Job summary
- Main area
- Band 8a Senior Speech and Language Therapist
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week (This role is 0.8WTE, working 4 days per week.)
- Job ref
- 220-WHT-3788
- Employer
- Whittington Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Michael Palin Centre for Stammering
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £64,156 - £71,148 Per annum (pro rata) including HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Speech and Language Therapist
Band 8a
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.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.
We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.
Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.
Whittington Health NHS Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.
Job overview
The Michael Palin Centre (MPC) for Stammering Children is a national tertiary service and internationally recognised centre of excellence in stammering and cluttering, run by Whittington Health with charity support. Based in refurbished premises in central London, the MPC provides specialist assessment and therapy for children, young people and adults across the UK and internationally, alongside a global training programme and an active research department.
This rare opportunity is for a motivated Band 8a Senior SLT (0.8 WTE) with strong specialist knowledge in stammering and cluttering. We are seeking a clinician who brings expertise, leadership potential, and personal strengths that will enrich the team.
The role combines senior clinical practice, leadership, training delivery and research. The postholder will provide specialist input, second opinions, and supervision within the team and externally, contribute to national and international training, and participate in research, including conference presentations and publications. Ongoing development is supported through supervision and opportunities to pursue specialist interests.
Team working and wellbeing are central to the MPC. The role is primarily clinic‑based with some home working depending on service needs. We welcome applications from therapists who stammer.
For further information please contact:
Sarah Delpeche, Head of the Michael Palin Centre
Email [email protected] Telephone 020 3316 8100
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.
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
Main Duties:
The postholder will have advanced knowledge, experience and skills in the field of stammering and cluttering and will have leadership aspirations to develop the work of the Michael Palin Centre, particularly in areas where the post holder has a special interest or skillset.
Expert Clinical Skills:
- To have an advanced specialist knowledge of current theoretical perspectives and research issues in the nature and treatment of stammering and cluttering in children, young people and adults, including a sound knowledge of the trends and status of evidence-based practice.
- To be an advanced specialist national resource in the clinical management of stammering and cluttering and their interrelated cognitive, affective and behavioural components as well as the implications of co-existing disorders of communication.
- To provide an advanced specialist tertiary consultation and second opinion service including the comprehensive assessment, differential diagnosis, prognosis and clinical management of children who stammer or clutter.
- To provide expert specialist speech and language therapy service with a caseload of children, young people and adults with complex stammering or cluttering requiring advanced specialist clinical and counselling skills.
- To reflect on expert clinical practice both individually and with peers, identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical judgements based on research and current knowledge of evidence-based practice.
- To keep abreast of current evidence base, ensuring that individualised treatment recommendations can be evaluated through standard outcome measures and those based on accepted expert opinion (e.g. RCSLT clinical guidelines)
- To participate at Clinical Excellence Network meetings, serving on committees as appropriate.
- To attend national and international conferences in person or online to liaise with colleagues in stuttering and cluttering.
Training and Research:
- To undertake, contribute and lead on research projects and clinical audits being carried out at the Centre.
- To take responsibility for the preparation and drafting of scholarly papers, scientific and/or conference presentations or workshops, articles, advisory leaflets and information sheets for clients, families, colleagues, and other professionals regarding the tertiary service and management of stammering and cluttering.
- To participate in the delivery and evaluation of the Centre’s national and international training/teaching programmes, webinars and workshops for the clinical management of children and young people who stammer or clutter and related communication and psychosocial problems.
- To deliver training programmes and workshops as commissioned by other organisations, e.g. Stuttering Foundation.
- To optimise the use of technology in the delivery of training, introducing new components, income generation models, additional functions e.g. caption translation.
Centre Profile and Leadership:
- To take a leading role in the profile of the Centre through active participation on committees, working parties and Clinical Excellence Networks in specialist areas of stammering and cluttering, nationally and internationally.
- To be an active part of the Senior Leadership Team, including cover in the absence of the Head of Centre and other Senior Leadership staff at the MPC.
- To negotiate with the other MPC Senior SLTs and Head of Centre in the planning and development of the MPC service and all related activity.
- In conjunction with the Head of Centre, the postholder will be responsible for supporting the day to day running of the Centre, supporting the team to carry out their duties providing support as required.
- The postholder will be expected to provide supervisory and/or Line management responsibilities within clinical and administrative team; including completion of appraisals as part of line management to identify staff and service development and training needs.
- To participate in staff selection and interview procedures as appropriate.
- To develop and extend working relationships with SLT colleagues and other key stakeholders, in support of effective clinical practice, maintaining the Centre’s relationships and developing further relationships that are supportive of the sustainability of the Centre.
- To ensure all relevant personal policies, administration and safety policies are adhered to for the team.
- To undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by and negotiated with the Head of Centre.
- To demonstrate high level negotiation skills across a range of issues.
- To take leadership responsibility for key aspects of the functioning of the Centre, to be agreed from the following range of responsibilities and duties: leading digitisation projects including managing and developing the website; developing and coordinating international trainee placements and schemes; overseeing the administration of the Centre’s intensive group therapy course programme; leading on income generating activity such as developing and overseeing the private therapy service and its systems; leading therapy funding applications and SLA quarterly reports. managing the Centre's tertiary assessment clinic including leadership of the Booking Team; leading workforce efficiency and productivity projects.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Post registration MSc with research component; or evidence of advanced skills development/qualifications in relevant field; or equivalent level of experience as senior clinical or academic level
- Post graduate training in psychological approaches
- Portfolio of additional training in stammering and cluttering
Desirable criteria
- Registered CESS
- Evidence of leadership courses / training
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to develop and deliver staff training programmes and conference presentations.
- Ability to keep abreast of national and international developments through active involvement in local, national and international networks.
Desirable criteria
- Skills in research design and methodology including use of standardised frameworks for critical appraisal.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- At least 5 years specialist experience in stammering and cluttering
- Extensive, up‑to‑date specialist knowledge of stammering and cluttering,
- Substantial experience providing clinical supervision to SLTs and/ or others, ensuring safe practice and reflective professional development.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of service and quality improvement initiatives
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills (active listening, turn taking, reflection, empathy)
- Excellent written communication skills (complex information for range of purposes)
- Ability to empower, support and motivate others
- Flexibility in responding to changing clinical and service needs
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Delpeche
- Job title
- Head of the Michael Palin Centre
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 3316 8100
List jobs with Whittington Health NHS Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors




