Team Leader: Children's Community Services

Overview

Team Leader:
Children's Community Services at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Team Leader will provide operational and clinical leadership for the Children's Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) and Neurodevelopmental Pathway team. This role ensures high-quality, safe, and effective services for children and young people with speech, language, communication needs (SLCN) and neurodevelopmental conditions, in line with national guidance, Trust priorities, and integrated care system objectives.

The closing date is 10 February 2026

• Lead and motivate a multidisciplinary team of SLTs, Neurodevelopment staff and support staff, fostering a culture of excellence, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Manage day-to-day operations including caseload allocation, rota planning, and resource deployment.
• Provide line management, supervision, and appraisal for team members, ensuring compliance with mandatory training and professional standards.
• Support staff wellbeing and professional development through coaching, mentoring, and peer supervision.
• Ensure adherence to clinical guidelines, safeguarding standards, and Trust policies.
• Oversee audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement projects within the SLT and neurodevelopmental pathways.
• Champion evidence-based practice and contribute to local and system-wide initiatives to improve outcomes for children with complex needs.
• Collaborate with Service Manager and ICS partners to implement service specifications and pathway improvements (e.g., Lancashire SLCN Improvement Group actions).
• Drive innovation in care delivery, including digital solutions and integrated models across health, education, and social care.
• Monitor activity, capacity, and demand using job planning tools and SPA allocations for CPD, supervision, and governance tasks.
• Ensure timely triage, referral management, and discharge processes to maintain safe waiting times.

Contribute to workforce planning and recruitment strategies for specialist roles.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients.

As one of the United Kingdom's largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents - it's not just a good place to work; it's a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade.

Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Operational Management

• Responsible for the day to day management of the Speech and Language Therapy and Neurodevelopment Pathway Team, ensuring systems are in place to provide strong and effective clinical and managerial leadership, advice, support and supervision.
• Respond to day to day issues within the services to ensure these are resolved as swiftly as possible to ensure safe/continued delivery of service to Children, Young People and their Families.
• Ensure the provision of evidence based clinical advice is implemented and monitored within the service.
• Manage in conjunction with the Service Manager, performance issues relating to the teams.
• Develop and maintain effective mechanisms for seeking staff contributions to relevant strategies, service delivery, national and local guidance.
• Promote the development of current and future clinical leaders by facilitating and encouraging staff within the teams to develop professionally.
• To develop effective links with Managers/Leads within other Trusts sharing good practice to ensure continue to provide an efficient and effective service to Children, Young People and their Families.
• Work with the Service Manager to ensure the Speech and Language and Neurodevelopment services make effective use of resources ensuring value for money.

Ensure all services are delivered in line with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) or specifications.

• Ensure facilities and resources meet the needs of the service, advising the Service Manager/ Clinical Directorate Manager of deficiencies.
• Lead and support staff in implementing change to ensure service delivery meets the needs of service users, commissioners of services, staff, Provider managers and partner agencies.
• Ensure all operational services are delivered in a manner which supports equality and diversity.
• Promote the SEND statutory duties and responsibilities within the teams.

Service Planning and Development

• Working in collaboration with the Service Manager and other partner agencies…