Upper Airways Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist
| Posting date: | 05 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,810.00 to £54,710.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £47810.00 - £54710.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 March 2026 |
| Location: | Plymouth, PL6 8DH |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | C9216-26-0361 |
Summary
Clinical 1. To assess, develop and implement highly specialist speech and language therapy treatments. To make appropriate clinical decisions following assessments, including differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment. To develop specialist care plans and reports based in best practice and expert knowledge. 2. To provide appropriate specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes. To use skills and knowledge to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues. 3. To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of patients/clients with upper airway disorders including respiratory physiotherapists and the adult respiratory teams. To provide specialist advice in relation to the relevant care group. 4. To attend and contribute to the Severe Asthma MDT meetings, providing relevant information regarding upper airway, communication and swallowing disorders to support the development of specialist care plans. 5. To undertake and participate in a range of assessments, including Videofluoroscopy, nasendoscopy and Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). To be able to interpret appropriate investigations, within agreed scope of practice. 6. To independently manage personal / shared clinical caseloads with reference to theory, published research and evidence, and agreed best practice. This includes following appropriate referral and discharge criteria. 7. To develop the Upper Airways SLT service in relation to severe asthma, including data collection and analysis, and the completion of outcome measures and service improvement projects. 8. To maintain up-to-date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT and HCPC professional standards and local Trust policies. To share information with others, observing data protection guidelines. 9. To use highly developed communication and counselling skills such as reflective listening, open questioning, empathy, and reassurance when explaining highly complex and sensitive information to the full range of levels in understanding of patients and carers, where anxiety frequently acts as a barrier and cooperation is not guaranteed. 10. To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications for lifestyle and employment. 11. To act as a resource to provide specialist & highly specialist advice to SLT colleagues working within other clinical areas, as well as other health professionals within the Trust & externally as required. 12. To recognise the need for onward referral for specialist intervention or request multidisciplinary advice. For example, patients requiring ENT assessment of their dysphonia. 13. To undertake regular clinical supervision with more experienced colleagues and to reflect on practice with peers to raise and maintain clinical competence. 14. To supervise, mentor & performance-manage students, both in SLT and other clinical areas, including the use of formal documentation. 15. To support service provision to other clinical areas if Trust critical incident occurs and inpatient caseload pressures demand. For further details please see the attached JD & PS