Job summary
Due to new funding, we are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our growing service in the area of urgent community response. The post will be working in the community and based in our multi-disciplinary community treatment team in Havering. After a successful pilot of speech therapy and dietetic support to this team last winter, the service was successful in gaining fixed-term funding to support a speech therapist, dietitian and assistant practitioner until the end of March 2026. The role will involve using quality improvement methodology to understand the current service and horizon-scan for new opportunities to keep vulnerable people out of hospital wherever possible.
Main duties of the job
We are interested in recruiting an individual who is able to provide a thorough, evidence-based and holistic approach to patient care. The successful candidate will be responsible for independent assessment and management of patients with acquired swallowing difficulties. You will be expected to supervise junior colleagues and provide training to other healthcare professionals. There will be a specific expectation within this role to work collaboratively and in a timely fashion with dietetic, nursing and medical colleagues to keep people in their home environments wherever possible and work proactively to reduce future risks for the individual linked to their swallowing or communication concerns. The role will also involve collaboration with external teams, particularly primary care teams, our local virtual frailty ward and the frailty unit at the new St George's Health and Wellbeing Centre in Hornchurch.
Clinical support will be provided by the Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapists in adult neurology and head and neck/ENT and also via the clinical leads for the Community Treatment Team. CPD is actively supported through regular clinical supervision, appraisals, quality improvement 'huddles' and excellent training opportunities. For further information on some of our work, please follow our twitter @NELFTAdultSLT .
About us
The NELFT Speech and Language Therapy service provides a service to adults with acquired disorders in the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge. The successful candidate will join a supportive and innovative team with established clinical specialists across multiple fields, including progressive neurology, head and neck cancers, and voice disorders. All team members are encouraged to attend training in, and lead, formal quality improvement projects, with the team winning the trust's Make a Difference Award for Quality Improvement in 2019. Members of the team regularly present their projects at national conferences, including our Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programme, domiciliary laryngectomy service, and community FEES provision. This is an opportunity to work with this dynamic and innovative team in exploring a new area of speech therapy service provision.
Speech and Language Therapy are a respected and integrated part of the multidisciplinary team across our inpatient and community pathways. Recognised post graduate training in dysphagia management is essential. The Speech & Language Therapy service offers weekly community videofluoroscopy and FEES clinics. Experience of videofluoroscopy and/or FEES would therefore be desirable.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735 p.a. pro rata for part time).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
References
Please ensure that the references are from your most recent employer and one of these must be your direct Line Manager or Supervisor. You must provide professional email addresses for all referees as we will contact them as soon as an offer has been made. Please note we do not request references prior to interviews. Additionally, ensure that any gaps in your employment history are clearly indicated. All applications made through NHS Jobs account will be processed by TRAC System. Please note that some emails may go to your spam/junk mailbox so make sure you check this regularly.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
References
Please ensure that the references are from your most recent employer and one of these must be your direct Line Manager or Supervisor. You must provide professional email addresses for all referees as we will contact them as soon as an offer has been made. Please note we do not request references prior to interviews. Additionally, ensure that any gaps in your employment history are clearly indicated. All applications made through NHS Jobs account will be processed by TRAC System. Please note that some emails may go to your spam/junk mailbox so make sure you check this regularly.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
Skills
Essential
- Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
- Demonstrate clear clinical reasoning based on evidence based practice
- Able to use own initiative
- Organise and manage own caseload
- Allocate duties and supervise therapy assistants
- Good supervision skills
- Formulate care programmes, identify goals by organising and prioritising
- Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy
- Negotiation, problem solving concentration, analytical and reflection skills
- Written and verbal presentation skills
- Present information in clear and logical manner
- Ability to be a good team member
Knowledge
Essential
- An awareness of NHS priorities
- Awareness of NHS Plan, NSF, clinical governance priorities and changing service needs
- Government policy and legislation and how this may affect service delivery
- Knowledge of acquired communication and swallowing disorders
- Knowledge of assessment tools, treatment techniques and therapeutic interventions
- Awareness of the roles of other professionals
- Awareness of standards of record keeping
- Understanding of safeguarding
Desirable
- Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit
Experience
Essential
- Significant relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
- Working collaboratively with carers and other professionals
- Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary team
- Working with clients who have a range of speech, language and communication needs resulting from neurological conditions
- Planning and delivery of training to other professionals
Desirable
- Experience of videofluroscopy clinic
- Experience of running a FEES clinic
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- HCPC Licence to Practice
- Show active interest in CPD in line with RCSLT guidelines
- Post graduate training in dysphagia
- Competencies in working with patients with neurological conditions
Desirable
- Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
- Competencies in FEES
- Competencies in videofluroscopy
Trust Values
Essential
- Demonstrates trust values
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
Skills
Essential
- Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
- Demonstrate clear clinical reasoning based on evidence based practice
- Able to use own initiative
- Organise and manage own caseload
- Allocate duties and supervise therapy assistants
- Good supervision skills
- Formulate care programmes, identify goals by organising and prioritising
- Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy
- Negotiation, problem solving concentration, analytical and reflection skills
- Written and verbal presentation skills
- Present information in clear and logical manner
- Ability to be a good team member
Knowledge
Essential
- An awareness of NHS priorities
- Awareness of NHS Plan, NSF, clinical governance priorities and changing service needs
- Government policy and legislation and how this may affect service delivery
- Knowledge of acquired communication and swallowing disorders
- Knowledge of assessment tools, treatment techniques and therapeutic interventions
- Awareness of the roles of other professionals
- Awareness of standards of record keeping
- Understanding of safeguarding
Desirable
- Awareness of the principles of clinical governance/audit
Experience
Essential
- Significant relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
- Working collaboratively with carers and other professionals
- Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary team
- Working with clients who have a range of speech, language and communication needs resulting from neurological conditions
- Planning and delivery of training to other professionals
Desirable
- Experience of videofluroscopy clinic
- Experience of running a FEES clinic
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- HCPC Licence to Practice
- Show active interest in CPD in line with RCSLT guidelines
- Post graduate training in dysphagia
- Competencies in working with patients with neurological conditions
Desirable
- Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
- Competencies in FEES
- Competencies in videofluroscopy
Trust Values
Essential
- Demonstrates trust values
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
