Specialist SLT Early Years Complex Needs and Dysphagia

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

The closing date is 07 May 2025

Job summary

We are seeking a dedicated and creative Speech and Language Therapist, either at Band 6 level or someone looking to progress in their career. Join our innovative and supportive team in Barnet, where you will have the chance to make a real impact.

This role is perfect for someone with a keen interest in paediatric complex needs and dysphagia. The position is offered as 0.6 Full Time Equivalent (FTE), but we would consider full-time applicants. There are also opportunities to explore working within other pathways in the service.

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to children (predominantly from birth to five years, including infants) and young people to 19 years in Barnet with multiple and complex needs, including speech, language and communication, and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. The therapist will be required to work within settings in Barnet including and not exhaustive of clinics, Special Schools, specialist nurseries and homes as required. This involves independent assessment, diagnosis and treatment for the designated caseload. This includes people from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds. The therapist will develop their skills as an independent practitioner with the appropriate level of support relevant to the equivalent of the role.

About us

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.

Date posted

23 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£42,939 to £50,697 a year pro-rata per annum inclusive of HCAs

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

220-WHT-3066

Job locations

Barnet Children's Integrated Therapies

3rd Floor, Westgate House, Edgware Community Hospital,

Edgware

HA8 0AD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Patient care

To be responsible for clinical delivery of SLT Service to babies, young children and adolescents with feeding difficulties for whom a specialist level of assessment and intervention is required.

To evaluate the effects of communication difficulties and swallowing status on the psychosocial well-being of children and their families.

Complete assessments, write individual programmes, implement groups, provide specialist advice and resources and review outcomes with a functional based focus.

To work collaboratively with children, families and other professionals to achieve outcomes for individuals, providing support, programmes, ideas, advice and assessment.

To provide specialist advice to others regarding the management and care of children with feeding and swallowing difficulties.

To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures. This requires knowledge of current research and agreed best practice in working in the field of specialism.

To provide a service considering the needs of clients from a range of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

To liaise with specialist teaching staff, classroom teachers and education support staff to provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy input to curriculum and programme planning.

To liaise closely with the Special Needs Services staff within Barnet and with members of the Learning Support Services working with children with complex needs & dysphagia.

To maintain close links with Speech and Language Therapy staff working in Early Years, School Age and Adult Teams within the trust to ensure smooth transition between phases as required.

Clinical Direct

To take a specialist role in developing the Speech and Language Therapy service to children with complex needs & dysphagia, including developing care pathways and packages, developing assessment, therapy and training materials specific to this client group.

Provide a second opinion when required and advise Speech and Language staff on best practice in the field of complex needs & dysphagia.

Provide colleagues with the opportunity to extend their knowledge

To provide regular specialist training to Health and Education colleagues on a range of topics.

To be professionally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work.

To organise own caseload effectively, prioritising tasks and planning short- and long-term goals together with the children, family and other professionals.

To provide a specialist level of independent assessment, therapy and evaluation of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in settings across the Borough of Barnet. This may include babies, young children and adolescents with cranio-facial abnormalities, acquired neurological disorders, a wide range of syndromes and/or complex medical needs affecting their feeding and swallowing abilities, or any child who may have feeding and swallowing difficulties secondary to other illnesses.

To correctly identify the need for a videofluoroscopy and liaise with the relevant professionals to make a referral.

To make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from assessment seeking advice as appropriate.

To demonstrate highly developed auditory and perceptual skills in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children.

To demonstrate a level of skill in the use of technology appropriate to Speech and Language Therapy.

To work in conjunction with other Specialist Speech and Language Therapists to assess and provide intervention for complex cases, seeking advice and making referrals for further investigations as indicated by the disorder.

To develop ideas of innovative practice in working in the promotion and development of childrens eating, drinking and swallowing skills in specialist area.

To disseminate the results of assessments, difficult diagnoses and management of feeding issues to children, families and other professionals in a sensitive and clear manner.

To provide written reports reflecting specialist knowledge following assessment and/or treatment presenting complex information that is clear and understandable for children, families and other professionals.

To direct the clinical work of Speech and Language Therapy Assistants and support staff, through providing programmes, modelling practice and monitoring progress.

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, using reflective skills, to inform future treatment plans and decision-making regarding on-going therapy and discharge.

To adhere to local and national policies, contributing to the development of procedures and protocols in conjunction with senior Speech and Language Therapists.

To adhere to and apply the Health and Care Professions Councils (HCPC) standards of proficiency and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) code of ethics and professional conduct and all other relevant guidance from Whittington Health NHS Trust

To demonstrate appropriate physical skills where dexterity and accuracy are important e.g. manual treatments, signing