developed and supported as part of the post to support the videofluoroscopic swallow study service for in- and out patients.The post holder will be able to manage their caseload and workload independently and be able to make independent clinical decisions concerning caseload management.

Main duties of the job

• To manage a caseload of inpatients within the speciality of Acute Paediatric dysphagia and to produce case notes and reports reflecting specialist knowledge and skill underpinned by current evidence-based practice.
• To provide specialist assessment, differential diagnosis, advice, goal setting, intervention plans, therapeutic intervention, and discharge planning in the above area.
• To develop and maintain skills and knowledge through personal study, journal club and designated training courses defined by the Personal Development Review framework objectives.
• To work independently, accessing supervision and appraisal within a Performance Development Review Framework at pre-determined intervals with the supervising clinician.
• To maintain close links and liaison with the Paediatric and Neonatal multidisciplinary teams across sites at ICHNT. To attend appropriate ward rounds/meetings and case conferences and communicate specialist information to members of the MDT.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of audit projects appropriate to the post’s clinical commitments, in conjunction with other speech and language therapists.
• To have working knowledge of and adhere to all relevant national and local professionaland clinical guidelines.
• To operate within ethical, legal and moral frameworks and be accountable for own professional actions, recognising own professional boundaries.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

• Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme.
• Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Environmental sustainability
Climate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people’s health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan .

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 overviews, please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Degree accredited by Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Evidence of CPD through maintenance of a Professional portfolio demonstrating experience and achievements.
• Evidence of continuous and current clinical, professional, leadership and academic development including attendance at post-graduate courses relevant to the clinical field
• Registration with RCLST

Experience

• Experience of working at post graduate level as a Speech & Language Therapist with Paediatrics with acquired communication and swallowing disorders in an acute hospital and/or rehabilitation setting.
• Experience of working at post graduate level as a Speech & Language Therapist with Paediatrics with acquired communication and swallowing disorders in a community setting.
• Experience of working in a multi disciplinary team.
• Experience of delivering training programmes to students and multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Experience of participation in clinical governance activities.
• Substantial and relevant
• Evidence of successful team working.
• Knowledge and understanding of service related quality issues
• Experience of clinical education of staff, students or assistants
• Experience of supervision of students/ Speech and Language Therapy assistants, with development of basic supervision skills
• Demonstrate learning from experiences of both band 6(or equivalent) experience and having undertaken formal and informal CPD, both general and specific to clinical fields of speciality
• Demonstrate an understanding of the use of evidence-based practice in chosen field of speciality
• Advanced computer skills for presentations and data analysis

Skills/Knowledge/ Abilities

• Specialist level of clinical skills and knowledge in the management of paediatric feeding, swallowing and communication disorders in the acute hospital setting; underpinned by current models of best practice.
• Ability to use specialist knowledge to make appropriate clinical decisions following assessment, with access to a supervisor
• Ability to formulate independent clinical decisions, reflecting on practice, and ensuring demonstration of evidence based practice
• Ability to seek guidance when faced with a situation beyond clinical experienceDemonstrates skills in working with complex issues.
• Able to work effectively in a team and on own initiative.
• Able to make sound judgments and reliable clinical decisions in a demanding intensive care situations based on knowledge / experience / circumstances
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate and to manage time effectively.
• Able to manage the emotional consequences of working with distressing conditions
• Able to provide an ongoing service to emotionally demanding patients and/or their parents /carers
• Ability to negotiate with the patient and/or their parent/carer and the medical/AHP teams around individual case management, prioritisation and clinical risk management
• Ability to communicate effectively and flexibly, and to adapt communication style to the needs of children, adolescents and staff
• Knowledge of the workings of regional speciality paediatric units.
• Knowledge of appropriate standardised assessments and outcome measures
• Awareness of current legislation (Children Act. NSF, Child Protection)
• Experience of neuro developmental assessment.
• Experience, at band 6 level or equivalent, of working with children with long-term neurological conditions
• Experience of using clinical governance framework to monitor and improve quality of patient care

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Vacancy Closing Date

This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).

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.

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