Overview
Job Summary
We are excited to offer this rare opportunity to join our Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service in Ipswich and East Suffolk, working with people with acquired conditions on the inpatient wards as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. You'll belong to a large, integrated SLT service in East Suffolk delivering inpatient, outpatient and community services. Our team supports people who have a range of conditions including stroke, progressive neurological conditions, head and neck cancer, voice disorders, dementia, respiratory conditions, and frailty. We also offer a countywide service to adults with learning disability. We are a friendly team, and share expertise across the teams with our populations at the centre of service delivery. Our department sits within the Integrated Therapies division and therefore have excellent links to our MDT colleagues, including shared CPD opportunities. All teams are supported by our SLT apprentices and assistants.
This service champions research, innovation and development. Our team is award-winning and actively engaged in service improvement projects including the use of EMST and service redesign to align with the NHS long term plan. The Trust is committed to developing leadership skills for staff at all levels.
Main duties of the job
You will support individuals with communication and swallowing difficulties, including those with complex needs. You will have the opportunity to work with people who require our support in critical care and high dependency areas, including those with tracheostomy. You will work with a multi-disciplinary team to support tracheostomy weaning, communication and swallowing difficulties for these patients. If this is a new area for you, support will be available from within the team to help with your development in this area.
You will have the opportunity to contribute to our instrumental assessment provision, including videofluoroscopy and FEES. (Training can be provided in gaining videofluoroscopy and FEES competencies, according to service need.)
You will supervise and line manage staff, and work with other lead clinicians to manage the operational delivery of the service to inpatients. You will be part of a senior SLT team, and will support the oversight of quality, workforce, education and training, and service improvement.
About Us
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes. We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. We pride ourselves on supporting our staff with training and development opportunities, flexible working options, a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers a variety of services. Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone, and we are investing in digital transformation with Epic EPR to improve care.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, we want to hear from you.
Details
Date posted: 25 February 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 432-HR1322-25
Job locations: Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD
Job responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person Specification
Essential
* Qualifications
o RCSLT recognised degree or equivalent
o Eligible for registered membership of RCSLT
o HCPC membership
o Independent Dysphagia practitioner
o Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses at a Master's degree equivalent
* Experience
o Specialist experience of working with adults with acquired swallowing and communication disorders post registration
o Experience taking part in service development, audit and/or research
o Experience of teaching others on speech and language therapy related topics
o Experience of working in demanding settings, e.g. busy inpatient service, critical care, and with patients with complex needs
o Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and multi-agency working
* Knowledge
o Highly specialist knowledge in assessment and management of swallowing and communication disorders
o Well established knowledge and interpretation of a broad range of relevant assessment tools and techniques, including informal assessment and standardised assessments
o Highly specialist knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions
o Knowledge of evidence-based practice / service developments in relation to the specialty
o In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit
Desirable
* RCSLT Videofluoroscopy competency: Level 3
* MBSImp certification
* FEES level 2 competency
* ICS AHP capability framework or RCSLT competencies in tracheostomy and critical care
* Membership of relevant CENs
* Ability to travel to different places of work/driving licence
Other
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
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD
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