Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Job summary
Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist with a passion for dysphagia and a desire to shape and develop excellent services?
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled and enthusiastic SLT to join our team as a dysphagia lead at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
This is an opportunity to combine highly specialist clinical practice with clinical leadership, education, quality improvement and service development. You will have the opportunity to influence dysphagia care across the Trust, supporting colleagues and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, evidence based and person centred care.
As our dysphagia lead, you will provide Trust wide clinical experience and specialist expertise for adults with complex swallowing difficulties.
Instrumental assessment is an important part of the role, and you will support the development of FEES and VF services. You will also provide specialist input for patients with tracheostomies. Training and support can be given in these areas if needed.
Alongside your clinical work you will have the opportunity to make a real difference to how dysphagia care develops across our hospitals. You will lead and contribute to clinical pathways, guidelines, competency frameworks, audit, quality improvement and dysphagia related education and training.
We are looking for an experienced SLT who can bring enthusiasm, clinical expertise and leadership to this role.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide Trust-wide clinical leadership and highly
specialist expertise in the assessment and management of adults with complex
dysphagia, acting as an autonomous practitioner and expert clinical resource.
2. To lead the development, delivery, evaluation and
continuous improvement of safe, effective and evidence-based dysphagia practice
across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
3. To provide highly specialist instrumental assessment of
swallowing, including Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and
videofluoroscopy, interpreting complex findings and formulating appropriate
management recommendations.
4. To provide expert assessment and management for patients
with complex dysphagia, including patients with tracheostomies and those
receiving critical care.
5. To provide specialist clinical advice, second opinions,
supervision and competency support to Speech and Language Therapists working
with dysphagia.
6. To lead dysphagia-related clinical governance, audit,
quality improvement, policy and pathway development, supporting the
identification, escalation and reduction of clinical risk.
7. To lead and coordinate dysphagia education and training
for relevant staff across the Trust.
8. To work collaboratively with patients, carers and the
multidisciplinary team, influencing complex clinical decision-making and
supporting safe transfer of care for patients with ongoing dysphagia needs.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent recognised qualification in Speech and Language Therapy
- Current HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist
- Evidence of relevant postgraduate education and training in adult dysphagia
- Evidence of ongoing CPD relevant to highly specialist dysphagia practice
Desirable
- Postgraduate study at Master’s level or equivalent
- Leadership/service improvement training
- Clinical educator/supervision qualification or training
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration SLT experience, including substantial experience in adult dysphagia
- Highly specialist knowledge and experience in assessment and management of complex adult dysphagia
- Demonstrable competence in clinical dysphagia assessment and management at a highly specialist level
- Experience of managing complex clinical risk and making autonomous clinical decisions
- Experience of working within an acute hospital multidisciplinary environment
- Experience in assessment and management of patients with tracheostomy
- Competent in videofluoroscopic assessment of swallowing or evidence of advanced progress towards independent competence with ability to achieve full competence within an agreed timeframe
- Independent competence in FEES, or evidence of advanced progress towards independent competence with ability to achieve full competence within an agreed timeframe
- Knowledge of relevant professional guidance and evidence relating to dysphagia
Desirable
- Experience across a range of acute specialties, e.g. stroke, critical care, respiratory, frailty, neurology
- Experience of developing or expanding an instrumental assessment service
- Advanced tracheostomy experience
- FEES supervisor/mentor level competence
- Experience of complex shared decision-making/eating and drinking with acknowledged risks
- Experience across organisational boundaries/community interfaces
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Sound knowledge of clinical governance, patient safety, risk management and evidence-based practice
- Experience of clinical audit/service evaluation and implementing improvements arising from findings
- Experience of quality improvement/service improvement
- Ability to critically appraise evidence and translate evidence/guidance into clinical practice
Desirable
- Experience contributing to investigation of incidents or complaints
- Formal QI methodology training
- Research experience, publication or presentation
- Experience presenting audit/QI work beyond own service
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information to patients, carers and professionals
- Evidence of effective multidisciplinary working and ability to influence clinical decision-making
- Ability to manage differences of professional opinion constructively and advocate for safe, patient-centred dysphagia care
- Demonstrates advanced clinical reasoning and sound professional judgement
- Able to work autonomously and take responsibility for complex clinical decisions within scope of practice
- Demonstrates clinical leadership, professional credibility and ability to act as a positive role model
- Able to prioritise competing demands and respond appropriately to clinical risk
- Able to work collaboratively and build effective professional relationships
- Demonstrates commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and person-centred care
- Demonstrates behaviours consistent with Trust values: being open and honest, ensuring people feel cared for, and showing respect for everyone
Desirable
- Previous formal clinical lead experience
- Experience of business case or service redesign work
- Formal leadership/management development
Closing Date: 28 September 2026
To apply for this job please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk.