We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Speech and Language Therapist to provide strategic, operational and clinical leadership for our specialist Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).
This is an exciting opportunity for a clinician with extensive expertise in Head and Neck Cancer rehabilitation to lead a well-established, nationally recognised service within a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. The post holder will be responsible for the operational management and strategic development of inpatient and outpatient Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, innovative and patient-centred care.
Working closely with the head and neck cancer SLT Co-Team Leads, SLT Manager, Divisional Manager/ Chief AHP and multidisciplinary colleagues, you will provide leadership across workforce development, service performance, governance, quality improvement, transformation and service planning. Alongside your management responsibilities, you will provide expert clinical oversight and act as a specialist resource for complex clinical decision-making, supporting excellent outcomes for patients with complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing needs.
This role is ideal for an experienced Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapist who is committed to delivering quality strategic and operational leadership, service innovation and delivering outstanding patient-centred care within a leading tertiary referral centre.
This role is ideal for an experienced Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapist who is committed to delivering quality strategic and operational leadership, service innovation and delivering outstanding patient-centred care within a leading tertiary referral centre.
As the Service Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will provide professional, clinical, strategic and operational leadership for the Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service across UCLH, in collaboration with the SLT Manager for the Medicine Board, working closely with the other SLT Leads at UCH.
You will lead the delivery and development of specialist inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation pathways, ensuring high-quality, safe and effective care for patients with complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing disorders.
You will be responsible for workforce leadership, service performance, governance, quality improvement, service transformation and operational planning. Working closely with consultant surgeons, oncologists and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will support the achievement of divisional objectives, operational targets and excellent patient outcomes.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
- University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
- University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
- Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
- University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
- The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
- University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
The role includes:
- Providing strategic, operational and clinical leadership for the Head & Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy Service.
- Leading and developing specialist inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation pathways and tertiary referral services.
- Providing expert assessment, diagnosis, treatment and consultancy for patients with highly complex communication, voice, airway and swallowing disorders.
- Leading service development, transformation projects and quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and experience.
- Supporting workforce planning, staff wellbeing, recruitment, supervision and professional development.
- Monitoring service performance, referral pathways, waiting lists and clinical governance requirements.
- Working collaboratively with consultants, nursing teams, dietitians, psychologists and allied health professionals to deliver high-quality multidisciplinary care.
- Contributing to research, audit, innovation and implementation of evidence-based practice.
- Representing the service at Trust, regional and national meetings and professional networks.
- Providing expert professional leadership and acting as a specialist resource for complex clinical decision-making.
Our organisation is driven by our strategic objectives and organisational values.
This position will suit an experienced specialist clinician with strong leadership, service development and operational management skills who is keen to contribute to innovation and transformation within Head & Neck Cancer services.
The team offers excellent professional and peer support, opportunities for collaborative multidisciplinary working and access to specialist networks across UCLH and beyond. You will join a highly skilled and supportive Speech and Language Therapy team committed to delivering outstanding clinical care, education, research and service improvement.
You will be employed in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Agenda for Change.
This post involves working with vulnerable adults and the successful candidate will be required to undertake appropriate pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service clearance.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
- UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working .
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
