About this role
Job summary
Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.
Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
Main duties of the job
Band 7: £49,387 - £56,515
Hours: Full time 37.5 hours
Contract: Permanent
Are you a passionate and experienced Speech and Language Therapist ready to make a life-changing impact from the very start of life?
An excellent opportunity has arisen for a highly specialist Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our Neonatal and Acute Paediatric teams playing a pivotal role in shaping and delivering a developing, innovative service for babies, children, and their families.
About the Role
This is a unique and rewarding position where you will:
Provide highly specialist assessment and management of feeding, eating, drinking, and swallowing (dysphagia) in neonates, infants, and children Work as a core member of the Neonatal MDT, embedding SLT within neonatal care pathways Support advanced diagnostics including paediatric video fluoroscopy (VFSS) and deliver expert clinical recommendations Deliver family-centred care, supporting parents through complex and sometimes emotional journeys Contribute to service development, innovation, and transformation within a growing neonatal and paediatric service.
About us
The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and Disability, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.
We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veterans status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.
Job description Job responsibilities
About You
You will be an experienced and confident SLT who brings:
Specialist expertise in neonatal and paediatric dysphagia Proven experience working with complex feeding and communication needs Strong skills in clinical leadership, supervision, and MDT collaboration A passion for evidence-based practice and high-quality patient care The ability to manage sensitive conversations and emotionally demanding situations with compassion and professionalism.Make a Difference Where It Matters Most
Youll support some of the most vulnerable patients, premature babies and children with complex needs, while empowering families and shaping lifelong outcomes.
We would love to hear from you. Informal enquiries and visits are warmly encouraged. Please contact the Therapy Pathway Lead [email protected]
We welcome applications for a minimum of 0.3 WTE worked on the NICU, with flexibility to tailor the remaining hours within our evolving paediatric inpatient service. Part-time and job share arrangements are warmly welcomed.
For team members looking to further progress in their careers, we are able to offer opportunities for level 5 and Level 6 apprenticeships.
For a full list of roles and responsibilities, please see the attached Job description
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
HCPC registered SLT with RCSLT membership. Strong clinical experience in neonatal and or paediatric feeding and swallowing. Evidence based specialist skills in infant and child feeding, including premature and medically complex babies. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and clinical reasoning skills. Ability to work autonomously within demanding and emotionally sensitive environments. Commitment to MDT working and inclusive, family centred practice. Experience supporting junior staff and students and leading training.
Desirable
Advanced competencies in neonatal and paediatric feeding (RCSLT EDS frameworks). Experience participating in/or leading VFSS training can be supported. FICare, FINE, NBO, IBCLC or recognised infant feeding training. Experience in neonatal or acute paediatric inpatient settings. Involvement in service development, audit, or research.
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.
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 Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
Address Queen Alexandra Hospital
Cosham
Portsmouth
England
PO6 3LY
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)