Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - University of Liverpool

Job overview

Are you a flexible and innovative Speech and Language Therapist who is looking for a new and exciting challenge?

If you have a strong interest in working with adults with complex conditions in a fast-paced environment, come and join our talented team in the state-of-the-art new Royal Liverpool Hospital in the centre of Liverpool.

We cover many different medical specialities including Frailty, A&E, Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory & Critical Care. This opportunity is also open to experienced Band 5s who are keen to develop into a band 6 role via a training route.

We are a dynamic, supportive, and friendly team who are forward thinking and passionate about evidence-based practice and service development. We are committed to continuing professional development through monthly CPD team events, peer supervision, attendance and presentation at internal and national courses.

Main duties of the job

As a member of a flexible and supportive team you will have the opportunity to work with a broad range of complex conditions from a range of clinical specialities. You will be supported to further develop your skills in dysphagia and communication as well as caseload management, prioritisation and leadership.

You will have access to expert practitioner SALTs working with advanced dysphagia, critical care, and respiratory conditions. Two videofluoroscopy clinics run weekly and we have a well-established inpatient FEES service. Band 6 staff have the opportunity to become videofluoroscopy competent practitioners.

You will work as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team across the hospital. SLTs regularly attend Feeding Issues MDT and jointly work with the Learning Disability Team and Dementia Team to provide holistic patient care. There is SLT representation in many hospital wide multi professional working groups such as oral care, nutrition and hydration, communication and tracheostomy.

We have a clear supervision structure and advice is available from our highly skilled Clinical Specialists. Band 6 employees are required to supervise Band 5 and assistant staff and deputise for clinical team leads. You will be encouraged to support service development through participation in internal and external projects.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a Specialist Speech & Language Therapy Service to patients who have acquired dysphagia and communication disorders in acute settings.

Be an active member of the multidisciplinary teams to ensure the best possible service for patients and their families.

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSc/MSc Graduate
• Registration with HPC
• Member of RCSLT
• Post Graduate professional qualification

• Attends regular SIG meetings in areas of clinical interest

Experience

• Post qualification experience working with Adult Acquired disorders
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary environment

• Experience of running Adult groups
• Able to work with Assistants
• Videofluoroscopy assessments with senior
• Working with voluntary agencies
• Teaching/training others
• Involvement in audit or clinical research
• Involvement in Clinical Supervision process
• Experience of taking SLT observation students

Knowledge

• Sound dysphagia skills - able to work independently

• Understanding of current issues affecting NHS
• Evidence of attendance on external courses to develop knowledge and skills in specialised clinical areas

Skills

• Good knowledge and skills in therapeutic and functional approaches to communication disorders
• Evidence of developing clinical reasoning and problem solving skills
• Can evaluate the effectiveness of clinical intervention
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to organise own caseload effectively
• Excellent interpersonal skills - observation, listening and empathy skills
• Basic IT skills
• Excellent written and verbal skills

Other

• Able to work collaboratively within a team
• Flexible/able to cope with change
• Committed to personal development
• Awareness of own limitations

• Demonstrates empathy with patients
• Experience of facilitating communication between language impaired patients, staff and carers

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18^th birthday.

Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.