Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist looking to work in a highly specialist environment with complex and rewarding cases? Join Badby Park for 22.5 hours per week as the Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to manage a diverse caseload and deliver high-quality, person-centred care to residents with complex communication, tracheostomy and Dysphagia needs.

In this role, you will take full responsibility for your own specialist caseload, working as an autonomous practitioner while collaborating closely with the multidisciplinary team. You will deliver detailed assessments and interventions, including tracheostomy communication and dysphagia management, using both formal tools and advanced clinical analysis to support accurate diagnosis and effective treatment planning.

You will work closely with residents, families and carers, providing clear and compassionate guidance around complex communication, voice and swallowing difficulties. A key part of the role includes leading on tracheostomy care and weaning, as well as coordinating safe swallowing programmes in collaboration with nursing teams, kitchen staff and dietitians to ensure appropriate nutrition and care.

As a specialist clinician, you will provide training, support and education to therapy assistants, wider staff teams and colleagues, helping to build confidence and capability across the service. You will also lead communication-focused group activities, support the use of communication aids, and work alongside Psychology and Occupational Therapy teams on complex cases, including capacity assessments and assistive technology programmes.

As the SLT you will be responsible for supporting your SLT & SLTA, providing monthly supervision, oversight and support on their caseloads and their annual appraisals.

Other Responsibilities

• To have personal, professional and legal responsibility for own highly specialist caseload of residents, working as an autonomous practitioner, seeking support when needed.
• To select, use and interpret accurately the appropriate specialist tracheostomy communication and or swallowing assessments for own caseload. Assessment can include formal assessments (i.e. published assessments) and informal assessments e.g. own assessments, accurate perceptual analysis of residents’ speech together with transcription, detailed language analysis.
• To assess and differently diagnose tracheostomy, communication and swallowing difficulties arising from a variety of different complex conditions and to understand how diagnosis affects prognoses and thereby contribute to a medical diagnosis.
• To contribute actively to multidisciplinary teams and provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy input.
• To attend and contribute to relevant clinical and management meetings
• To work closely with residents, carers and families giving appropriate explanations of complex communication, tracheostomy, voice and/or swallowing difficulties.
• Ensure safeguarding of vulnerable adults & children
• To work closely with kitchen staff, nursing staff and dietician regarding residents on swallowing programmes (with and without feeding tubes in situ) to ensure adequate nutritional intake and appropriate consistency of food.
• To demonstrate empathy with residents, carers, families and colleagues ensuring that effective communication is achieved.
• To assess the need for and, teach residents and carers in the safe and effective use of application of low – and high-tech communication aids.
• To teach therapy assistants and carers relevant swallowing or communication programmes for individual residents.
• To lead the therapeutic group activities that relate to communication.
• To persuade, motivate, negotiate and problem solve with residents, colleagues in the department, MDT and other professionals.
• To work with the Psychology team regarding complex capacity issues relating to residents with communication difficulties.
• To document correctly all relevant information, including care plans and care records.
• To refer to and action any therapy programmes from, the Assistive Technology Team working closely with OT.
• To lead on tracheostomy weaning, liaising with and referring to, ENT as appropriate.
• To provide written reports as required.