An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic SLT to join the Paediatric Audiovestibular Medicine (AVM) Developmental Speech Disorders Team, based at the Royal National ENT Hospital in Huntley Street, London. Formally the Nuffield Centre, the service has particular expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). The clinical lead was a member of the project team that developed the RCSLT’s position paper on CAS. The specialist hospital is recognized as a centre of excellence, where we take pride in delivering outstanding, person-centred care that places individuals and their families at the heart of everything we do.
The successful candidate will have robust specialist clinical experience in speech sound disorders (including CAS) and intervention tools (including the Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme) and will be able to work independently with patients with complex presentations. The post holder will demonstrate excellent communication skills and will liaise closely with the wider multidisciplinary paediatric AVM team, and with the referring SLTs. Professional support and regular supervision will be provided by the senior SLT.
As part of the interview process, the candidates will be asked to give a 10-minute presentation to the interview panel on a topic related to speech sound disorders. The title will be given upon invite to interview.
As a member of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder plays an important role in providing a tertiary level, highly specialist speech assessment, differential diagnosis, and therapy of complex speech disorder cases. This includes undertaking comprehensive evaluations, making highly specialist clinical decisions, and formulating accurate differential diagnoses based on assessment findings. The role requires the application of expert clinical knowledge to develop evidence-based management plans tailored to each child's individual needs. Assessment will involve multidisciplinary and/or individual SLT- led clinics. Assessment and therapy will take place either face-to-face or via the remote video platform. The service supports children who are typically receiving local speech and language therapy but are making insufficient progress despite intervention.
A key responsibility is providing second opinions and specialist consultations for children with severe speech disorders, including cases where previous assessments have produced conflicting conclusions or where sensitive and potentially contentious clinical opinions are required. The post holder offers expert advice and support to speech and language therapists and other professionals involved in the child's care.
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.
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.
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The role also involves communicating complex clinical information clearly and sensitively to children, parents, carers, and members of the multidisciplinary team. Effective communication skills are essential to ensure understanding, particularly when discussing complex diagnose and treatment recommendations. The post holder will work collaboratively with families, carers and local SLT’s to agree appropriate management plans and adapt interventions to meet the child’s needs.
In addition to direct clinical work, the post holder will be encouraged to contribute to the development of professional knowledge and practice through teaching and training. This includes delivering specialist education to qualified SLT’s and other professionals. The post holder may also supervise students and support their clinical learning and development.
The position includes responsibility for maintaining accurate clinical records, undertaking research and audit activities within the specialist area, and contributing to service development. Through clinical expertise, leadership, education, and research, the post holder will support the delivery of a high-quality specialist service for children with severe developmental speech disorders.
