Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist; Neonatal and Acute

Transformationunitgm; Greater London; On-site; GBP 56,000 - GBP 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Greater London is looking for a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to join a multi-disciplinary team at Homerton Hospital. The role involves providing expert care to neonates with feeding difficulties and collaborating with healthcare professionals. Candidates should have a recognized Speech and Language Therapy qualification and a strong understanding of dysphagia management. Excellent interpersonal and assessment skills are paramount, and previous clinical supervision experience is required. This role offers supportive clinical supervision and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Comprehensive professional development opportunities

Supportive clinical environment

Qualifications

• Must have in-depth experience with managing complex dysphagia independently.
• Strong understanding of FiCare and BFI standards is necessary.
• Clinical supervisory experience is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide a high-quality SALT service to neonates with feeding difficulties.
• Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Manage a caseload independently and provide advice to non-specialists.

Skills

Managing complex dysphagia

Team collaboration

Excellent interpersonal skills

Assessment skills

Education

Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent

Completion of Neonatal or infant feeding Course or Equivalent

Job description

Employer Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Town London Salary £56,276 - £63,176 pro rata p.a. incl. Salary period Yearly Closing 22/02/2026 23:59 Interview date 03/03/2026

Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist; Neonatal/Acute

Band 7

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Job overview

The Children’s Integrated Speech and Language Therapy Service for Hackney and the City is a unique collaboration between local health and education agencies. By pooling resources, the service is able to provide high quality, comprehensive service to the children, young people and families within Hackney and The City.

The post holder will join a multi-disciplinary team (AHPs including other SALTs, medical and nursing colleagues) working in the neonatal unit at Homerton Hospital to provide a high-quality SALT service to premature and term babies with feeding difficulties and their families. The postholder will advice on early communication and developmental care in line with the FiCare framework. The postholder will also be involved in a new initiative providing eating, drinking and swallowing assessments to children in the small general paediatric ward within Homerton hospital. In both the neonatal unit and the paediatric ward, the postholder will work as part of a team to provide universal, targeted and specialist input to empower and support healthcare staff and families to best meet the feeding, developmental and communication needs of the babies and children.

Main duties of the job

The neonatal SALT service is overseen by a clinical lead neonatal SALT and a clinical lead SALT for dysphagia/complex needs

You will have a thorough knowledge of feeding difficulties in the context of a neonatal unit as well as an understanding of FiCare and BFI standards. You will be confident to assess dysphagia referrals from the small paediatric ward within the hospital. Excellent interaction, team working and problem-solving skills are required.

You will be well supported via robust clinical supervision and have access to excellent CPD opportunities. You will be responsible for supervising band 5/6 therapist(s) across the service.

• Work in partnership with familes engaging them in the intervention and ensuring they are involved at each step and are well informed.
• To work as in integral member of multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams that include parents, nurses, doctors, AHPs and Psycholgical professionals.
• To manage a caseload independently and share information with colleagues to ensure the best care.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of the evidence base within the field.
• To provide advice to non-specialists and other specialists/ professionals within the clinical field.

Working for our organisation

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City and beyond.

We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.

Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times.

We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly.

Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits.

Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.

Detailed job description and main 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 on this page

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Education

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent (Post-Graduate Diploma or MSc in Speech and Language therapy leading to registration with HPC)
• Evidence of successful completion of intermediate or advanced post graduate dysphagia course(s)
• Completion of Neonatal or infant feeding Course or Equivalent
• Clinical supervisors course for staff and students
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Completion of specialist courses relevant to the neonatal/infant cohort e.g. Cervical Auscultation, Breast feeding the complex infant, FINE, FICare, SOFFI etc

Experience

• In-depth experience with managing complex dysphagia independently, including active networking with other specialists regionally and nationally
• Experience of instigating and managing change
• Evidence of having provided mentoring support in the relevant specialist area
• Experience of providing clinical supervision to SLT students
• Experience of managing a team within a defined service area
• Experience of providing clinical supervision to SLTs
• Experience of working in hospitals/acute setting and collaborating with nursing/medical colleagues

Knowledge

• In depth knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to the client group) and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
• Understanding of the principles of clinical governance /audit
• In depth knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the specialist client group)
• In depth knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group
• Knowledge of standards of record keeping

Other Requirements

• Ability to initiate as well as respond well to change
• Passion for the clinical area and for the educational context
• Demonstrating an understanding of Trust Values
• Demonstrates ability to be a good team member

Skills / abilities

• Established skills with managing complex dysphagia independently; Working at Level C or above (Specialist Level Dysphagia Practitioner) of RCSLT Neonatal Dysphagia Competency Framework
• Ability to work collaboratively with parents and AHP/medical colleagues
• Established skills in assessing and providing intervention for children/young people requiring low/high tech AAC
• Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills
• Ability to use and interpret assessment tool of choice for particular client/s
• Ability to lead a small team
• Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening tact, persuasion and empathy skills
• Established skills in assessing and providing intervention for children/young people requiring AAC
• Ability to manage complaints
• Able to recognise and seek advice appropriately.
• Speaker of other relevant community language
• Consultant (RCSLT 2014) or Advanced/Expert (RCSLT 2025) Dysphagia Practitioner competence

General Guidance for Applicants

Please ensure that you read the "Guidance Notes On Submitting An Application" under "Additional Documentation" before completing your application.

Please note: we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

We are committed to achieving equality and inclusion at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and we respect and value the diversity and our people, ensuring everyone is enabled to thrive, feels a sense of belonging, and is able to be their authentic self. We offer a range of flexible working options that enable you to balance your work and personal life, including part-time, compressed hours, remote working and job-shares.

If you are interested in joining our team, please let us know your preferred working pattern in your application, and we will consider all requests for flexible working and try to accommodate them wherever possible.

Please note that secondment arrangements will be considered for any fixed term positions, with the agreement of the existing line manager.

We are committed to equal opportunities, and have been approved as a Disability Confident Employer.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Katy Ahern Job title Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 020 76834262

Additional information

Please feel free to contact us for further information about this role.