Speech & Language Therapist

Main area: Speech & Language Therapy

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 5

Contract: 12 months (Fixed term 12 month contract)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Weekend rota)

Job ref: 213-Division-A-7741250-A

Employer: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Site: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Town: London

Salary: £37,259 - £45,356 per annum, inc HCA

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 11/02/2026 23:59

Interview date: 23/02/2026

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

We have a number of exciting opportunities for qualified Band 5 Speech and Language Therapists to join the rotations on our Denmark Hill site. The successful post holders will provide Speech and Language Therapy services within rotational posts. There are 5 rotations on the Denmark Hill site: Heath & Ageing, Critical Care, Stroke, Medicine and Neurosurgery.

The SLT service offers supervision and CPD with a range of opportunities for learning and participation in both self and service development. There is a strong emphasis on the management of both communication and swallowing difficulties and the impact of SLT within the acute setting. Posts require a flexible approach to working with the requirement to work as part of a rota’d 7 day working pattern in some rotations.

We are dedicated to serving a diverse community and ensuring equal access to our services for all. This dedication extends to our employees, whom we support and value. We aim to build a workforce that mirrors the diversity of the population we serve, embracing differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief.

Applicants must be qualified with HCPC registration at the time they apply. Applicants who are not HCPC registered will not be shortlisted.

Main duties of the job:

• The Band 5 Speech and Language Therapy rotation across 5 clinical areas: Acute Medicine, Health and Ageing, Stroke, Critical Care.
• The post holder will provide Speech and Language Therapy services within a clinical speciality, remaining within one area for a maximum of 9 months. This will allow them the opportunity to develop a wide knowledge base and range of skills.
• Line management will be provided by the relevant senior therapist depending on the rotation.

Clinical Duties and Responsibilities:

• To provide detailed assessment, treatment and management for an autonomous and diverse caseload of patients with acquired communication and swallowing disorders following King’s College Hospital Speech & Language Therapy service guidelines and standards.
• To participate in providing cover across the other parts of the SLT service (and sites) where appropriate.
• To provide relevant information, training and support to relatives and carers in an accessible way.
• To contribute to the development and implementation of inclusive and culturally relevant assessment tools and therapy resources.
• To provide assessment and therapy which is sensitive to individual needs and is culturally appropriate.
• To attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings, goal setting meetings, and other ward meetings as necessary and to share in minute taking when required.
• To liaise with community speech and language therapists and other relevant professional organisations when patients are discharged from KCH.
• To provide timely and accurate reports, including transfer/discharge reports and including SLT information in medical notes where appropriate.
• To undertake the key worker role on Friends Stroke Unit, 3 months into the rotation and after appropriate training.
• To provide clinical training for speech and language therapy students as appropriate to the experience of the postholder (at least 1 year post qualification).
• To contribute to education and training of other disciplines in both the acute and rehabilitation settings.
• To undertake continuing professional development within the field of communication and swallowing disorders, both through in-service training and attendance on external courses, and to feedback on any relevant courses attended.
• To maintain patient confidentiality at all times and according to KCH policies.
• To be responsible, with management support, for your personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• To provide a 7 day, extended hours flexible service as appropriate.

General:

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well being and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.

Person specification:

• BSc or recognised postgraduate MSc or diploma in Speech & Language Therapy.
• Registration with the HCPC.
• Experience of working with acutely unwell patients within Speech & Language Therapy training/clinical experience including reflection on the role of a Speech & Language Therapist in this context.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical patient centred manner.
• Interest in developing further competencies in both communication and swallowing disorders.
• Ability to assess, diagnose and manage communication problems in the context of an acute inpatient setting.
• Basic level IT skills.
• Membership of relevant CENs.
• Interest in developing research and audit skills.

Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to work as a member of multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to communicate complex and emotive information.
• Able to reflect on previous clinical/personal experiences and demonstrate learning and personal development from these.
• Ability to undertake a range of management and therapeutic decisions.
• Willing to work in all areas on rotation.
• Appropriate professional presentation.
• Professional and patient focused approach, acting as a role model to colleagues or junior staff members.
• Demonstrates the King’s Values.
• Demonstrates commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in professional practice, with a proven ability to incorporate EDI principles into patient care and team collaboration.
• Demonstrates awareness of limitations of own knowledge and experience and when to seek help/advice.