Address- Contribute to healthier futures for our young patients.
- Significant training and development opportunities within our multidisciplinary team.
This is a Recruitment Pool for Permanent Full Time, Permanent Part Time, Fixed Term Full Time, Fixed Term Part Time, Casual appointments, with the possibility of extension(s) and/or permanency.
CRVCID596387
About the role:
We are seeking Senior Speech Pathologists to join our team at Perth Children’s Hospital and deliver high quality, evidence-based, family centered care for children and young people as part of their medical journey.
Reporting to the Head of Department Speech Pathology, you will work closely with a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals in both inpatient and outpatient settings and apply advanced practice skills to plan, prioritise and implement services within your assigned clinical speciality.
In addition to clinical responsibilities, you will actively engage in supervision of junior professionals, education, training, and research activities to enhance professional development and contribute to ongoing improvement of our family-centred service.
As a Senior Speech Pathologist, you will:
- Provide evidence-based assessment, intervention, and evaluation of communication and swallowing disorders as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Actively prioritise and coordinate a clinical caseload including participate in clinical review meetings and case conferences as appropriate.
- Advise and support staff by coordinating caseloads, facilitating and promoting patient safety while complying with governance and regulatory requirements.
- Educate patients and their families / carers in post-discharge management, providing strategies to support their child's feeding, speech and language development at home and coordinating discharge summaries and referrals to other services as needed.
- Engage in self-study towards completion of formal credentialling in a specialty area as part of continuous professional development and education and supervising junior (P1) Speech Pathologists towards the same.
- Liaise with consumer groups including external agencies to represent CAHS. Provide education and training to internal and external stakeholders, and support referrals to community and NDIS, private providers.
Our service may include weekend shifts and or home visiting.
A tertiary qualification in Speech Pathology and eligible for full membership of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) are requirements for this role.
Individuals with experience from an adult care environment can be supported in transitioning to our paediatric focused environment.
Why Join Us:
This role offers a fantastic opportunity for professional growth and development, with significant training and development opportunities as part of an ambitious, respectful, and collaborative multi-disciplinary team.
You will join a large and supportive team of over 25 Speech Pathologists and access a robust training program including clinical educators and opportunities for student supervision, teaching, training, and professional development.
Join us in our commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centred care and contributing to advancements in clinical practice and research.
About our Speech Pathology Team
Based at Perth Children’s Hospital, our dedicated team provides a statewide service for children aged 0–16 years, as inpatients and outpatients, focusing on complex feeding and/or swallowing difficulties, complex neurological impairment, including acquired, genetic and degenerative conditions, as well as tertiary communication needs including articulation, voice, and language delays. Our specialised services include neonatal and paediatric critical care, subacute paediatric rehabilitation (Early Intervention and iRehab), Children’s Hearing Implant Program (CHIP), specialist diagnostic clinics (such as Video Fluoroscopy Swallow Study (VFSS) services) and complex case management clinics (such as the Airway Voice Swallow Clinic and Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic).
We work with children and their families to provide consultation, intervention, rehabilitation, training and support. This includes establishing alternative communication methods, evaluation and guidance to promote safe feeding and adequate hydration and nutrition for infants and children.
We believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and continue to work with patients and their families beyond the hospital setting including liaison with community-based providers, and support for transition to adult care.
About CAHS:
The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) is proud to be the leading service provider for paediatric healthcare in Western Australia, as the State’s only dedicated health service for infants, children and young people. CAHS comprises four service areas: Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) and Neonatology, Community Health, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
With over 6500 employees, our services are delivered at PCH and King Edward Memorial Hospitals (KEMH), as well as across a network of more than 160 community clinics across the Perth metropolitan area.
For further information about the benefits of working for CAHS, please click here and for further information regarding CAHS’ services, please click here
How to apply
We welcome your application via the ‘Apply for Job’ button at the bottom of this page.
1. Within the application system, you will be asked to confirm the service you wish to apply for:
- Paediatric Feeding & Dysphagia: with a focus on early intervention for infants in their first 1000 days of life, this service works with families to assess and treat acquired and congenital feeding and swallowing issues, including post-surgical cases and provision of video fluoroscopy. The team have a strong working relationship with medical teams at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital including Neonatology, Paediatric Critical care, and general paediatric care.
