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Job summary

Main area
Speech and Language Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
411-MED-25-7248375
Employer
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Alder Hey Hospital/ Liverpool Women's Hospital
Town
Liverpool
Salary
£53,755 - £60,504 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/07/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust logo

Clinical Lead Neonatal Speech and Language Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.

We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.

As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.

You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

  • Great flexible working opportunities
  • Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
  • Generous annual leave and pension scheme
  • Extensive staff health and well-being programmes

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled speech and language therapist to develop a high quality, evidence based speech and language therapy service to the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership.

Working across Alder Hey Children's and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trusts you will be responsible for leading the speech and language therapy service in this highly complex clinical field. 

By Spring 2026, the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership will comprise 68 cots across the  2 sites. 17 ITU 25 HDU 18 low dependency and 8 Transitional Care.

You should have a highly advanced level of knowledge, skills and experience in neonatal care and will work as an autonomous practitioner within a multi-disciplinary team.

Consideration will be given to candidates with an interest in expanding neonatal SLT skills at a band 7 with appropriate support and development provided.

Main duties of the job

  • Leading, co-ordinating and delivering a high quality, evidence-based Speech and Language service to the highly specialised and complex clinical area of neonates requiring a highly advanced level of knowledge, skills and experience.
  • Providing clinical supervision, training and support to less experienced delegated highly specialist paediatric speech therapists working in neonates.

 

Working for our organisation

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care to over 275,000 children and young people each year. In addition to the hospital site located in the West Derby area of Liverpool, Alder Hey has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients' homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Alder Park building in the nearby borough of Sefton.

 

We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We're also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.

 

As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder will be responsible for:

  • Leading, co-ordinating and delivering a high quality, evidence-based Speech and Language service to the highly specialised and complex clinical area of neonates requiring a highly advanced level of knowledge, skills and experience.
  • Providing clinical supervision, training and support to less experienced delegated highly specialist paediatric speech therapists working in neonates.

 

Key result areas:

  • To work as a highly experienced autonomous practitioner within a multi-disciplinary team providing expert advice to consultant and junior medical and/or nursing staff, other health professionals and professional agencies e.g. education, social services on the management of neonates
  • To assess, treat and monitor a specialist caseload of neonatal patients with highly complex needs and maintain accurate records.
  • To contribute to / lead SLT policy development within neonates
  • To act as a national source of expertise within the specialist area for all healthcare professionals and other professional agencies.
  • To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of professional and clinical work, working to agreed local, national and professional standards.

Person specification

BSc. or MSc. in Speech and language therapy

Essential criteria
  • BSc. or MSc. in Speech and language therapy
  • Registration via Healthcare Professions Council
  • Validated /nationally recognised post graduate advanced competencies in the management of neonatal dysphagia –
Desirable criteria
  • Substantial postgraduate clinical experience with several years working as a band 7 SLT including experience within L3 neonatal unit
  • Substantial postgraduate clinical experience with several years working as a band 7 SLT including experience within L3 neonatal unit

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Employment Charter Status - Aspiring LevelVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - SilverArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Navajo - Merseyside and CheshireDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible Working

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Wendy Blumenow
Job title
Head of Department - Speech and Language Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0151 252 5404
Additional information

Susan O'Neill

Head of Neonatal Service

Liverpool Neonatal Partnership

susan.o'[email protected]

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