Full job tiltle: Speech and Language Therapy; Paediatric Team Lead (Band 8b) with strategic responsibility for preschool services trust-wide and operational responsibility for Northern Sector Paediatric SLT Services
Department: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals
Location: Woodview, Gransha Park, Londonderry
Contract and hours: Permanent, Full-Time (37.5hpw)
It is anticipated that interviews will take place on 16th December 2025
Role summary
The post-holder will be responsible for SLT service provision and development for pre-school aged children across all settings, including Sure Start, to achieve well-being outcomes using a collaborative framework.
The post-holder will work strategically in partnership with other agencies and stakeholders to reform, modernise and develop services.
The post-holder will be required to provide professional governance for SLT staff line managed by other agencies and across organisational boundaries (including SLTs working in Sure Start, Scaffold Team, Children’s Disability Team). The post-holder will provide professional supervision for Band 8a SLTs in Trust.
The post-holder will have operational responsibility for the Northern Sector encompassing a wide range of specialisms. The post-holder will provide teaching across the service area to qualified SLTs and other professionals inside and outside the Trust, as required.
The post-holder will provide expert opinion/second opinions to Senior SLTs and those from other professions and service leads from other professions on highly complex clinical cases.
The post-holder will provide professional leadership and consultancy across specialisms for service area. The post-holder will also be required to co-ordinate and undertake research, development and audit activities.
Main responsibilities
The post holder will:
- Provide expert professional opinion on clinical issues for designated service area on behalf of the Trust
- Interpret national and regional policies for new/developing areas
- Propose policy changes which impact beyond own area and contribute to policy development across specialisms for service area
- Contribute to the development of organisational and professional body responses to emerging health policy at regional/national level
- Set challenging goals for service improvement and monitor achievement across specialisms for designated service area
- Build and maintain relationships and collaborate with others in developing projects across agencies and clinical specialisms within designated service area.
- Lead in implementing change programmes across specialisms in the designated service area
- Communicate the reasons for change to colleagues and addresses concerns and risks
- Seek opportunities to influence local/national policy to improve local healthcare delivery for designated service area
- Identify, compare and prioritise current/future service need across specialisms in designated service area, incorporating them into departmental development plans
- Extrapolate information and take responsibility for ensuring appropriate and effective decision making processes are in place across specialism for designated service area
- Review the effectiveness of alternative treatment options and therapeutic approaches for a highly specialist area/supervisees caseload
- Balance clinical priorities for the specialist caseload with those of the designated service area and wider SLT Team and across multi-professional boundaries
- Be responsible for implementation of systems and analysis of data to manage resources effectively
- Highlight priorities and collaborate with Head of Service to develop business plans across specialisms for designated service area
- Deputise for Head of Service
- Analyse current and future service needs to inform workforce planning across specialisms for designated service area
- Review current provision across specialisms in designated service area; identify opportunities for minimizing inefficiency and implements change
- Be responsible for financial planning and management of budget within designated service area ensuring most efficient use of resources
- Interpret and implement HR processes for designated service e.g. recruitment and selection, re-deployment, occupational health referrals
- Ensure that management structures and practice across the team support a culture of effective team working, continuous improvement and innovation
- Ensure efficient use of resources through implementation of Trust policies on Managing Attendance
- Identify incompetent or suboptimal practice, investigates and take corrective action within designated service area
- Manage inter and intra-disciplinary conflict in designated service area to achieve resolution in line with HR Employee Relations guidance
- Facilitate investigation of complaints within designated service area
For complete details view the full job description in the Additional Information section below
