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NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Frailty
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | 1.4 WTE Full and Part-time Options Available | Includes Weekend Working
Step Into a New Role and Shape the Future of Frailty Care
Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist looking for your next challenge?
We're excited to offer two newly created Band 7 opportunities within our Acute Adult Speech and Language Therapy Team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
This is an exciting time to join the expanding Frailty Service within NHS Grampian. Frailty care has been identified as a strategic priority across the organisation, supported by significant investment and a commitment to delivering excellent care for older adults across acute, community and specialist services.
As part of a major service expansion, including the opening of a new acute frailty ward in November 2026, we are recruiting across a range of professional groups, including medical, nursing, allied health professional, pharmacy and healthcare support roles. These developments will create opportunities to be part of innovative models of care and help shape the future of frailty services across the North East of Scotland.
Our multidisciplinary teams are supportive, ambitious and forward-thinking, working collaboratively across hospital and community settings to improve outcomes and experiences for older people living with frailty. Whether you are looking to develop specialist expertise, broaden your clinical experience, or contribute to service transformation, this is an excellent opportunity to join a growing service with strong organisational support and a clear vision for the future.
This is more than a new job. It's a unique opportunity to lead, innovate, and influence how specialist SLT services support older adults across acute pathways.
Why Join Us?
Make a real difference… Work as a key member of the multidisciplinary frailty team, supporting timely assessment, decision-making and personalised care for older adults with complex needs.
Shape a growing service… Play a pivotal role in developing and embedding SLT practice within frailty pathways, contributing to service innovation and quality improvement.
Work across boundaries… Build strong partnerships with acute and community SLT teams to support admission avoidance, seamless transitions and safe discharge planning.
Develop as a leader… Enhance your leadership and specialist clinical skills while helping to develop staff, influence practice and contribute to service development.
What You'll Be Doing
- Provide SLT input across the acute frailty assessment unit and acute geriatric medicine wards.
- Work closely with the Frailty Front Door SLT and wider multidisciplinary team.
- Support complex discharge planning and admission prevention initiatives.
- Contribute to education, training and professional development across the multidisciplinary team.
- Lead and participate in quality improvement, audit and service development projects.
What We're Looking For
We're seeking enthusiastic clinicians who bring:
- Significant experience working with frail older adults and complex caseloads.
- Strong clinical reasoning and specialist knowledge in dysphagia and communication disorders.
- Confidence working within fast-paced acute and emergency care environments.
- Excellent multidisciplinary team working and communication skills.
- A commitment to service improvement, innovation and person-centred care.
What You'll Gain
- A supportive and experienced team with regular supervision and peer support.
- Opportunities to work alongside specialist SLTs across stroke, neurosciences, ENT, head and neck cancer, critical care and acute medicine.
- Access to continuing professional development and leadership opportunities.
- The chance to influence and develop an expanding specialist service area.
- A rewarding role where you can make a visible impact on patient outcomes and service delivery.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Join us in shaping the future of frailty care within NHS Grampian. If you're passionate about delivering excellent care, driving innovation and developing specialist practice, we'd love to hear from you.
An attractive relocation allowance of up to £8,000 is available in certain circumstances to successful candidates. HCPC registration is mandatory.
Want to know more about Aberdeen? Take a look: https://youtu.be/moaWooD-ayk Informal enquiries, meetings and visits are encouraged.
Informal enquiries to Clare Emerson (Lead SLT), or Clare Tarr (Lead SLT in Acute and Critical Care) on 01224 553566, or email clare.emerson@nhs.scot
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
AI-generated content for the completion of Supporting Statements may lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description. Personalisation is essential to convey individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively.
As a disability confident employer we are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible to all. If you need us to make any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know by contacting our recruitment team at the earliest opportunity. Email us at gram.recruitment@nhs.scot.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend the interview in person. Alternative arrangements or adjustments will be considered in the event there are circumstances that may prevent candidates attending in person to ensure it is inclusive and accessible to all.
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NHS Grampian forms one of the fourteen regional health boards of NHS Scotland and is responsible for providing health and social care services to a population of over 500,000 people living in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through our NHS and Social Care values.
