East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

The closing date is 18 March 2026

Job summary

We are excited to offer this rare opportunity to join our Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service in Ipswich and East Suffolk, working with people with acquired conditions on the inpatient wards as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

You'll belong to a large, integrated SLT service in East Suffolk delivers inpatient, outpatient and community services. Our team supports people who have a range of conditions including stroke, progressive neurological conditions, head and neck cancer, voice disorders, dementia, respiratory conditions, and frailty. We also offer a countywide service to adults with learning disability. We are a friendly team, and share expertise across the teams with our populations at the centre of service delivery. Our department sits within the Integrated Therapies division and therefore have excellent links to our MDT colleagues, including shared CPD opportunities. All teams are supported by our SLT apprentices and assistants.

This service champions research, innovation and development. Our team is award-winning, having been named 'Team of the Year' at ESNEFT, as well as winning awards for our innovation at the Suffolk and North East Essex ICS 'Can Do' awards last year. The team are actively engaged in service improvement projects including the use of EMST, and service redesign to align with the NHS long term plan. The Trust is committed to developing leadership skills for staff at all levels.

Main duties of the job

You will support individuals with communication and swallowing difficulties, including those with complex needs. You will have the opportunity to work with people who require our support in critical care and high dependency areas, including those with tracheostomy.You will work with a multi-disciplinary team to support tracheostomy weaning, communication and swallowing difficulties for these patients. If this is a new area for you, support will be available from within the team to help with your development in this area.

You will have the opportunity to contribute to our instrumental assessment provision, including videofluoroscopy and FEES. (Training can be provided in gaining videofluoroscopy and FEES competencies, according to service need.)

You will supervise and line manage staff, and work with other lead clinicians to manage the operational delivery of the service to inpatients. You will be part of a senior SLT team, and will support the oversight of quality, workforce, education and training, and service improvement.

About us

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

Details

Date posted

25 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR1322-25

Job locations

Ipswich Hospital

Heath Road

Ipswich

IP4 5PD


Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of theresponsibilitiesand dutiesof this role please see the attached job description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of theresponsibilitiesand dutiesof this role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • RCSLT recognised degree or equivalent
  • Eligible for registered membership of RCSLT
  • HCPC membership
  • Independent Dysphagia practitioner
  • Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses at a Master's degree equivalent

Desirable

  • RCSLT Videofluoroscopy competency: Level 3
  • MBSImp certification
  • FEES level 2 competency
  • ICS AHP capability framework or RCSLT competencies in tracheostomy and critical care
  • Membership of relevant CENs
  • Ability to travel to different places of work/driving licence

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist experience of working with adults with acquired swallowing and communication disorders post registration
  • Experience taking part in service development, audit and/or research
  • Experience of teaching others on speech and language therapy related topics
  • Experience of working in demanding settings, eg busy inpatient service, critical care, and with patients with complex needs
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and multi-agency working

Desirable

  • Experience of line managing staff
  • Experience of analysing and interpreting videofluoroscopy images & FEES
  • Experience of working with people with altered airways, such as tracheostomy

Knowledge

Essential

  • Highly specialist knowledge in assessment and management of swallowing and communication disorders.
  • Well established knowledge and interpretation of a broad range of relevant assessment tools and techniques, including informal assessment, standardised assessments.
  • Highly specialist knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions
  • Knowledge of evidence based practice / service developments in relation to specialism
  • In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit

Desirable

  • Knowledge of changes in NHS and current legislation
  • Involvement with patient forums
  • Involvement with relevant voluntary organisations

Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge of community services
  • Proven post graduate experience within care group
  • Broad range of experience in a variety of disorders prior to specialisation

Desirable

  • Awareness of constraints to working in community locations
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • RCSLT recognised degree or equivalent
  • Eligible for registered membership of RCSLT
  • HCPC membership
  • Independent Dysphagia practitioner
  • Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses at a Master's degree equivalent

Desirable

  • RCSLT Videofluoroscopy competency: Level 3
  • MBSImp certification
  • FEES level 2 competency
  • ICS AHP capability framework or RCSLT competencies in tracheostomy and critical care
  • Membership of relevant CENs
  • Ability to travel to different places of work/driving licence

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist experience of working with adults with acquired swallowing and communication disorders post registration
  • Experience taking part in service development, audit and/or research
  • Experience of teaching others on speech and language therapy related topics
  • Experience of working in demanding settings, eg busy inpatient service, critical care, and with patients with complex needs
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and multi-agency working

Desirable

  • Experience of line managing staff
  • Experience of analysing and interpreting videofluoroscopy images & FEES
  • Experience of working with people with altered airways, such as tracheostomy

Knowledge

Essential

  • Highly specialist knowledge in assessment and management of swallowing and communication disorders.
  • Well established knowledge and interpretation of a broad range of relevant assessment tools and techniques, including informal assessment, standardised assessments.
  • Highly specialist knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions
  • Knowledge of evidence based practice / service developments in relation to specialism
  • In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit

Desirable

  • Knowledge of changes in NHS and current legislation
  • Involvement with patient forums
  • Involvement with relevant voluntary organisations

Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge of community services
  • Proven post graduate experience within care group
  • Broad range of experience in a variety of disorders prior to specialisation

Desirable

  • Awareness of constraints to working in community locations

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.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ipswich Hospital

Heath Road

Ipswich

IP4 5PD


Employer's website

https://www.esneft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ipswich Hospital

Heath Road

Ipswich

IP4 5PD


Employer's website

https://www.esneft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Professional Lead

Kate Harrall

kate.harrall@esneft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

25 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR1322-25

Job locations

Ipswich Hospital

Heath Road

Ipswich

IP4 5PD


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)