Speech and Language Assistant Practitioner

Company Description 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. Job Description NHS Band 4 Salary: £28,392 - £31,157 pro rata per annum (Actual Part time salary £22,713 - £24,925 per annum) Hours Per Week: Part time 30 hrs Contract type: Permanent Job Summary: To work with patients under the supervision and guidance of qualified Speech and Language Therapists implementing swallowing/communication screens and programmes of care for individuals and groups with communication and swallowing difficulties, across PHU. To provide administration and clerical support for SLTs working within the service. To create and develop therapy tools and resources, as requested. To support training other healthcare staff under the guidance of a qualified SLT. Key Responsibilities: Work towards the RCSLT Clinical Competency for Associate Practitioners under supervision of your line manager. Support the management of risks associated with swallowing difficulties in line with protocol. Record swallow screening findings and therapy plans in clinical records. Support safe feeding practices and assist carers to feed vulnerable patients. Follow therapy plans to assist adults to achieve communication and swallowing goals. Develop therapy resources and communication aids. Maintain accurate case notes and patient activity data. Participate in audit, governance and research activities. Attend supervision, appraisal, meetings and training. ​​​​​​​Be aware of limitations of role of Band 4. For further information about the role please refer to the Job Description Qualifications Essential: Computer literate. Literate and numerate NVQ3, Diploma or experience deemed equivalent. English and maths – O level, CSE, GCSE or equivalent. Experience and knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook. Desirable: Diploma or equivalent in Health Care. Experience Essential: Experience of working with members of the public both face to face and on the telephone. Experience of working within a team and able to demonstrate an understanding of specific roles and team working. Desirable: Experience of working with people with communication disorders. Skills and Knowledge Essential: Experience of working with adult patients in a health or social care setting. Proven skills in being flexible to meet competing priorities. Evidence of recent learning. Well-developed and sensitive communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written. Ability to plan, prioritise own workload within agreed boundaries. Ability to recognise own limitations and seek advice and support when necessary. Ability to monitor own skills and learning needs and identify areas which require development. Additional Information The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026 Weekly Hours / Programmed Activities: 30 Salary Band: Band 4 Staff Group: Additional Clinical Services Contract Type: Permanent Job Area: AHP