BANK Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

As a Band 6 Bank Speech and Language Therapist, you will provide specialist assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for adults with communication and swallowing disorders arising from stroke, neurological conditions, neurosurgery, complex medical conditions and long-term health needs. Shifts may be in inpatient or outpatient settings where you will independently manage a specialist caseload while collaborating closely with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. Support and supervision is available from senior staff in all clinical pathways.

You will use advanced clinical reasoning skills to assess and manage complex communication and dysphagia presentations. You may be involved in supporting videofluoroscopy and FEES assessments, and work with patients with tracheostomies and ventilator dependence depending on your experience and competency development but this is not essential to the role.

Main duties of the job

• Demonstrate specialist knowledge in stroke, neurology, neurosurgery, elderly care and dysphagia management.
• Work autonomously within professional scope of practice
• Assess, diagnose and manage complex communication and swallowing disorders.
• Analyse assessment findings and determine appropriate therapeutic interventions.
• Use clinical reasoning to provide differential diagnoses.
• Make decisions regarding referral, discharge and onward specialist investigations
• Manage complex clinical situations with support from senior colleagues where appropriate
• Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary meetings.
• Negotiate care plans and therapy goals with patients, carers and members of the MDT
• Communicate complex, sensitive and potentially distressing information to patients, carers and professionals.
• Adapt communication methods to overcome barriers associated with aphasia, dysarthria, cognitive impairment, hearing impairment and altered consciousness
• Maintain accurate and timely electronic and paper clinical records.
• Collect and record activity and outcome data.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details of the job description, responsibilities and person specification please see the attached job description.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.