Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 18/09/2026
- Closes
- 09/10/2026
Sponsorship verdict
Candidates needing sponsorship are encouraged to apply.
HiveMind found a sponsorship-friendly statement in the source advert welcoming applicants who require a visa. Always confirm on the source before applying.
“Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist role is based within the Acute team at King's College Hospital, PRUH site. The post holder will provide inpatient services to adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders, working closely with multidisciplinary teams in acute frailty and elderly care. Responsibilities include autonomous management of complex caseloads, instrumental assessments, and contributing to policy development. The role also involves clinical supervision and leadership within the Acute Frailty and Elderly SLT team.
Essential criteria
- Significant experience of adult acquired neurological and medical disorders in a medical, health & ageing and acute care setting, including managing own swallowing and communication caseload and using a range of assessment and therapy techniques
- The management of patients presenting with dementia and disorders which impact on communication, cognition / behavioural feeding
- Experience of risk identification and management including multidisciplinary liaison and decision making.
- Experience of audit within specialism
- Experience of specialist assessment and differential diagnosis with a complex caseload
- Previous experience of clinical supervision of others, including supporting approaches with appropriate theoretical models of management
- Education and Qualification
- BSc or recognised post graduate MSc or diploma in speech and language therapy
- Registration with the Health Professions Council
- Postgraduate training in dysphagia
- Postgraduate training in communication disorders and aphasia therapy
- Active member of RCSLT CEN or equivalent
- Postgraduate short courses in language, cognition and motor speech disorders and swallowing specifically to frailty assessment and management
- Postgraduate training in management of dysphagia, including training and experience in instrumental assessment of swallowing skills (Videofluoroscopy and / or FEES)
Desirable criteria
- Member of RCSLT
- Attended leadership & management training course(s)
- Skills and Competencies
- Excellent communication skills - written and spoken
- Highly motivated and able to demonstrate ability to lead designated clinical area
- Clinical supervision and line management skills
- Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to devise appropriate training and information packages
- Ability to work at a senior level in partnership with other professionals and agencies
- Ability to plan and implement appropriate highly specialist treatment packages
- Excellent observational and analytical skills
- Ability to undertake complex assessment and make differential diagnoses
- Ability to communicate complex and emotive information, including where there are barriers to understanding
- Ability to plan and implement treatment programmes
- Good organisational and time management ability
- Ability to plan and prioritise own autonomous caseload within professional guidelines and policies
- Able to work flexibly, under pressure and to use appropriate conflict resolution skills
- Able to demonstrate awareness of current NHS changes and professional issues
- High level of motivation and initiative
- Good auditory and perceptual skills
- Interest in developing research audit skills
- Excellent IT Skills including data and presentation packages
- Evidence of professionally written and spoken public presentation skills
- Knowledge and Experience
- Significant experience of adult acquired neurological and medical disorders in a medical, health & ageing and acute care setting, including managing own swallowing and communication caseload and using a range of assessment and therapy techniques
- The management of patients presenting with dementia and disorders which impact on communication, cognition / behavioural feeding
- Experience of risk identification and management including multidisciplinary liaison and decision making.
- Experience of audit within specialism
- Experience of specialist assessment and differential diagnosis with a complex caseload
- Previous experience of clinical supervision of others, including supporting approaches with appropriate theoretical models of management
- Education and Qualification
- BSc or recognised post graduate MSc or diploma in speech and language therapy
- Registration with the Health Professions Council
- Postgraduate training in dysphagia
- Postgraduate training in communication disorders and aphasia therapy
- Active member of RCSLT CEN or equivalent
- Postgraduate short courses in language, cognition and motor speech disorders and swallowing specifically to frailty assessment and management
- Postgraduate training in management of dysphagia, including training and experience in instrumental assessment of swallowing skills (Videofluoroscopy and / or FEES)
- Member of RCSLT
- Attended leadership & management training course(s)
- Skills and Competencies
- Excellent communication skills - written and spoken
- Highly motivated and able to demonstrate ability to lead designated clinical area
- Clinical supervision and line management skills
- Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to devise appropriate training and information packages
- Ability to work at a senior level in partnership with other professionals and agencies
- Ability to plan and implement appropriate highly specialist treatment packages
- Excellent observational and analytical skills
- Ability to undertake complex assessment and make differential diagnoses
- Ability to communicate complex and emotive information, including where there are barriers to understanding
- Ability to plan and implement treatment programmes
- Good organisational and time management ability
- Ability to plan and prioritise own autonomous caseload within professional guidelines and policies
- Able to work flexibly, under pressure and to use appropriate conflict resolution skills
- Able to demonstrate awareness of current NHS changes and professional
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £55,524 – £62,652 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 21d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway
The closing date is 09 October 2026
Job summary
The Speech and Language Therapy post is based within the Acute team at King's College Hospital, PRUH site. The post holder will provide a highly specialist inpatient service to adults who have communication and/or swallowing disorders, working closely with the MDT to deliver optimal clinical care in the acute and post-acute phases of hospital admission.
The post holder will establish, build and maintain working relationships within Speech & Language Therapy (cross-site) and all multidisciplinary teams within the speciality of acute frailty and elderly care. They will be expected to be involved in Southeast London/London/England-wide Acute networks for Speech & Language Therapists.
Main duties of the job
To autonomously manage and provide highly specialist intervention, which will include assessment, contribution to differential diagnosis, and highly specialist SLT management for patients with acute, acquired communication and swallowing disorders, following King's College Hospital (KCH) Speech and Language Therapy evidence-based guidelines and abiding by KCH Speech and Language Therapy service standards.
About us
The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five
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