Specialist Speech and Language Therapist: Paediatrics

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a part-time Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist to join our well-established Children’s Therapy team. We are seeking an experienced therapist with advanced skills in assessing and supporting infants, children and young people with feeding, swallowing and communication disorders in acute or community settings.

This role offers the opportunity to further develop specialist skills across the general paediatric ward, PICU and paediatric specialist services. The post holder will also develop skills in delivering videofluoroscopic swallow studies within the West London Children’s Healthcare VFSS service for North West London.

You will undertake advanced assessment and deliver individualised management plans for children with diverse and complex needs, working closely with families, carers and the multidisciplinary team. Alongside other Band 7 Speech and Language Therapists, you will support the Clinical Lead with service planning, coordination, development and evaluation.

Multidisciplinary teaching for staff, parents and carers is an important part of the role. You will be well supported by the Clinical Lead Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist, with a strong commitment to supervision, CPD, audit, service evaluation and improvement. This is a fixed term contract post for 12 months against maternity leave.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be responsible for performing advanced assessment of patients with diverse presentations and complex medical, physical and psychological conditions, to develop and deliver an individualised management/treatment programme, relevant to specialism.
• Following assessment, the post holder will be responsible for making therapeutic and/or clinical diagnoses and treating their own caseload of specialised and complex patients/clients and maintaining associated records.
• The post holder may lead a team and be responsible for providing an advanced standard of care to patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which covers a multi-cultural and diverse population.
• The post holder will supervise the work of other more junior staff. The post holder will be based primarily at St Mary's Hospital but will be expected to work across all sites of WLCH.
• The post holder will assist the Clinical Lead in contributing to the planning, coordination, development and evaluation of the service. Together with other senior staff, you will act as a resource of specialist advice to the rest of the therapy service and other professions.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the detailed Job Description including the personal specification outlining essential and desirable criteria for this position

Person specification

Education

Essential criteria

• State registration with the Health Professions Council
• Degree (or equivalent) in Speech and Language Therapy
• Evidence of CPD through maintenance of a portfolio, especially in the relevant clinical area
• Clinical Educators course or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• Membership of Professional special interest groups relevant to speciality
• Relevant Postgraduate clinical qualification
• Management skills or leadership training

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant recent clinical experience in relevant clinical area
• Significant experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team and inter-agency working
• Experience of multidisciplinary goal planning, development of care pathways and using outcome measures
• Advanced knowledge of assessment and treatment approaches for the effective management of relevant conditions
• Advanced clinical reasoning and problem solving skills
• Understanding of clinical governance and the implications for therapy services including experience of quality issues and audit

Desirable criteria

• Previous Band 7 or equivalent experience in relevant post
• Experience of planning and managing service improvement activities
• Experience of using clinical governance framework to monitor and improve quality of patient care
• Recent, relevant work in an NHS environment

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

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).

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