Clinical Lead Specialist SLT

Main area Therapies / Speech & Language Therapy Department Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 290-MIC-2286

Site Hammersmith Hospital Town London Salary £66,274 - £73,496 pa inclusive Salary period Yearly Closing 27/10/2026 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

Love clinical practice? Ready for your next leadership challenge? Why choose between the two?

Join us as a Band 8a Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist at Hammersmith Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, combining a substantial clinical role with leadership of our small, friendly site-based adult acute SLT team.

We’re looking for an experienced SLT who embodies our Trust values and wants to remain firmly rooted in clinical practice while leading the delivery and development of SLT services across this nationally recognised specialist hospital.
You’ll manage a varied, specialist caseload of adults with complex swallowing and communication needs across all medical and surgical bed/wards, including critical care, renal, haematology, cancer, upper GI and cardiology, as well as contributing to FEES and videofluoroscopy.

Alongside this, you’ll lead our 3.0 WTE team, support staff development, oversee quality and operational delivery, contribute to education and training, and drive service improvement and innovation.

You’ll work closely with the wider MDT and be part of Imperial’s 40+ strong SLT service, with support from fellow clinical leads and the Clinical Service Lead, plus opportunities within our rich clinical, academic, research and teaching environment.
If you want to lead and develop services without giving up the clinical work you love, this could be the role for you.

Main duties of the job

• The Clinical Lead will provide clinical and managerial leadership which inspires motivates and empowers therapists in the delivery of excellent patient experience.
• They will be responsible for the day-to-day operational service planning and delivery of their therapy service. They will be clinically accountable for delivery of the clinical service within area of responsibility and for the operational planning of a safe, effective service.
• They will support the clinical service lead with the development and delivery of innovative service improvement projects focussed on improving quality of care and patient outcomes. They will support the clinical service lead in the strategic development of the service.
• They will support staff development from a clinical and non-clinical perspective acting as a good role model. In partnership with their clinical service leads, finance and human resources colleagues, they will deliver department plans which drive efficiency and quality initiatives across the Division. They will support the delivery of the Department’s business plan.
• They will provide the clinical service lead with assurance of proactive management of clinical and cost improvement plans, ensuring appropriate actions are taken to mitigate or respond to identified risks.

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

• Post Graduate Diploma / Degree in Speech & Language Therapy.
• Health and Care Professions Council registration.
• Evidence of experience /post graduate training and education to Masters level or equivalent and CPD relevant to speciality area.
• Evidence of structured training on appraisal and supervisory skills.
• Evidence of continuous and current professional and academic development relevant to clinical field.
• Leadership/ Management training.
• Evidence of post graduate training in basic research skills e.g. literature reviews, critical appraisal.
• Masters or PhD degree in relevant subject.
• Membership of relevant professional groups relevant Specialist interest group.

Experience

• Extensive experience post qualification with evidenced experience at a senior level within relevant speciality (adult Experience at Band 8a level. acute care, in particular complex dysphagia management, including instrumental assessments, with ability to apply to areas of critical care, cardiac, cancer, haematology, renal).
• Experience of supervising qualified therapy staff and students.
• Experience of managing staff on performance and other workforce policies.
• Experience of incident investigation and implementation of change of practice as a result.
• Significant success in multidisciplinary/multi agency working.
• Evaluation of clinical practice including participation in research/audit/service evaluation and quality improvement projects.
• Demonstrate evidence of learning from experience and having undertaken formal and informal CPD, both general and specific to clinical field/ speciality.
• Experience of leading an effective team.
• Experience of using clinical governance framework to monitor and improve quality of patient care.
• Experience of supporting a culture of research awareness.
• Experience at Band 8a level.
• Clinical leadership of other disciplines.

Skills/knowledge/ abilities

• Expert clinical reasoning skills in the appropriate application of a range of techniques and approaches to the management of the relevant clinical area.
• Specialist knowledge and application of best evidence based practice in relevant speciality area and application of therapy assessments and intervention.
• Ability to lead video fluoroscopy and/or FEES examinations with appropriate level of competency.
• Ability to articulate vision of the therapy service in the clinical area.
• Ability to remain updated with professional practice and research and integrate this into daily patient management.
• Ability to communicate effectively and flexibly, and to adapt communication style to the needs of patients and staff.
• To lead, inspire motivate and empower teams using effective clinical leadership qualities in an integrated service.
• Ability to mentor, coach and support patients, staff and colleagues.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships.
• Proven negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Skills in presentation and training in both formal and informal environments.
• Ability to command the confidence of the multidisciplinary team members.
• Evidence of presentation at national level

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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