Band 8a Lead Speech and Language Therapist


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£57,528 to £64,750 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Birmingham, B29 6JA
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	16 Oct 2026
Closing date:	29 Oct 2026

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Summary

For further details on the job description and main responsibilities, please see the attached documents. Clinical 1. A lead clinician in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and provides second opinions, specialist advice and support in specialist area to own and other professional services throughout the Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust and the West Midlands Region. 2. Uses specialist knowledge underpinned by current theory and evidence-based practice such as speech, language and communication development and impairment, and child development in order to optimise communication to carry out specialist AAC multi-disciplinary assessments and support of clients in Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust and the West Midlands (a large multi-cultural and multi-lingual population). These are often 2 hour appointments that require sustained concentration. 3. Carry out physical handling procedures for positioning of the limbs and head of a client, to contribute to assessment for access to AAC 4. Manages own caseload of clients with disabilities of a complex nature, requiring tertiary referral, liaison with client, family, carers and professional teams including training and support. 5. Leads in client-centred goal setting and review, with full involvement of the local team (carers, family and professionals). 6. Structures clear intervention plans in highly complex cases, based on best practice, and is able to adapt to individual client needs and priorities. 7. Supports experienced SLTs to problem solve though critical analysis and evaluation for the planning, assessment and management of complex cases where the intervention pathway is not obvious or is open to interpretation. 8. Manages highly complex appointment recognising breakdown or conflict when it occurs and generating solutions, using excellent negotiation skills when liaising with clients, their families and local teams as an expert clinician in AAC. 9. Provide expert advice and consultancy to clients, relatives, carers and other professionals on how to manage issues arising from a clients communicative disabilities in relation to AAC needs. 10. Records and maintains up-to-date clinical case records including activity data in line with professional standards and Trust policies. 11. Measure outcomes of AAC intervention (techniques, low-tech tools and technology) for clients on own caseload. 12. Writes reports containing highly complex, confidential and sensitive information, which may be used in a legal context, eg. expert witness statements, tribunal reports. 13. Recommends appropriate AAC, which is often electronic assistive technology from a range of high cost devices and accessories. This is purchased from the departmental budget. 14. Sets up the prescribed equipment and ensures this is safe to use and clients team are trained in its use. 15. Offers intervention in the environment most appropriate to client needs, eg. home, school, college, day services. 16. Management of the telephone referral and advice line, triaging referrals and supporting local teams to enable AAC and Environmental Control needs across the West Midlands. 17. Have a working knowledge of Environmental Control including computer access to be able to triage and support referrals taking for these areas on the referral and helpline. Professional 1. Complies with standards of professional conduct as laid down by the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). 2. Works within the professional standards of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapy. 3. Identifies and accesses appropriate Continuous Professional Development at least to a level to meet Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and Health and Care Professions Council requirements and practices reflective learning. Development 1. Engages with the Adult and Specialist Rehabilitation, Trust, Divisional and ACT clinical strategy to ensure that regional and national initiatives and priorities are taken into account. 2. Initiates and leads the development of new ways of working, including service redesign, working in partnership with other leads, the appropriate Trust corporate teams, commissioners, patients and others. 3. Uses expert knowledge to inform service development in specialist area and related areas of clinical need. 4. Integrates knowledge base to anticipate, contribute and respond to future developments in practice and technology. 5. Participates in, and assists to develop and maintain a high level academic and leading edge ethos within the department. 6. Formulates ACT Standard Operating Procedures and contributes to Trust, regional and national policy/care pathway developments in specialist area. 7. Leads in interagency and multi-disciplinary projects regarding service objectives in specialist area. 8. Represents ACT on National Working parties in relation to AAC. 9. Leads, promotes and takes an active part in AAC related research projects and clinical developments relevant to the work of the department 10. Initiates, undertakes, and participates in departments research/audit and clinical governance relevant to specialist area. 11. Analyses, presents and disseminates locally and regionally any findings of research relevant to the specialist area

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