Head of Department - Speech Pathology

Head of Department - Speech Pathology Salary : HSO Level P4 $148,216 -$153,151 per annum pro rata Location : Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands Unit / Division : Child and Adolescent Health Service >

Service Unit 5 – Allied Health Work Type : Fixed Term - Full Time, Fixed Term - Part Time, Permanent - Full Time, Permanent - Part Time Position No : Pool Ref 00012045 Closing Date : 2025-07-21 4 : 00 PM Attachments :

Shape the future of our service in providing evidence based clinical care to children and families.

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.

We currently have one permanent position available for appointment as a Job Share arrangement.

CRVCID 681833

About the role :

Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) is seeking a leader with vision, clinical expertise and a deep commitment to service excellence, to join CAHS as Head of Department – Speech Pathology. This is an exciting opportunity to lead delivery of specialised services for children with complex swallowing, speech, and language disorders across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department settings and as part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.

Reporting to the Director Allied Health, you will lead the strategic service planning, coordination, and evaluation of speech pathology services across PCH, and contribute to statewide policy development.

You will apply your advanced practice skills to coach and mentor your team in supporting patients and families through complex health journeys, driving clinical excellence through reflective practice and evidence-based standards with a focus on provision of family centred, culturally safe and inclusive care.

Key responsibilities include :

• Delivering expert consultation and care in paediatric swallowing and communication disorders, liaising with internal and external stakeholders on complex case management and best practice
• Providing clinical supervision and taking responsibility for the development, maintenance and evaluation of professional standards of clinical care within the department.
• Overseeing the planning and co-ordination of speech therapy services, ensuring a high standard of professional services and the effective and efficient use of allocated human and physical resources within the service.
• Fostering a culture of clinical and professional excellence, promoting speech therapy as a vital hospital service and a cohesive part of the multidisciplinary teams we work within.
• Leading research and quality improvement initiatives to advance our service and maintain clinical excellence.
• Advising, consulting and representing the hospital with community services, external agencies and consumer groups.
• Fostering leadership development and clinical education programs to advance speech therapy practice and enhance workforce sustainability and professional development opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a highly skilled team in a challenging yet rewarding environment. If you are a compassionate, forward-thinking leader with extensive experience leading clinical teams and service delivery in acute or paediatric settings and clinical experience in complex paediatric dysphagia and communication impairment we encouraged you to apply.

Please note a tertiary qualification in Speech Pathology and eligibility for full membership of the Speech Pathology Australia is a requirement for this role.

About our Speech Pathology Team

Based at Perth Children’s Hospital, our dedicated team of over 25 Speech Pathologists provide 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.

How to apply

We welcome your application via the ‘Apply for Job’ button at the bottom of this page. Your application should contain the following :

Selection Criteria :   Please see the attached Job Description Form.

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 :   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.

WA Health is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of our service. We embrace diversity and strongly encourage applications from people from culturally diverse backgrounds and people with disabilities. 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.

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 : Neonatology, Community Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH).

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.