Highly Specialist Community Speech and Language Therapist

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Barts Health NHS Trust Highly Specialist Community Speech and Language Therapist

The closing date is 18 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

This role involves independently managing a specialist caseload of adults with complex swallowing and communication disorders, providing assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management using evidence-based practice.

The post holder will lead on complex case management, support patients and carers, and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to optimise outcomes. Key responsibilities include contributing to service development and quality improvement initiatives, developing rehabilitation pathways, delivering training to staff and students, and supervising junior clinicians.

The role also includes overseeing community caseloads, monitoring service performance, producing activity reports, participating in specialist dysphagia clinics, and ensuring high standards of patient-centred, culturally responsive care.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) providing specialist assessment and intervention to a varied and complex caseload of adults with acquired and/or progressive communication and swallowing difficulties living within the borough of Waltham Forest.

The post holder will be based within the SLT team office at Whipps Cross Hospital and will deliver a community-based service across a range of settings, including the patients' own homes, nursing and care homes, and other appropriate community locations. The role will also include the provision of an outpatient service at Whipps Cross Hospital.

The post holder will work collaboratively with the acute inpatient SLT team at Whipps Cross Hospital, as well as wider multi-disciplinary teams across Barts Health NHS Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust and other community based services to facilitate a safe and quality service within the community.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Details

Date posted

04 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£55,524 to £62,652 a year per annum inc

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

259-8415302WXH

Job locations

Whipps Cross University Hospital

London

E11 1NR

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oRecognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• oRegistered with Health & Care Professions Council -License to Practice

Experience

Essential

• oExperience in assessment and management of complex acquired and progressive communication and swallowing disorders with adult populations within a variety of settings, which should ideally include acute inpatients and community settings.
• oExperience in autonomous caseload management and prioritisation of clinical and non-clinical workload.
• oExperience implementing low and/or high tech augmentative and alternative communication aids with patients.
• oExperience working with various multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) and relavent community agencies to deliver coordinated and patient-centred care.
• oExperience and knowledge managing complex ethical issues, e.g. Eating and drinking with acknolwedged risk of aspiration, safeguarding associated with the patient's best interest.
• oExperience working with interpreters and bilingual Health Advocates
• oExperience in identification of service gaps/ issues and implementation of sustainable Quality Improvement and service development initiatives
• oExperience of managing and leading a team including providing supervision, guidance, and completion of probation and/or appraisals.
• oExperience of developing and providing specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT.

Desirable

• oExperience with supporting staff through performance and/or sickness management utilising Trust policies
• oExperience of developing and conducting specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT at a regional or national level

Knowledge

Essential

• oDesmontrates knowledge of a broad range of assessment and intervention tools relevant to complex communication and swallowing in acquired and/or progressive neurological disorders.
• oDemonstrates knowledge and experience of appropriate counselling techniques with patients with acquired and/or progressive neurological conditions
• oDemonstrates knowledge of national policies, procedures and up-to-date advances relevant to the clinical management of acquired and/or progressive conditions, end of life care and eating and drinking at risk.
• oDemonstrates knowledge of the principles of clinical governance /Quality improvement
• oDesmonstrates knowledge of the importance of cultural and linguistic issues for communication and swallowing.

Desirable

• oCompletion of relevant Leadership training
• oCompletion of relevant mentoring/coaching training

Skills

Essential

• oDemonstrates strong interpersonal skills utilising observation, active listening and empathy, in order to build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders (within SLT, wider MDT, patients and families)
• oDemonstrates good organisational skills with the ability to effectively plan, prioritise, and manage clinical and non-clinical responsibilities, ensuring deadlines are met and high standards of service delivery are maintained
• oDemonstrates strong leadership skills through a compassionate and WE CARE values -based approach, driving growth and development opportunities for junior staff, and fostering a positive and supportive team culture
• oDemonstrates highly developed negotiation and problem- solving skills
• oDemonstrates highly analytical and self- reflective of personal and professional skills
• oProficient in Microsoft 365 and ICT software/applications to support documentation, communication and admin tasks

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oRecognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• oRegistered with Health & Care Professions Council -License to Practice

Experience

Essential

• oExperience in assessment and management of complex acquired and progressive communication and swallowing disorders with adult populations within a variety of settings, which should ideally include acute inpatients and community settings.
• oExperience in autonomous caseload management and prioritisation of clinical and non-clinical workload.
• oExperience implementing low and/or high tech augmentative and alternative communication aids with patients.
• oExperience working with various multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) and relavent community agencies to deliver coordinated and patient-centred care.
• oExperience and knowledge managing complex ethical issues, e.g. Eating and drinking with acknolwedged risk of aspiration, safeguarding associated with the patient's best interest.
• oExperience working with interpreters and bilingual Health Advocates
• oExperience in identification of service gaps/ issues and implementation of sustainable Quality Improvement and service development initiatives
• oExperience of managing and leading a team including providing supervision, guidance, and completion of probation and/or appraisals.
• oExperience of developing and providing specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT.

Desirable

• oExperience with supporting staff through performance and/or sickness management utilising Trust policies
• oExperience of developing and conducting specialist training to SLTs and other members of the MDT at a regional or national level

Knowledge

Essential

• oDesmontrates knowledge of a broad range of assessment and intervention tools relevant to complex communication and swallowing in acquired and/or progressive neurological disorders.
• oDemonstrates knowledge and experience of appropriate counselling techniques with patients with acquired and/or progressive neurological conditions
• oDemonstrates knowledge of national policies, procedures and up-to-date advances relevant to the clinical management of acquired and/or progressive conditions, end of life care and eating and drinking at risk.
• oDemonstrates knowledge of the principles of clinical governance /Quality improvement
• oDesmonstrates knowledge of the importance of cultural and linguistic issues for communication and swallowing.

Desirable

• oCompletion of relevant Leadership training
• oCompletion of relevant mentoring/coaching training

Skills

Essential

• oDemonstrates strong interpersonal skills utilising observation, active listening and empathy, in order to build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders (within SLT, wider MDT, patients and families)
• oDemonstrates good organisational skills with the ability to effectively plan, prioritise, and manage clinical and non-clinical responsibilities, ensuring deadlines are met and high standards of service delivery are maintained
• oDemonstrates strong leadership skills through a compassionate and WE CARE values -based approach, driving growth and development opportunities for junior staff, and fostering a positive and supportive team culture
• oDemonstrates highly developed negotiation and problem- solving skills
• oDemonstrates highly analytical and self- reflective of personal and professional skills
• oProficient in Microsoft 365 and ICT software/applications to support documentation, communication and admin tasks

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

Barts Health NHS Trust

Address

Whipps Cross University Hospital

London

E11 1NR

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Barts Health NHS Trust

Address

Whipps Cross University Hospital

London

E11 1NR

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Lead for Speech and Language Therapy

Mahie Sumathipala

[email protected]

Details

Date posted

04 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£55,524 to £62,652 a year per annum inc

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

259-8415302WXH

Job locations

Whipps Cross University Hospital

London

E11 1NR

United Kingdom

Supporting documents

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Barts Health NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)

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