- Rehab / Complex Neuro: this service provides statewide rehabilitation services for children aged 0–16 years in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Assessment and treatment is frequently required across all speech pathology professional domains including dysphagia, AAC and cognitive communication. Specific programs such as Early Intervention and iRehab focus on outpatients identified at risk of a disability diagnosis and/ or who are medically stable but have not yet resumed baseline function.
- Speech & Early Communication: this stream encompasses services such as cochlear implant support within the Children’s Hearing Implant Program (CHIP), and assessment and treatment for cleft and craniofacial abnormalities. With a direct surgical pathway to access surgeons, the team ensure children are seen the day of surgery and establish strong relationships with families through regular contact over time.
Your application should contain the following:
2. A covering letter of no more than 2 pages outlining your desired/preferred service and suitability for the position. Please include a statement addressing the below questions in your maximum 2 pages.
- In this role, you will be required to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, manage client caseloads effectively, and act as a consultant and educator in paediatric speech pathology. Can you provide an example of a situation where you demonstrated strong interpersonal skills while working with a multidisciplinary team to manage a client's case? How did you ensure effective collaboration, efficient caseload management, and effectively educate and consult with the team, including health professionals, your peers, students, and other stakeholders in the process?
- Provide specific examples of how you have demonstrated your commitment to quality improvement processes in your workplace practices. Provide details of the steps you took to identify the area of need, how you negotiated and managed team and stakeholder expectations and resources whilst implementing change of practice.
3. A copy of your current CV outlining your most recent and relevant work experience along with evidence of your tertiary qualification in Speech Pathology and eligibility for full membership of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA).
4. The name, email and contact details of two referees who can be contacted to provide a confidential report (we will contact you and seek your confirmation prior to contacting your listed referees).
Selection Criteria: Please see the attached Job Description Form.
Role related questions:
We encourage you to contact Basia Hamden, Head of Department Speech Pathology on 08 6456 47***with any specific questions regarding this role.
Help in submitting your application: If you experience technical difficulties while applying online, please contact Employee Services on 13 44 77 for immediate assistance during business hours.
Eligibility to Apply: Australian citizenship or permanent residency is an essential requirement for applicants to be considered for permanent positions in the public sector.
This position is subject to a Western Australian Working with Children (WWC) Check. For further information please refer to the WWC website at: https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au
The panel will monitor this recruitment pool for applications and will assess on a regular basis.
Suitable applicants will be placed in a pool from which appointments may be made when similar vacancies occur.
Appointments may be made from this pool until 30/06/2025.
Other Conditions: WA Health engages staff in positions of trust and responsibility. WA Health policies require applicants to undertake criminal records screening and integrity checking as part of the appointment process. Referees may also be asked to comment on an applicant’s integrity and past demonstration of ethical behaviour.
Whilst this selection process will initially be used to fill any available vacancy, it may also be used to fill other "similar" vacancies throughout the health service. In addition to this, should the successful applicant decline or vacate the advertised vacancy, then the next most suitable applicant may also be selected from this process. Both of these options remain valid for a period of twelve (12) months from when the authorised delegate endorses the recruitment decision.
CAHS is committed to providing a workplace culture that is driven and shaped by our values of Compassion, Collaboration, Equity, Respect, Excellence and Accountability. During the selection process you may be assessed on your ability to fulfil the responsibilities of this position in accordance with the values.
In addition, we are committed to growing our Aboriginal workforce as part of WA Health Aboriginal Workforce Policy. As a measure to achieve equality, section 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 applies to this position and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.
For Assistance including any adjustment needed to accommodate a disability and confidential enquiries – please contact the Strategic Talent Acquisition Recruitment Team (START) service via email: ***************@health.wa.gov.au
Before you apply for this position, please read the attached job application information sheet which contains important information.
Lodgement is system generated. Any submissions on, or after, 4:00pm on the closing date will not be accepted.
LATE OR EMAIL APPLICATIONS CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED
