About this role
Job summary
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare. Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.
The NHS is changing. More emphasis on community-based care means there's never been a better time to join us.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised Neuro Speech and Language Therapist to join our professional Community Paediatrics Team.
We're a close team but we're never exclusive, if you can bring a professional approach and fresh ideas we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
Could you use your skills and experience to support the NHS to deliver great patient care? Great patient care needs great people to support clinical teams. That's where you come in.
We're always looking for enthusiastic, responsive, and adaptable people to join our outstanding trust. This role is an important one as you'll be using your knowledge, experience and expertise to support to our hard-working frontline NHS teams.
We put patients first and we expect all of our colleagues to do the same, so although NHS experience isn't a requirement for this role you'll need to share our passion for delivering excellent patient care and keep that passion at the forefront of your professional activity at all times.
The challenges come thick and fast in this role but you'll know that your input is contributing to the excellent experience our patients and service users have every day.
About us
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.
Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values:Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.
We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We use protected characteristic information for monitoring only and it is not seen by recruiting managers, except where applicants choose to be considered under our disability guaranteed interview scheme.
We know life outside work matters.As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.
Explore KCHFTcareer pathways
Job description Job responsibilities
As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team [email protected], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.
The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.
Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.
We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.
At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.
Find out more about the community differencehere.
Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent ; Health & Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice as a Speech & Language Therapist; Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists; Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses relevant to the client group, including dysphagia training
Desirable
Membership of or attendance at relevant RCSLT Clinical Excellence Networks; Attendance at relevant postgraduate training courses such as Huckabee dysphagia course; LSVT training
Experience Essential
Relevant experience as a band 5 SLT working with an adult caseload and management of dysphagia.
Desirable
Experience of working as an SLT with adults in the community.
Knowledge Essential
Well established knowledge of assessment tools and evidence of skilled application relevant to the client group; Well established knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions and competence to work independently with a well-developed level of clinical expertise relevant to the post; Awareness of professional issues and recent developments in the NHS and Primary Care including Clinical Governance, NICE and CQC; Knowledge of up to date clinical / evidenced based practice
Skills & abilities Essential
Highly developed clinical skills in relevant area; Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills; Good negotiation and problem-solving skills; Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills; Positive and flexible attitude to dealing with change; able to respond to the changing needs of the patients in an appropriate and timely manner; willing to accept change and explore new ways of working; Understands the limits of their competence; Ability to act on guidance/feedback from manager or other senior clinician
Skills & abilities Essential
Excellent written and verbal communication skills Excellent time management and prioritisation skills Good basic IT knowledge and experience of using MS Word, Outlook, Excel and other IT systems Effective and strong team player Ability to travel independently between sites in a timely manner as required by the service
Personal attributes Essential
Ability to motivate and organise others to ensure best practice.
Ability to manage Essential
Able to support the implementation of local and national agendas for health under the guidance of the senior Practitioner; Ability to prioritise care delivery in a professional manner, taking into account Trust policies and procedures; Ability to organise own work; Ability to cope with change and use initiative
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship 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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address Westcliffe House
Folkestone
CT20 1SZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)