Position overview
Canberra Health Services Speech Pathology provides comprehensive acute services to adults with communication and swallowing disorders across North Canberra Hospital and Clare Holland House.
The HP3 Speech Pathologist is a senior clinician who delivers advanced, specialised assessment and intervention for complex clinical presentations. The clinical caseload includes individuals with acquired neurological conditions (such as stroke), general medical presentations, critical care needs, neonates and those receiving aged or palliative care. This role provides clinical leadership within the service, including supervising and mentoring staff, facilitating student learning, and modelling high‑level clinical reasoning and decision‑making. The HP3 clinician plays a key role in driving service development, leading quality improvement and research activities, and contributing to strategic initiatives that enhance patient care and strengthen the capability of the speech pathology team and wider multidisciplinary workforce.
This position may participate in a rotational fixed term shift change with weekend work at the North Canberra Hospital including on-call responsibilities depending on operational requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Under professional supervision:
- Provide advanced assessment and intervention across a broad range of clinical areas, applying contemporary evidence‑based principles and high‑level clinical reasoning.
- Apply independent professional judgement to manage complex or high‑risk cases, resolve escalated clinical issues, and provide guidance to others in decision‑making. Ability to work alone when required.
- Lead and model effective collaboration within the speech pathology team and the wider multidisciplinary workforce.
- Build, maintain, and influence effective relationships with consumers, carers, and key stakeholders to support coordinated, high‑quality service delivery.
- Complete required non‑clinical and administrative tasks in accordance with organisational procedures and contribute to service‑level planning and reporting as needed.
- Contribute to, and in some cases lead, education and training activities that build capability within the team or service.
- Lead or significantly contribute to clinical governance activities, including the development of policies, procedures, quality improvement initiatives, research, and health promotion relevant to the service.
- Engage in supervision, advanced professional development, and performance review, and provide professional supervision, mentoring, and training to staff and students.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.
Competencies
Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.
- High Quality, Person‑Centred Service Delivery
- Respectful communication, timely responses, culturally safe care, reliable follow‑through, positive outcomes
- Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Teamwork
- Shares information, seeks input, supports team goals, coordinated care
- Integrity, Accountability & Safe Practice
- Ethical behaviour, confidentiality, follows procedures, owns actions, prioritises safety
- Critical Thinking, Problem‑Solving & Innovation
- Analyses information, uses sound judgement, improves practices, adapts to change
- Leadership (appropriate to level) & Positive Workplace Contribution
- Respectful role‑modelling, adaptability, supporting colleagues, constructive engagement, positive culture
Qualifications
Essential
- Tertiary Qualification in Speech Pathology from a recognised institution.
- Eligibility for full practicing membership of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA).
- A Current Driver’s License
Desirable
- Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
Experience
Essential
- 3 years post-graduate clinical practice experience
Desirable
- Prior experience as a Speech Pathologist in an acute health setting working with adults or infants.
- Experience as a student and/or staff supervisor.
- Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.
Prior to commencement
Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:
- Pre-employment National Police Check.
- Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required.
- Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
- Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.
Important information
All employees are required to:
- Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
- Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
- Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
- Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.
CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.
What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)
These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.
- Recent experience providing evidence‑based assessment, diagnosis and intervention for individuals with communication, swallowing or feeding difficulties, across at least two of the following clinical areas relevant to acute Speech Pathology:
- Acquired neurological conditions (including stroke)
- Aged care and general medicine
- Critical care, including tracheostomy management
- Instrumental assessment of swallowing (Videofluoroscopy and FEES)
- Neonatal feeding
- Palliative Care
- High-level verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within and across multidisciplinary teams, including coordinating client care across the continuum with other health professionals and service providers.
- Ability to develop and implement quality improvement initiatives, participate in research and in‑service activities, and maintain ongoing professional development and evidence‑based practice.
- Ability and/or experience in supervising and supporting the performance development of Speech Pathologists and Speech Pathology students.
- Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.
Work environment description
The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.
| Administrative | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Telephone use | Frequently |
| General computer use | Frequently |
| Extensive keying/data entry | Frequently |
| Graphical/analytical based | Occasionally |
| Sitting at a desk | Frequently |
| Standing for long periods | Occasionally |
| Psychosocial demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations | Frequently |
| Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness | Occasionally |
| Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries | Occasionally |
| Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers | Never |
| Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide | Occasionally |
| Physical demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit) | Frequently |
| Working outdoors | Occasionally |
| Manual handling | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Lifting 0 - 9kg | Frequently |
| Lifting 10 - 15kg | Never |
| Lifting 16kg+ | Never |
| Climbing | Never |
| Running | Never |
| Reaching | Occasionally |
| Kneeling | Occasionally |
| Foot and leg movement | Occasionally |
| Hand, arm and grasping movements | Occasionally |
| Bending/squatting | Occasionally |
| Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting | Occasionally |
| Push/pull | Occasionally |
| Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time | Occasionally |
| Travel | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Frequent travel – multiple work sites | Occasionally |
| Frequent travel – driving | Occasionally |
| Specific hazards | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Working at heights | Never |
| Exposure to extreme temperatures | Never |
| Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift | Never |
| Confined spaces | Occasionally |
| Excessive noise | Occasionally |
| Low lighting | Occasionally |
| Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological. | Occasionally |
| Slippery or uneven surfaces | Occasionally |
Directorate: Canberra Health Services
Division: North Canberra Hospital
Business Unit: Allied Health
Position number: LP7090, 603793
Position title: Speech Pathologist
Classification: Health Professional Level 3
Location: North Canberra Hospital
Reporting relationships:
Direct Manager: Director of Speech Pathology
Manager +1: Executive Director Allied Health, Ambulatory and Palliative Care
Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.
Our Vision: creating exceptional health care together
Our Role: to be a health service that is trusted by our community
Our Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful and Kind