University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Principal Speech and Language Therapist, Head and Neck Cancer

The closing date is 10 July 2025

Job summary

We have a rare and exciting opportunity for a speech and language therapist with excellent advanced leadership and clinical skills to join our senior band 8a SaLT team and lead our regional speech and language therapy head and neck cancer service. We are committed to reducing health inequalities and access to our services in Head and Neck cancer and you will be part of a team working across sites and all aspects of the patient pathways with a shared focus on surgery, oncology, and rehabilitation across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. You will lead a team of speech and language therapists in this area and have a close working relationship with our clinical lead for Voice as well as all ENT medical, nursing and AHP professionals across the clinical pathways. Our service offers speech and language therapy led VFS, FEES and SVR. You will lead on clinical service developments and innovation as well as line management, supervision and all aspects of clinical governance in this specialist area including teaching, audit, risk management and quality improvement.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Lead and expert practitioner Head and Neck Cancer.

Line management, supervision and mentor.

Advanced clinical skills - FEES, VFS, SVR, dysphagia, airway management.

Teaching and training

Service development

Key member of the senior SaLT team

MDT member.

Outpatient clinics across the sites

Speech, voice and swallow rehabilitation

Research and audit.

About us

At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.

Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/

Details

Date posted

23 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

279-7256262-JUN25

Job locations

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Eastern Road

Brighton

BN2 5BE


Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Lead and expert practitioner Head and Neck Cancer.

Line management, supervision and mentor of a team of speech and language therapists and administration staff.

Advanced clinical skills - FEES, VFS, SVR, dysphagia, airway management. This includes competencies in tracheostomy and laryngectomy management.

Teaching and training - across a range of professionals, students and carers.

Service development within speech and language therapy and head and neck cancer/ENT. This includes quality improvements and innovations.

Key member of the senior SaLT team - you will attend the speech and language therapy monthly Board and Quality and Safety meetings and contribute robustly to the overall development and management of the service including budgetary and workforce responsibilities.

Outpatient clinics across the sites including clinics at several sites and a domiciliary caseload as well as ongoing liaison with community services.

Speech, voice and swallow rehabilitation

Research and audit.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Lead and expert practitioner Head and Neck Cancer.

Line management, supervision and mentor of a team of speech and language therapists and administration staff.

Advanced clinical skills - FEES, VFS, SVR, dysphagia, airway management. This includes competencies in tracheostomy and laryngectomy management.

Teaching and training - across a range of professionals, students and carers.

Service development within speech and language therapy and head and neck cancer/ENT. This includes quality improvements and innovations.

Key member of the senior SaLT team - you will attend the speech and language therapy monthly Board and Quality and Safety meetings and contribute robustly to the overall development and management of the service including budgetary and workforce responsibilities.

Outpatient clinics across the sites including clinics at several sites and a domiciliary caseload as well as ongoing liaison with community services.

Speech, voice and swallow rehabilitation

Research and audit.

Person Specification

Professional Registration

Essential

  • HCPC and RCSLT

Experience / Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate knowledge, skills and experience
  • Degree or recognised equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
  • Membership of relevant CEN(s), forums.
  • Advanced dysphagia training and competencies.

Desirable

  • Counselling training and experience.

Skills

Essential

  • Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
  • Tracheostomy competencies
  • Able to diagnose full range of communication and swallowing disorders within area of specialist knowledge.

Desirable

  • Surgical Voice restoration
  • Experience of developing and running support groups for families/carers

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

  • Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Person Specification

Professional Registration

Essential

  • HCPC and RCSLT

Experience / Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate knowledge, skills and experience
  • Degree or recognised equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
  • Membership of relevant CEN(s), forums.
  • Advanced dysphagia training and competencies.

Desirable

  • Counselling training and experience.

Skills

Essential

  • Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
  • Tracheostomy competencies
  • Able to diagnose full range of communication and swallowing disorders within area of specialist knowledge.

Desirable

  • Surgical Voice restoration
  • Experience of developing and running support groups for families/carers

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

  • Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Eastern Road

Brighton

BN2 5BE


Employer's website

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Eastern Road

Brighton

BN2 5BE


Employer's website

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Principal SaLT Head and Neck Cancer

Alexa Hollis

alexahollis@nhs.net

07795505945

Details

Date posted

23 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

279-7256262-JUN25

Job locations

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Eastern Road

Brighton

BN2 5BE


Supporting documents

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