Job summary
- Main area
- Apprentice Speech and Language Therapy
- Grade
- AFC Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 48 months (Part of Hertfordshire University programme)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 220-WHT-3356
- Employer
- Whittington Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Whittington Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £20,748 per annum AFC Band 5 (Annex 21) or (Annex 30) + HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Apprentice Speech and Language Therapist
AFC Band 4
Covid-19 Vaccination
Getting vaccinated, and getting a booster, remains the best defence against COVID-19.
We encourage and support staff to get COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose as and when they are eligible.
Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Whittington Health NHS Trust.
For our current apprenticeship vacancies, please go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship and use Keyword ‘Whittington’
By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Apprentice Speech and Language Therapist to join Whittington Health NHS Trust. This is development role over four years where you will work towards successful completion of a BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy and recognition by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT).
You will develop and maintain the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for the role of a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) through the degree apprenticeship training programme and within the clinical service. This includes working across acute settings, such as adult inpatient wards, paediatric inpatient wards, outpatient clinics, and the specialist voice clinic. You will also be involved in the delivery of direct, person-centred care. Throughout the apprenticeship, you will be a fully integrated member of one of the Trust’s acute SLT teams.
The SLT Apprenticeship Degree combines and integrates academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. As an Apprentice SLT you can expect to spend a minimum of 20 per cent of your time doing ‘off the job’ training and the rest of the time working for one of the SLT Teams. Attendance of training at university is essential and annual leave must be arranged outside these sessions.
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
To meet the needs of the service, you may be required to work in other areas as appropriate and as directed by the line manager. It may be necessary to attend other Departments or Organisation to gain sufficient experience in some modalities.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
General Clinical Duties:
To learn and undertake, under supervision, all required SLT techniques outlined in the apprenticeship program.
To support and assist the Registered Professionals in required day-to-day service.
To comply with Trust policies for Infection Control, ensuring safe treatment of all patients and to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infection.
To adhere to the current legislation and working safely within the Health and Safety, COSHH, Fire, Infection Control and Manual Handling Regulations.
To ensure the safe handling of equipment.
To adhere to all departmental policies, be able to comment and reflect on their relevance to current working practice.
To be flexible in respect to working arrangements, to ensure both the needs of the service and to fulfil the university apprenticeship requirements.
Education and Training:
Full commitment to the four-year BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy Degree Apprenticeship Programme.
Your clinical placements will provide a variety of learning environments within Whittington Health NHS Trust and external organisations to gain experience in the different areas of healthcare service.
Expectation of extensive workplace learning and practice.
To attend external tutorials and lectures as outlined in the University program, inclusive of occasional University attendance as required.
Attendance on online video conferencing tutorials and lectures
Attendance to Trust located tutorials as directed.
Weekly catch-up meetings with your allocated mentor/ Practice Educator
Ability to undertake self-directed learning with a pro-active approach.
An expectation of additional course related studies out of allocated scheduled employment hours.
Submission of assignments within the allocated time period as directed.
To undertake clinically based assessments as outlined in the University program, meeting the required competency.
Communication and Working Relationship Skills
Communicate effectively across a wide range of channels and with a wide range of individuals, the public, health, and social care professionals, maintaining the focus of communication on delivering and improving health and care services.
Demonstrate inter-personal skills that promote clarity, compassion, empathy, respect, and trust.
Demonstrate a variety of communication skills where there are barriers to understanding, e.g. learning disabilities or language.
Work within clearly defined accountability frameworks and boundaries of limitation to provide the best possible care in collaboration with colleagues, patients, and their Carers.
Actively participate in meetings related to own clinical area and relevant patients.
Role model the Apprentice Speech and Language Therapist role.
Communicate effectively with colleagues providing clear verbal, digital or written information and instructions when sharing information, delegating, or handing over responsibility for care.
Keep accurate, legible, and contemporaneous records of patient care.
Communication Analytical and Judgemental Skills:
Develop and improve practical and theoretical knowledge, competence and skills throughout the duration of the Speech and Language Therapy Apprenticeship programme and maintain all evidence required. Work in accordance with the outlined standards from the University.
Assesses patient’s health, safety and wellbeing while undertaking therapeutic activities deciding whether to refer to other staff as appropriate.
Ensure compliance.
Ensure that only those activities for which competence has been achieved are undertaken without supervision and that recognition is given to the impact and consequences of practising outside capability.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Demonstrate effective time management skills to efficiently manage workload, recognising and responding to changing priorities throughout the working day or duty.
Demonstrate a flexible approach to working and offer support to other colleagues who are experiencing difficulties in managing workload as appropriate.
Ability to organise and prioritise own workload against clinical need.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria
- UCAS points A level BTEC Access diploma
- 112 BBC DMM Pass with 60 credits overall, including 45 credits at level 3 Health or Science, of which at least 12 credits graded at Distinction and 24 at Merit
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in three GCSEs including Mathematics and English Language.
- Level 2 equivalent qualifications are also accepted. Level 2 qualifications must have been achieved at the point of enrolment.
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate awareness of advocacy for patients
- Evidence of ability to build a strong rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds and personalities
- Demonstrates professional approach, in demeanour, appearance and time keeping.
- Problem solving to ensure treatment/rehab sessions run to time.
- Demonstrates an awareness of own limitations.
- Demonstrates counselling skills with an ability to provide compassionate and sensitive support
- The application of knowledge of local cultural, linguistic and demographic factors that may impact the management of speech and language therapy practice
- Ability to use own initiative.
- Evidence of participation in teamwork, both uni- and multi-professional
- Evidence of ability to plan own workload daily, liaising with SLTs and wider MDT
- Passed fit through an occupational health assessment to perform full duties of the role.
- Demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills
- Demonstrates good time management and organisational skills
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of work experience / shadowing in Speech and Language Therapy.
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience working as a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant is desirable but not essential.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Reliable
- Punctual
- Team Player
- Self-motivated
- Good communicator
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lauren Harnett
- Job title
- Clinical Manager SLT and Nutrition & Dietetics
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0207 288 3962
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