Band 8A Clinical Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, highly motivated and experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join the Therapy team at Barnet Hospital as a Clinical Specialist in Complex Airways. The successful applicant will ensure clinical excellence in the provision of a highly specialist, evidence based SLT service for patients with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties with a particular focus on those with complex airways. They will act as a source of specialist expertise for the Barnet SLT team, service users, other healthcare professionals, and stakeholders. The post holder will be based in the Respiratory, Surgery & Critical Care therapy team alongside dietitians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and will be part of a team of senior SLTs working within specialty groups that include Neurology, Head and Neck Cancer, Voice, General medicine / Health Services for the Elderly and Emergency Medicine.

This is a predominantly clinical role, carrying a specialist caseload across the respiratory, surgical and critical care areas, while working closely with our multi-disciplinary healthcare team. The postholder will also provide clinical supervision to identified specialist SLTs and contribute to the continued development of our services. The postholder will have research experience and will support the therapy department with developing skills in this area.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the continuing development of a highly specialist therapy service, providing expert assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients and supporting colleagues within the wider service.
• A strong leader with clinical supervision / line management responsibility for more junior staff.
• Providing and training others in specialist skills for interpretative assessment techniques and interventions (e.g. FEES, Videofluoroscopy, stroboscopy).
• Deputising for the Professional Lead SLT / Team Clinical Lead when needed, to ensure the development of collaborative MDT working practices, assisting in achieving local and national standards and supporting governance processes.
• Demonstrating an expert level of communication skills in order to co-ordinate and navigate patient care between professionals.
• Providing advice and support to staff to develop research skills and literacy within the team and wider department.
• Participating in the SLT bank holiday rota as an autonomous practitioner within the Trust.

Qualifications and experience

• Registered Speech and Language Therapist with eligible qualification for professional practice.
• Experience as a Clinical Specialist in Complex Airways or equivalent with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties.
• Experience in FEES, Videofluoroscopy, stroboscopy or other specialist assessment techniques preferred.
• Research experience and ability to support service development and evidence-based practice.

Additional information

• Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Please check eligibility under the UKVI points based system.
• If you are offered a role with one of the NLPSS partner trusts, identity and right to work documentation will be verified remotely (TrustID) as part of pre-employment checks.
• TrustID may require capturing document images and a facial image for verification; a digital address check may also be performed via Trunarrative and Equifax.
• Trust uses electronic starter forms on Trac to collect personal details for HR systems.
• A DBS check may be requested if the post involves regulated activities. The Trust complies with DBS codes of practice and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
• By applying, you agree to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust transferring application information to its applicant management system and, if offered a job, to the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – communication will be via official NHS domains and we will not request payments.
• For support on submitting an application, refer to the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit: https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1

About the Trust

Band 8a. Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides opportunities to deliver excellent care and contribute to teaching and research. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities.

Organisation overview

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK\\\’s largest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our staff care for over 1.6 million patients, treat over 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17 million tests. We offer flexible working arrangements, generous benefits, and ongoing opportunities for professional development to support your career growth.