South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist: Community Dysphagia

The closing date is 19 October 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and energetic Speech and Language Therapist to lead and develop the Speech and Language Therapy community dysphagia service.

The post holder will be responsible for managing patients with acquired dysphagia who are resident in the South Tees locality community setting (residing within their own home or a care home setting). As this is a new development you will have opportunity to evaluate and implement hybrid methods of service delivery to best meet service demand, such as home visits, clinics and virtual assessments.

Main duties of the job

The clinical caseload will include managing patients with a diagnosis of dementia, stroke, and potentially some neurological conditions eg Parkinson's Disease or other undiagnosed neurological conditions. There will also be a requirement to liaise with gastroenterology regarding the management of patients with oesophageal dysphagia.

The service will work across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, but with an office base within the main speech therapy department at The James Cook University Hospital site.

Provision of education and training to carers and health care professionals supporting the patient caseload will also be an important part of this role.

You will contribute to achieving performance targets for the service and be responsible for evaluating service provision and achieving targets within your specific clinical area.

Regular support will be provided from your operational lead and from specialist colleagues across the wider team.

About us

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. You will be expected to attend the following training sessions:

Your Leadership Impact

Leading your Team to Success

Leading Into the Future

Service Improvement for Beginners

Developing your Service Improvement Skills

Lean Practitioner

The leadership and improvement programme aims to:

Explore leadership within the NHS

Promote Trust values and behaviours

Develop your leadership effectiveness and skills

Equip staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and complete service improvements within the scope of your role.

After you complete these six and a half days of training you will be able to explore further leadership and improvement training opportunities. We also offer a range of additional in-house and externally provided courses and bitesize programmes through our Leadership and Improvement Team.

Details

Date posted

03 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

328-JCSM-7506023

Job locations

The James Cook University Hospital

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) attached for main responsibilities of the role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) attached for main responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • oBasic IT skills
  • oAudit and research experience
  • oProject management / quality improvement experience
  • oEvidence of ongoing continuous professional development
  • oTo display effective communication skills, communicating complex, sensitive and contentious information to patients, carers and colleagues
  • oTo demonstrate analytical skills and judgement when dealing with the management of complex clients
  • oSkills of motivation, persuasion and innovation
  • oDemonstrate excellent knowledge and clinical expertise within relevant specialist area

Desirable

  • oExperience with use of electronic note systems e.g. SystemOne

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • oTo hold a degree or relevant Diploma in Speech & Language Therapy
  • oTo be a registered member of the Health Care Professions Council
  • oTo have post-graduate training in dysphagia (can be in house or external)
  • oTo be a member of RCSLT
  • oHave undertaken relevant leadership development training or qualifications

Experience

Essential

  • oTo have substantial post graduate experience including work with frail, respiratory, elderly, stroke and neuro patients in an acute, rehabilitation and / or community setting
  • oTo have experience in the management of dysphagia at advanced level
  • oIdeally to be competent in undertaking videofluoroscopy assessments
Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • oBasic IT skills
  • oAudit and research experience
  • oProject management / quality improvement experience
  • oEvidence of ongoing continuous professional development
  • oTo display effective communication skills, communicating complex, sensitive and contentious information to patients, carers and colleagues
  • oTo demonstrate analytical skills and judgement when dealing with the management of complex clients
  • oSkills of motivation, persuasion and innovation
  • oDemonstrate excellent knowledge and clinical expertise within relevant specialist area

Desirable

  • oExperience with use of electronic note systems e.g. SystemOne

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • oTo hold a degree or relevant Diploma in Speech & Language Therapy
  • oTo be a registered member of the Health Care Professions Council
  • oTo have post-graduate training in dysphagia (can be in house or external)
  • oTo be a member of RCSLT
  • oHave undertaken relevant leadership development training or qualifications

Experience

Essential

  • oTo have substantial post graduate experience including work with frail, respiratory, elderly, stroke and neuro patients in an acute, rehabilitation and / or community setting
  • oTo have experience in the management of dysphagia at advanced level
  • oIdeally to be competent in undertaking videofluoroscopy assessments

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

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The James Cook University Hospital

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The James Cook University Hospital

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Operational Lead Speech and Language Therapist

Kathryn Dawson

kathryn.dawson1@nhs.net

01642854497

Details

Date posted

03 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

328-JCSM-7506023

Job locations

The James Cook University Hospital

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW


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