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Job summary

Main area
Therapist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
374-KN265
Employer
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Conquest Hospital
Town
Conquest
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/12/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust logo

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist B6

NHS AfC: Band 6

We are proud to provide ‘Outstanding’ care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area. 


We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex. 


Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people’s own homes. 


The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated ‘Outstanding’ and Eastbourne DGH was rated ‘Good’ Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services. 

 

Job overview

Are you a qualified Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) eager to specialise in managing swallowing difficulties and developing your leadership skills in an acute inpatient setting? We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our dynamic East Sussex Speech & Language Therapy service. This position is available as a Band 6 post or as a Band 6 Development post (starting at 70% of the Band 6 entry point under Annex U). 

Why Join Us?

Benefit from protected  time for Continuing Professional Development with monthly clinical forums, regular supervision, and access to external training and CENs. Opportunities to complete post-qualification competencies such as videofluoroscopy, FEES, and tracheostomy are available.

Participate in regional videofluoroscopy clinics, award-winning swallow disorder clinics, and FEES. You will have the chance to gain experience on a busy hyper-acute and acute Stroke Unit at Eastbourne Hospital working with cutting-edge swallow rehabilitation tools such as IOPI, Ampcare, and EMST.   A research active team, we are currently taking part in the national PhEAST study which you will have to opportunity to learn about.

Become part of a county-wide SLT service, offering opportunities to work across both acute and community settings. 

 Be part of an interdisciplinary team dedicated to high-quality patient care and professional growth.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Speech and Language Therapist who has completed their NQP competencies (ideally with post-basic dysphagia training) and is looking for their next step. This role will allow you to:

Work alongside highly specialist SLTs and assistants in community services, including rehabilitation, voice, head & neck cancer, stroke, critical care, and neurological degenerative conditions.

Gain experience in MDT working and rehabilitation across various clinical settings.

Contribute to service improvement and innovative research projects, with time set aside in your job plan for development and collaboration.

Engage in student education through our partnerships with higher education institutions, including pioneering virtual clinics using 360° cameras.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year. 

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the job description attached.

If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent
Desirable criteria
  • Lee Silverman Therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working within a community setting

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality MarkSilver Award 2024 - Wellbeing at Work - East Sussex

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Laura Jones
Job title
Head of Service - Speech and Language Therapy
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
03001314500
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