Employer Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site St Micheal's Hospital Town Enfield Salary £61,631 - £68,623 Per Annum inclusive of HCAs Salary period Yearly Closing 07/01/2026 23:59
Clinical Lead Adult Community Speech and Language Therapy
NSH AfC: Band 8a
Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.
Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.
Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
Take the Lead. Make a Difference. Shape the Future of Community SLT and be part of a leading NHS trust in North Central London.
Are you an experienced Band 7 or 8a Speech and Language Therapist looking for the next big step in your career? Do you want to lead a dynamic team and drive innovation in community-based therapy? If so, this Clinical Lead role could be the perfect opportunity for you!
Why Join Us?
Lead a highly skilled team of SLTs and SLT Assistants.
Work closely with SLT colleagues across North Middlesex University Hospital ( NMUH) and the Royal Free London NHS Trust being part of the same organisation since we merged in Jan 2025. You will be part of the cross site senior SLT leads forums, have access to joint VF clinics at NMUH, have access to joint CPD and training with secondary care based SLTs and access to Band 8b clinical SLT leads.
Have the autonomy to shape services and implement new ways of working.
Receive full support for CPD, leadership training, and career progression.
Be part of a Trust that prioritises staff well-being with services like an Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health support, and a Wellbeing Forum.
Main duties of the job
Your Impact
As Clinical Lead, you will:
Oversee the clinical organisation and development of adult community SLT services in the London Borough of Enfield Provide highly specialist advice to the rehabilitation and therapy teams.
Lead clinical governance, service audits, and quality improvement initiatives .
Manage a complex caseload, using advanced clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills. The caseload consists of adults with acquired pathologies giving the chance for a wide variation in aetiologies.
Work strategically with AHP Leads and senior stakeholders to enhance service delivery.
What We’re Looking For:
Qualified SLT with RCSLT-recognised degree and HCPC registration.
Strong leadership & mentorship experience, including clinical supervision.
Exceptional communication & problem‑solving skills in complex cases.
Passion for service development & innovation in community SLT care.
Be Part of Something Bigger
We are an integral part of the North Central London Integrated Care System, working in collaboration with NHS and Local Authority partners. We are proud of our teaching hospital status, supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Working for our organisation
The North Middlesex University Hospital, Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust is a medium-sized acute and community trust with over 525 beds and over 600 community staff, serving more than 600,000 people living across Enfield and Haringey and the surrounding areas, including Barnet and Waltham Forest.
In the year ending 31 March 2022, the Trust reported a turnover of £419.7m and employed almost 4,000 staff. Following the transfer of Enfield Community Services on 1st April 2023, this has increased as we have welcomed over 600 new staff including District Nurses, Community Matrons, Community Physiotherapists, Psychologists and many more across a wide range of adult and children's community services in Enfield.
In January 2025 we joined the Royal Free group: it is an exciting time to join North Mid as we continue our journey to become an integrated care organisation to deliver high quality, seamless care in our local communities, with a focus on tackling health inequalities.
North Mid is part of North Central London integrated care system - consisting of the NHS and Local authority organisations in Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. As with other ICSs, we are working increasingly closely with partners and indeed many of our financial and performance objectives are measured at this system level. Whilst all organisations remain as standalone statutory bodies, we have an ICS infrastructure for making shared decisions and agreeing shared approaches.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* On a daily basis to make decisions on allocation of available resources which directly affect level of SLT intervention to specific patients and be able justify those decisions to patients, carers and others.
* To deal sensitively at an advanced level with patients and carers who have high levels of anxiety as a result of their condition e.g. pain, loss of mobility, poor prognosis, cognitive impairment (e.g. dementia, learning difficulties)
* To support and educate patients and carers in managing complex SLT needs.
* To undertake a comprehensive highly specialist assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies: use highly advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to provide an accurate clinical diagnosis of their conditions
* Formulate and deliver individual SLT treatment programmes based on an extensive knowledge of evidence based practice and ability to apply a wide range of treatment options. Evaluate patient progress, reassess and modify treatment programmes as required.
* Develop comprehensive management plans in conjunction with other members of the multi-disciplinary team. This includes recommendations based on sound clinical judgment, for referral/transfer to other in or outpatient services for specialist ongoing management. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and prognosis and involvement in ongoing management planning
* To comply with the Child Protection Policy and Enfield Protection of Vulnerable Adults policy where appropriate.
* To monitor that the service delivery is patient goal led and in line with best practice.
People (HR) Management
* Lead on day to day supervision of staff/local induction for the service.
* Teach, assess and contribute to the performance assessment and appraisal of less experienced SLTs, TIs and assistant staff, evaluating competence as appropriate.
* Participate in the staff appraisal scheme both as an appraisee and as an appraiser and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet individual and service objectives.
* Performance manage staff within own service and, where appropriate, dealing with competency issues as required.
* Be responsible for the SLT in-service training programme, including tutorials, individual training sessions, delivering presentations and peer review.
* Attend external training as appropriate and identified in own PDP.
* Lead in recruitment for the service and skill mix reviews as appropriate
* To take responsibility for operational management of the adult SLT team, allocating and organising the work of all staff both senior and less experienced staff to meet service priorities.
Person specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
* RCSLT Recognised Diploma/Degree in SLT
* HCPC Registered.
* RCSLT Attendance at relevant Post-Graduate Courses.
* RCSLT Recognised Postgraduate dysphagia Qualification.
* A qualification at Master’s Degree level or equivalent, in a relevant subject relating to this client group
* member of relevant CEN.
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
* Experience of working with out-patients and community MDT setting
* Experience in clinical supervision
* Experience in working with diverse cultures and with complex clinical problems.
* recent and extensive experience at advanced practitioner (Band 7) level in relevant area, including substantial experience of adult dysphagia management, within an NHS setting
* extensive and diverse experience of working with patients with acquired neurological conditions.
* Experience of delivering training packages to carers regarding dysphagia & communication
* Participation in project /audit activities.
* alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC): Experience of assessment and implementation of low and high-tech AAC.
* experience of developing and managing a team
* Carrying out research projects
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
* Fluent in written and spoken English including the ability to generate letters and reports of a high calibre .
* Highly advanced communication skills including the ability to participate in high level meetings regarding either patient care or clinical strategy.
* Highly advanced clinical reasoning, analytical and problem solving skills especially in relation to patients with neurological conditions and adult acquired pathology.
* Ability to prioritise own and others workload within a busy environment.
* Ability to supervise and teach both own profession and other and to members of the MDT
* effective time management and ability to adapt within a busy clinical environment.
* Competent IT skillsEvidence of use of basic Microsoft packages i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
* Able to demonstrate appropriate advanced clinical reasoning in relation to all clinical decisions.
* Experience of organising internal or external training session/course
* Knowledge of Community Care Systems and contribution to care from other agencies, including local authority
* Excellent understanding of any relevant NSFs, NICE guidance and national/local policy relevant to the development and delivery of this service
* Awareness of current professional issues/developments pertinent to own field including a good understanding of legal frameworks impacting on clinical practice and service delivery
Applications are welcome from people wishing to job share or work flexible patterns. We are committed to equal opportunities.
Please note:
* Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
* Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
* Interview arrangements will be communicated via email so please check your email regularly following the closing date.
Please be advised that due to exceptionally high demand, all Royal Free accommodation is at full capacity and waiting lists are being held. Average waiting times are 12 months. Please do not rely on Trust accommodation when you commence your role and ensure you investigate alternative accommodation for your arrival.
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is for 37.5 hours per week and we are happy to discuss flexible or part time working patterns and would welcome you to attend for an informal visit at St Michael’s hospital site, Enfield.
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