Job Description
Job overview
The Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist will provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership for the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team within the Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge (BHR) Neurodevelopmental Service. The post holder will lead the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based assessment and intervention for children and young people with neurodevelopmental needs, including autism and complex communication difficulties, while maintaining a specialist clinical caseload. Working as part of a multidisciplinary leadership team, the role is responsible for service development, workforce leadership, quality improvement, and ensuring children, young people and families receive safe, effective and person-centred care across integrated neurodevelopmental pathways.
Main duties of the job
- Provide clinical and operational leadership to the Neurodevelopmental Speech and Language Therapy team.
- Lead the development and delivery of high-quality, evidence-based services for children and young people with neurodevelopmental and communication needs.
- Manage and support a team of Speech and Language Therapists, assistants and students through supervision, appraisal, recruitment and professional development.
- Maintain a highly specialist clinical caseload, delivering assessment, diagnosis and intervention for children with complex communication needs.
- Contribute to multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessments and integrated care planning.
- Lead service improvement initiatives, pathway development and implementation of innovative models of care.
- Work collaboratively with families, education, social care, health colleagues and partner agencies to improve outcomes for children and young people.
- Monitor service performance, quality standards, demand and capacity, ensuring delivery against key performance indicators and service specifications.
- Lead on clinical governance activities including audit, risk management, policy development and safeguarding.
- Deliver specialist training and professional development programmes for staff and partner agencies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist will provide professional, clinical and operational leadership for the Speech and Language Therapy provision within the BHR Neurodevelopmental Service. The post holder will work closely with the Assistant Director and multidisciplinary clinical leads to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and evidence-based neurodevelopmental services for children and young people.
The successful candidate will lead service development and transformation initiatives, contributing to the design and implementation of integrated neurodevelopmental pathways that support children and young people with autism, developmental language disorder and other complex communication needs. They will develop systems, processes and service models that enhance access, quality and outcomes across health, education and community settings.
The post holder will provide line management and professional leadership to Speech and Language Therapy staff, ensuring effective recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal, performance management and workforce development. They will foster a positive team culture, promote continuous professional development and ensure compliance with professional, organisational and safeguarding requirements.
A key aspect of the role is maintaining a specialist clinical caseload and providing advanced assessment, differential diagnosis and intervention for children and young people with complex communication difficulties. The post holder will utilise highly developed clinical reasoning skills to develop evidence-based treatment plans and provide expert advice to families, schools and multidisciplinary colleagues. They will contribute to Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and provide specialist reports where required.
The Clinical Lead will work collaboratively with health, education, social care and voluntary sector partners to ensure integrated care planning and effective service delivery. They will represent the service at local, Trust-wide and external forums, contributing to strategic developments and ensuring services respond to national policy, SEND reforms and local priorities.
The role includes responsibility for service performance, quality assurance and clinical governance. The post holder will oversee audit, service evaluation, risk management, policy development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives. They will monitor activity and performance data, contribute to service reporting and support the achievement of key performance and quality indicators.
The post holder will also lead the development and delivery of specialist training programmes, support research and innovation, and contribute to the development of evidence-based practice across the wider workforce, ensuring children and young people receive the highest standards of care and support.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Select One:
High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London (B&D, Redbridge, Havering and Waltham Forest, CEME)
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,870 to a maximum of £6,137 p.a. pro rata for part time).
Working for Us
Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.
