Job overview

We are looking to recruit a forward thinking, highly motivated and experienced speech and language therapist with proven leadership skills to lead our acute adult and paediatric speech and language therapy (SLT) service based at Southampton General Hospital.  

UHS offers fantastic training and development giving you the best possible opportunities to achieve the career you want. Development of our staff is central to the delivery of high quality, safe and effective care. We can offer opportunities to develop within a supportive environment,

Main duties of the job

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting. 

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached. 

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Specific to this role is the suitability for agile working which is a mixture of on-site and remote working. In addition, we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what’s possible for the role and service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The department of dietetics and SLT employs more than 130 staff, with clinical experts working across the range of specialties, providing acute services in both adults and paediatrics. As a tertiary hospital, we have senior speech and language therapists in a wide range of specialist areas. There is access to regular CPD sessions, and opportunities to engage in service development and research. We support training and teaching of multi-professional students as well as providing placements for student speech and language therapists.

The SLT service consist of approximately 30 wtes of which nearly 20% work in paediatrics. You will be a core member of the Dietetics and SLT Leadership Team who work closely together to deliver excellent patient outcomes through our department vision, ethos and strategy.

Responsibilities:

You will work within a supportive leadership team, liaising closely with other managers within the department and providing cover for other members of the team when required.  You will provide clinical as well as operational leadership to the SLT teams, managing the SLT service on a day-to-day basis, including allocation of staff, managing absence, service delivery and development, skill mix, recruitment, training/development and appraisal/supervision.  You will provide supervision for specialist speech and language therapists and liaise with clinical services to develop the service.  You will have the opportunity to manage a designated caseload at a specialist level.

What experience/skills are needed:

The post holder will be a qualified speech and language therapist, currently registered with the HCPC, with existing management and leadership experience, holding personal responsibility for defined programmes of work at a senior level as well as advanced clinical skills. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and must be able to communicate and negotiate in order to effect change and to evidence an ability to support, motivate and bring staff with you throughout the process.  

Flexibility and the ability to prioritise and manage a busy and varied workload are essential.  You must be able to demonstrate the ability to work within an MDT as a specialist speech and language therapist and have the confidence to present and discuss your professional opinion with colleagues. This post requires a dynamic, assertive person, able to demonstrate breadth of knowledge and good rapport building skills who is an excellent collaborator.

We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and are willing to consider flexible working arrangements.  If you are interested in this role, please get in touch to discuss.

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

• Degree/MSc in Speech and Language Therapy
• Significant relevant clinical experience within Speech and Language Therapy practice
• Current HCPC registration
• Leadership and Management training
• Training and experience to Masters’ level/post graduate level study
• Project Management qualification / further training, or demonstrates substantial level of project delivery experience
• Consolidated experience to demonstrate capability and capacity for management of acute health services at a senior level
• Demonstrable staff, and resource management experience across a range of a variety of issues
• Able to facilitate and implement policy, guidelines, and projects from initiation to completion
• Demonstrates experience of managing challenging problems by developing practical workable solutions to address them.
• Ability to communicate vision to staff and manage change effectively.

Desirable criteria

• Previous proven experience in an acute healthcare setting
• Able to demonstrate sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas

Skills and competencies

Essential criteria

• Communication
• Negotiation skills
• Report writing
• People management
• Leadership
• Emotional intelligence
• Diplomacy
• Influencing
• Prioritisation
• Data analysis
• Incident resolution
• Advanced keyboard skills
• Persuasion skills

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large numbers of applications are received.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date of this post, please presume that you have not been selected for interview.

Applicants from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust whose posts are considered to be ‘At Risk’ will be given prior consideration for this post

Our Trust runs the return to practice course each year for nurses who have been out of the profession and wish to return. To find out more please visit our website:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/WorkingHere/Typesofjob/Nurses/Returntonursing.aspx

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/   Information on Southampton as a place to live and enjoy

https://www.uhs-vle.co.uk/   See what fantastic training and development we have on offer at UHS

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthamptonHospitals learn about the Trust through visiting our YouTube channel 

Getting to Work

Application can be made for parking on site at UHS or through one of the park and ride schemes. This will be based on specific criteria to determine eligibility for site parking as this can be very limited.  UHS encourages staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible. UHS is well connected through bus services to the city centre and other areas.

Please note that we will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

Our staff are positive about working at UHS and rate us above average compared to other NHS Trusts in the Staff Attitude Survey. We are rated strongly on a number of areas including teamwork, communication and engagement.

Equality remains at the centre of all Trust policy making, service delivery and employment practice with all employees being given equality of opportunity to develop, apply for promotion and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. The Trust also closely monitors recruitment activity, training and development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.

As a service provider the Trust ensures equality of access and delivery of our services through the provision of interpreter services, facilities for the disabled and sensitivity for patients ethnic and religious differences and needs.

Relocating to Southampton

If you are thinking of moving to the Hampshire area, please find below a link to our website which offers guidance on finding accommodation:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/relocating-to-southampton

The Trust is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.