SLT Operational Lead

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University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust SLT Operational Lead

The closing date is 16 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us Job Title: SLT Operational Lead Contract Type: Fixed term 12 months - Covering Maternity Leave until March 2028

Main duties of the job

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a forward-thinking and inspirational Speech and Language Therapist with significant clinical and leadership experience to provide maternity leave cover for the leadership of our acute adult and paediatric SLT service based at Southampton General Hospital.

About us

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated 'Good' by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

Details

Date posted

02 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

188-SCL011026

Job locations

University Hospital Southampton

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities:

You will work within a supportive leadership team, liaising closely with other managers within the department and providing cover for other members of the team when required. You will provide clinical as well as operational leadership to the SLT teams, managing the SLT service on a day-to-day basis, including allocation of staff, managing absence, service delivery and development, skill mix, recruitment, training/development and appraisal/supervision. You will provide supervision for specialist speech and language therapists and liaise with clinical services to develop the service. You may have the opportunity to manage a designated caseload at a specialist level.

What experience/skills are needed:

The post holder will be a qualified speech and language therapist, currently registered with the HCPC, with existing management and leadership experience, holding personal responsibility for defined programmes of work at a senior level as well as advanced clinical skills. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and must be able to communicate and negotiate in order to effect change and to evidence an ability to support, motivate and bring staff with you throughout the process.

Flexibility and the ability to prioritise and manage a busy and varied workload are essential. You must be able to demonstrate the ability to work within an MDT as a specialist speech and language therapist and have the confidence to present and discuss your professional opinion with colleagues. This post requires a dynamic, assertive person, able to demonstrate breadth of knowledge and good rapport building skills who is an excellent collaborator.

We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and are willing to consider flexible working arrangements. If you are interested in this role, please get in touch to discuss.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities:

You will work within a supportive leadership team, liaising closely with other managers within the department and providing cover for other members of the team when required. You will provide clinical as well as operational leadership to the SLT teams, managing the SLT service on a day-to-day basis, including allocation of staff, managing absence, service delivery and development, skill mix, recruitment, training/development and appraisal/supervision. You will provide supervision for specialist speech and language therapists and liaise with clinical services to develop the service. You may have the opportunity to manage a designated caseload at a specialist level.

What experience/skills are needed:

The post holder will be a qualified speech and language therapist, currently registered with the HCPC, with existing management and leadership experience, holding personal responsibility for defined programmes of work at a senior level as well as advanced clinical skills. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and must be able to communicate and negotiate in order to effect change and to evidence an ability to support, motivate and bring staff with you throughout the process.

Flexibility and the ability to prioritise and manage a busy and varied workload are essential. You must be able to demonstrate the ability to work within an MDT as a specialist speech and language therapist and have the confidence to present and discuss your professional opinion with colleagues. This post requires a dynamic, assertive person, able to demonstrate breadth of knowledge and good rapport building skills who is an excellent collaborator.

We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and are willing to consider flexible working arrangements. If you are interested in this role, please get in touch to discuss.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree/MSc in Speech and Language Therapy
• Significant relevant clinical experience within Speech and Language Therapy practice
• Current HCPC registration
• Leadership and Management training
• Training and experience to Masters' level/post graduate level study
• Project Management qualification / further training, or demonstrates substantial level of project delivery experience

Experience

Essential

• Consolidated experience to demonstrate capability and capacity for management of acute health services at a senior level
• Demonstrable staff, and resource management experience across a range of a variety of issues
• Able to facilitate and implement policy, guidelines, and projects from initiation to completion
• Demonstrates experience of managing challenging problems by developing practical workable solutions to address them
• Ability to communicate vision to staff and manage change effectively

Desirable

• Previous proven experience in an acute healthcare setting
• Able to demonstrate sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree/MSc in Speech and Language Therapy
• Significant relevant clinical experience within Speech and Language Therapy practice
• Current HCPC registration
• Leadership and Management training
• Training and experience to Masters' level/post graduate level study
• Project Management qualification / further training, or demonstrates substantial level of project delivery experience

Experience

Essential

• Consolidated experience to demonstrate capability and capacity for management of acute health services at a senior level
• Demonstrable staff, and resource management experience across a range of a variety of issues
• Able to facilitate and implement policy, guidelines, and projects from initiation to completion
• Demonstrates experience of managing challenging problems by developing practical workable solutions to address them
• Ability to communicate vision to staff and manage change effectively

Desirable

• Previous proven experience in an acute healthcare setting
• Able to demonstrate sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Southampton

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Southampton

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Dietetics and Speech and Language Therapy

Sanet de Wet

[email protected]

02381206072

Details

Date posted

02 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

188-SCL011026

Job locations

University Hospital Southampton

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD

United Kingdom

Supporting documents

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