Job summary
- Main area
- Band 6 Speech and Language
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Potential for weekend working)
- Job ref
- 409-7414495
- Employer
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals
- Town
- Southport
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 04/11/2025
Employer heading

Specialist Speech & Language Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Job overview
Southport Hospital has the exciting opportunity to advertise a Speech and Language Therapy post which will offer a stimulating and challenging role in the assessment and management of inpatients with dysphagia and who are recognised as living with frailty and ageing.
The successful candidate will join a growing, supportive, and innovative team of Speech and Language Therapists with a diverse set of skills, who take pride in offering the very best care for our patients. The SLT team is comprised of a consultant SLT, Highly Specialised SLTs, Specialised SLTs, Newly Qualified SLTs and SLT assistants.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will provide specialist assessment and management of patients living with frailty and ageing at any stage of their hospital journey, including A&E admission, during their inpatient stay, and assisting safe and timely discharge. This will include working alongside Frailty Practitioners, Medical Registrar and Consultants in Geriatrics.
You will have opportunities to develop skills in areas such as frailty/ elderly care, emergency medicine, respiratory medicine, and progressive neurological disorders, while working closely with SLT and MDT colleagues.
The post holder will independently provide a comprehensive specialist clinical service specifically to adults admitted who are living with frailty and ageing, and who have communication and swallowing disorders. They will provide training, direct, and indirect support to other professionals relating to communication and swallowing disorders and will participate in the development and implementation of care pathways, departmental policies, and protocols. The successful candidate will work across all inpatient wards and contribute to weekend working.
At Southport Hospital we hold regular Video fluoroscopy clinics and have implemented the MBSImP protocol. We also have an established FEES service. For the right candidate, there is potential for development opportunities in these areas.
Working for our organisation
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
· To undertake specialist therapy assessment, clinically diagnose and implement
treatment plans for patients with dysphagia and communication disorders in a
manner that respects people’s privacy, dignity, and individuality.
· To liaise with members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team and external agencies to
ensure the effective management of patients care, communicating patient
information in relation to their care as required.
· Manage a clinical caseload ensuring patients are seen in a timely manner.
· To ensure effective internal and external 2-way communication with patients,
carers and all other Health and Social Care Professionals regarding all aspects
of patient care.
· To provide and receive complex information which requires empathy and
reassurance. Communicating where there may be barriers to understanding and
where skills such as motivational interviewing and counselling are required.
· Able to formulate and implement individualised care plans, reviewing progress
and adapting as required.
· To be involved in the production and evaluation of resources produced by the
department e.g. information and training packs, advice leaflets etc, providing
specialist advice.
· To provide cover for leave and sickness to the clinical service as appropriate.
· To be a member of the multi-disciplinary team and actively participate in M.D.T.
meetings.
· To contribute to the development of departmental / organisational procedures
and guidelines.
· Ensure the safe use of appropriate medical devices required to carry out
treatment in line with departmental procedures.
· To participate in shift patterns to support the delivery of 6/7 day service as
Required.
· To provide training sessions for other health care professionals and patient/carer
groups.
· To work autonomously but recognise own limitations and when to escalate issues or refer to more senior therapist for advice and support.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
· To develop and maintain accessible patient information, equipment, and resources to complement Rehabilitation.
· To be responsible for the timely and accurate collection of such statistics / records
as are required nationally and departmentally and to ensure that confidentiality is
maintained.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
· To develop knowledge and skills in specific therapy practice through a
competency based programme led by the team leader.
· To develop knowledge and skills in specific therapy practice through a
competency based programme led by the team leader.
· To participate in service training, keeping up to date with relevant practice and
maintaining CPD portfolio.
· To identify own personal development needs with supervisor through supervision
and Personal Development Plans.
· To actively contribute to Trust/Departmental activities in relation to Clinical
Governance and audit in service area as requested by clinical supervisor.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent
- Post graduate dysphagia qualification
- HCPC Registered
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous demonstrable experience of working in a health, social or personal care setting as a Speech and Language Therapist with adults with a range of acquired communication and dysphagia disorders.
- Working knowledge of confidentiality and data protection procedures in relation to the recording of patient information
- Awareness of current NHS issues, National Policies and relevant frameworks/quality indicators
- Knowledge of evidence based practice and importance within clinical area.
- Experience of taking an active role within Multidisciplinary Team.
- Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance, and its application within Therapy
- Demonstrate commitment to your and others ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and maintenance of professional portfolio.
- Awareness of health and safety issues and reporting mechanisms
Desirable criteria
- Basic competency in videofluoroscopic examinations and tracheostomy management.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to manage own time and work autonomously within clinical and non-clinical activity and to guide others using problem solving and decision making skills.
- Ability to maintain records, statistical and activity data according to service standards.
- Ability to encourage and motivate others by providing sound practical and realistic advice.
- Ability to demonstrate clinical reasoning and a holistic problem solving approach appropriate to experience within clinical area.
- Ability to manage own stress and awareness of stress in others
- To demonstrate tact/diplomacy and empathy within clinical settings
- Good interpersonal skills with effective written and verbal communication
- Effective teaching and presentation skills
- Ability to demonstrate assertiveness within clinical settings
- Ability to positively represent the Therapy Team within the Organisation
- Ability to demonstrate reflective practice
Other
Essential criteria
- The post includes a combination of complex physical activities with duties being carried out in a variety of settings across the clinical sites
- The post holder will be required to work across sites including hospital / community settings
- To be able to carry out moving and handling with patients using equipment e.g. hoists, or use of specialist medical devices related to specialism
- The post holder will be required to use frequent concentration in assessing patients and devising care plans during the day.
- Conveying complex information in a comprehensible and practical way to clients, families and carers where there may be significant barriers to understanding.
- Prioritising clinical work responding to unpredictable demands on time e.g. responding to bleeps for urgent referrals
- The post holder will often have to overcome barriers to communication such as illiteracy, learning difficulties, hearing and sight impairment, language and may have to work with interpreters.
- Communication with and have direct contact with a wide variety of people, including health, social care and education professionals, patients, carers, the public.
- Daily involvement with chronically and terminally ill patients and their carers.
- The post holder will be exposed to sensitive, emotional and distressing circumstances, including terminally ill patients and abusive patients/carers.
- The post holder will be exposed to the working conditions associated clinical environment
- Routinely encounters unpleasant smells and sights, with possible exposure to bodily fluids including blood and sputum
- Ability to fulfill the travel requirements of the post
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Heather Woodcock
- Job title
- Lead for Acute Medical and Surgical SLT
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01704 704361
- Additional information
We would welcome informal conversations and visits to further discuss this exciting post and the opportunities we can offer as a team. Please contact Heather Woodcock on 01704 704361 for more information.
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