Deputy Lead Speech & Language Therapist

Due to ongoing service developments, an exciting new Deputy Lead SLT position has been funded to further develop the Speech and Language Therapy inpatient and outpatient services at The Christie.

The Deputy Lead will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management and administration of the SLT service provided to patients within the inpatient and outpatient services.

Responsibilities include providing operational leadership to the Speech and Language Therapy team who deliver a highly specialist service to patients with communication and/or swallowing disorders as part of the cancer pathway for disease groups including CNS, lung, and head and neck.

The role involves monitoring and organising the clinical caseloads within the Speech & Language Therapy inpatient and outpatient services, providing highly specialist advice, teaching and training for the team and other healthcare professionals across the trust and the region, and acting as a source of senior, highly specialist clinical expertise within SLT in the field of oncology.

The Deputy Lead will manage their own caseload of patients with acquired communication and/or swallowing problems, establish a team approach to service delivery that facilitates the development and evaluation of clinical practices, identify and negotiate team objectives and projects in line with The Christie strategy, and lead the development and implementation of local clinical guidelines and policies informed by the evidence base, relevant professional guidelines and the context of local service delivery.

In conjunction with the Head of Speech & Language Therapy, the Deputy Lead will deploy staff within the designated service area and provide management direction, including supervision of practice and personal development programmes.

Additionally, the Deputy Lead will prepare management information and reports and advise the Head of Speech & Language Therapy on long‑term and short‑term planning issues concerning the service provided by the specified teams, and provide support and advice to specialist SLTs in the region or other professionals regarding the ongoing clinical management of oncology patients.

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% of patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world‑first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

• Responsible for providing a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service for head and neck and other cancer patients at the Trust.
• To be responsible for own caseload management of highly complex patients to inpatients and outpatients, with complex disorders of swallowing and communication.
• To assess, diagnose and implement SLT management of complex swallowing problems, carrying out and interpreting instrumental assessment of swallowing where appropriate.
• To assess, diagnose and implement SLT management of complex communication problems and to have an awareness of appropriate communication strategies and aids including assistive technology.
• To manage patients with tracheostomy, laryngectomy and other voice conditions. You will not be required to change speech valves.
• Active participation within the multidisciplinary team.
• To independently undertake videofluoroscopy assessments as per national and Trust guidelines.
• To independently undertake scoping of patients using nasendoscopy for the purpose of FEES as per national and Trust guidelines.
• Undertake assessments to provide appropriate…