Go back East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist for Stroke and Neurology
The closing date is 22 August 2025
Due to increased investment in stroke services we are expanding our team at EKHUFT! We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated SLT with proven, advanced clinical and leadership experience to lead our stroke and neurology service at Kent and Canterbury Hospital.
We take pride in the work we do to support people who have a stroke or neurological diagnosis to reach their potential. Are you looking for the next challenge in your career? If so, this is a great opportunity to play a key role in developing our expanding stroke and neurology services at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. The increased investment in our services has resulted in a substantial increase in staffing which will enable us to deliver a holistic, forward-thinking service over seven days.
We are looking for a leader who is a team-player and who will contribute to our existing positive workplace culture. You will be highly skilled in the delivery of SLT services and able to operationally lead the team.
As part of the broader adult SLT service, you'll be joining a team that fosters growth and positivity. Across our three main hospital sites, we offer a range of specialist inpatient services including videofluoroscopy and FEES and we are active members of the altered airways MDTs. You will work closely with the existing Head of Service and Clinical Lead for Adult SLT.
Main duties of the job
This post is a newly developed role and will allow the post-holder the creativity to develop our expanding stroke and neurology services at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. The configuration of beds at this site is:
24 hyperacute stroke beds
26 early rehabilitation stroke beds
18 acute neurology beds
19 neuro-rehabilitation beds
The post-holder will provide clinical and operational leadership to the stroke and neurology SLT team, ensuring high-quality clinical governance and service delivery, positive and effective people management, innovative clinical development of services and provide assurance to the Head of Therapy Services and the Head of Inpatient Therapy Services. In addition, the post-holder will work with the SLT team across-site to support patient care and flow and the ongoing provision of dysphagia and communication rehabilitation, videofluoroscopy, FEES and altered airway services to all SLT patients.
The post-holder will be expected to be working equally across the four pillars of practice: Clinical Practice, Leadership and Management, Education and Research.
About us
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.
Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above.
Job responsibilities
Please see the job description and person specification attached for further details of this new role.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent
* Current HCPC registration
* Master's Degree in a health related subject relevant to specialist area of clinical practice and professional registration, or with date for completion of Master's programme, with standalone L7 advanced practice modules.
* Accredited Health Management course
* NHS Leadership Academy qualification or equivalent
* RCSLT membership
Clinical skills and experience
* Clinical practitioner with advanced practice skills and significant experience in clinical roles within the acute hospital setting, underpinned by the four pillars of practice.
* Advanced clinical competencies (FEES, videofluoroscopy and tracheostomy
* Experience of working within a variety of models of care delivery and settings
* Evidence of academic published work or research
Governance
* Clear understanding of quality governance, patient safety and patient experience tools and methodology with evidence of application to clinical practice and service improvement.
* Utilisation of clinical effectiveness tools to deliver quality improvement e.g. risk management and clinical audit.
* Leadership of innovative practice utilising research and audit.
* Evidence of contributing to service development, delivery and successful change management
* Knowledge of health policy and application to practice.
Personal and professional attributes
* Ability to engage a team in achieving goals for a clear and shared vision.
* Able to create and maintain a positive work-place culture that is inclusive of all team members, stakeholders and service users.
* Demonstrate self-awareness and critical reflection
* Strong verbal and written communication skills and effective public speaker Self-motivated, positive, adaptable and flexible approach
Other requirements
* Flexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service
* Commitment to equity and diversity Upholds and role models the Trust values Able to travel across site
* Upholds and role models the Trust values
* Able to travel across site (including moving base-site when stroke services move to William Harvey Hospital)
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.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
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