Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (RaCI)
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 18/09/2026
- Closes
- 02/10/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled Speech and Language Therapist to lead and develop new patient pathways in Rehabilitation after Critical Illness (RaCI) at University Hospital North Durham. The role involves working in partnership with the RaCI SLT lead at Darlington Memorial Hospital, delivering personalised care in ITU, and potentially working in hyper-acute stroke and medicine. The successful candidate will have significant post-graduate experience in complex dysphagia and management of tracheostomised patients, with opportunities for professional development and supervision.
Essential criteria
- Click here to enter text. Ability to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
- Planning and organisational skills applicable to advising on the formulation of long-term strategic plans relating to the specialist area, which involve uncertainty.
- Highly developed physical skills (precision, speed, hand/eye/sensory co-ordination) to perform real time phonemic and phonetic transcriptions.
- High level interpersonal and communication skills persuasion, negotiation, training, empathy and re-assurance.
- Ability to communicate highly complex,
- sensitive, contentious information where there
- may be barriers to overcome.
- Special Requirements
- Commitment to developing own clinical and non-clinical expertise.
- To keep up to date with current clinical and technical advances and relevant management practices; to be advised of same by peers and more senior clinicians within the Trust.
- Able to travel independently within the Foundation Trust area/ Car Owner/ Car Driver
- Able to travel independently countywide
- Driving posts musty have valid Full UK driving licence
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree or equivalent as recognised by RCSLT
- Health professions Council Licence to Practice
- Evidence of successful completion of highly specialist courses up to Masters Degree Equivalent
- Knowledge and understanding of national and local Health/Education/Social care policies and practices
- Highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures and practices relating to the identification, definition, diagnosis, dysphagia disorders including a post basic dysphagia qualification or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- FEES trained
- Experience of Joint SLT/ENT clinics
- Highly specialist experience at post-graduate level in voice/ dysphagia specialist/lead area.
- At least 2 years working as a Speech and Language Therapist in specialist area.
- Statutory Registration
- HCPC registration
- RCSLT member
- Special Skills & Knowledge
- Click here to enter text. Ability to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
- Planning and organisational skills applicable to advising on the formulation of long-term strategic plans relating to the specialist area, which involve uncertainty.
- Highly developed physical skills (precision, speed, hand/eye/sensory co-ordination) to perform real time phonemic and phonetic transcriptions.
- High level interpersonal and communication skills persuasion, negotiation, training, empathy and re-assurance.
- Ability to communicate highly complex,
- sensitive, contentious information where there
- may be barriers to overcome.
- Special Requirements
- Commitment to developing own clinical and non-clinical expertise.
- To keep up to date with current clinical and technical advances and relevant management practices; to be advised of same by peers and more senior clinicians within the Trust.
- Able to travel independently within the Foundation Trust area/ Car Owner/ Car Driver
- Able to travel independently countywide
- Driving posts musty have valid Full UK driving licence
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree or equivalent as recognised by RCSLT
- Health professions Council Licence to Practice
- Evidence of successful completion of highly specialist courses up to Masters Degree Equivalent
- Knowledge and understanding of national and local Health/Education/Social care policies and practices
- Highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures and practices relating to the identification, definition, diagnosis, dysphagia disorders including a post basic dysphagia qualification or equivalent
- FEES trained
- Experience of Joint SLT/ENT clinics
- Highly specialist experience at post-graduate level in voice/ dysphagia specialist/lead area.
- At least 2 years working as a Speech and Language Therapist in specialist area.
- Statutory Registration
- HCPC registration
- RCSLT member
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £49,387 – £56,515 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 14d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (RaCI)
The closing date is 02 October 2026
Job summary
This is a rare and exciting
opportunity in Adult Speech and Language Therapy to lead and develop new
patient pathways in Rehabilitation after Critical Illness (RaCI) at University
Hospital North Durham working in partnership with RaCI SLT lead based at
Darlington Memorial Hospital. We can offer you a challenging and rewarding post
that includes:
Weekly RaCI MDT meetings focussed on
personalised patient care planning
RaCI Assistant support to carry out routine SLT
therapies
Ready access to FEES and VFSS
Peer mentoring and support from RaCI lead based
at DMH
Clinical supervision and CPD/ Skills escalation
targeted at your development needs
In-service training
Monthly staff meetings
Peer support groups for service development and
clinical case discussion
Access to audit support team
Regular line management supervision and support
from Professional SLT Lead
Annual appraisal
Good IT access and laptop
Please note this post requires DBS check
Main duties of the job
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is one of
the largest integrated care providers in England, serving a population of
around 600,000 people. We are a high performing organization with a track
record of success.
We are looking f
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