Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) Neonatal Unit

Go back Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

The closing date is 02 April 2026

This post is only open for applications for individuals employed within the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Care System

Organisations within scope are as follows:

• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
• Southern Health Foundation Trust
• Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
• University Hospital Southampton
• Solent NHS Trust
• South Central Ambulance Service
• Isle of Wight NHS Trust

Are you a skilled, proactive Speech and Language Therapist with excellent communication skills and a passion for neonatal and paediatric care? We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to join our Neonatal and Acute Paediatric SLT service at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

This post offers the chance to shape and deliver a high quality, family centred service across our Neonatal Unit and acute paediatric wards. We welcome applications for a minimum of 0.3 WTE worked on the NICU, with flexibility to tailor the remaining hours within our evolving paediatric inpatient service. Part time and jobshare arrangements are warmly welcomed.

As the sole SLT for both Neonatal and Acute Paediatrics, the successful candidate will need to be resourceful, confident, and able to work autonomously, drawing on strong communication skills and a proactive approach to managing a varied and complex caseload. Our paediatric service is entering a period of growth and transformation, and this role provides a unique opportunity to contribute to scoping, shaping, and developing the future model of care.

For a full list of roles and responsibilities, please see the attached job description.

We would love to hear from you. Informal enquiries and visits are warmly encouraged. Please contact the Therapy Pathway Lead ().

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Provide highly specialist clinical expertise in the assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment, and management dysphagia in neonates, infants, and children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

To work as part of the Neonatal multi disciplinary team to develop an embedded Neonatal Speech and Language Therapy service.

To support and advocate best practice models of neonatal care including UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, Bliss Baby charter Family Integrated Care and Developmental Care and other quality markers of neonatal care as part of the wider multi disciplinary team.

Assist conducting the proceedings for paediatric video fluoroscopy, in close collaboration with Consultant Radiologist attending the exam, and provide written reports and recommendations to community SLTs.

Provide peer SLT support to the Isle of Wight Neonatal Unit, St Marys Hospital.

Supervise and support junior staff as appropriate.

Work collaboratively with MDT members, AHPs, operational leads, team leads, and clinical specialists to deliver a recently funded neonatal and paediatric inpatient service.

Ensure high quality, family centred care and a positive experience for babies, children, young people (BCYP) and their parents or carers.

Deliver high quality, evidence based training to staff, parents, and other professionals.

Report to the Band 8a Lead regarding performance, service delivery, operational issues, and contingency planning.

Support and implement service development, innovation, and transformation aligned with Trust strategic aims.

May require occasional Bank Holiday working.

For a full list of roles and responsibilities, please see the attached job description.

• HCPC registered SLT with RCSLT membership
• Advanced competencies in neonatal and paediatric feeding (RCSLT EDS frameworks)
• FICare, FINE, NBO, IBCLC or recognised infant feeding training.

• Strong clinical experience in neonatal and/or paediatric feeding and swallowing.
• Evidence based specialist skills in infant and child feeding, including premature and medically complex babies.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and clinical reasoning skills.
• Ability to work autonomously within demanding and emotionally sensitive environments.
• Commitment to MDT working and inclusive, family centred practice.
• Experience supporting junior staff/students and leading training.
• Experience participating in/or leading VFSS (training can be supported).
• Experience in neonatal or acute paediatric inpatient settings.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust