Clinical Lead Speech & language Therapist

Job overview

Are you an experienced and motivated Speech and Language Therapist ready for a Band 7 clinical leadership role? We have an exciting opportunity to join our Integrated Community Stroke and Neurorehabilitation Service in Blackpool, supporting adults with stroke, acquired brain injury and other neurological conditions in community settings.

As Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will provide specialist assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for people with complex communication and swallowing difficulties, alongside professional leadership and support for the SLT workforce. Working with colleagues across acute and community pathways, you will help shape rehabilitation, promote evidence-based practice and support people to maximise independence, participation and quality of life. You will be part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team including case managers, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation assistants, a dietitian, an Advanced Clinical Practitioner and another Clinical Lead SLT.

This is an excellent opportunity for a clinician with strong stroke and neurorehabilitation experience who is passionate about service improvement, collaborative working and outstanding community care. Applications for full-time and part-time hours will be considered.

Main duties of the job

As Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, you will provide visible clinical leadership for Speech and Language Therapy within our Integrated Community Stroke and Neurorehabilitation Service, supporting the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care for adults following an acquired brain injury, neurological diagnosis or stroke. You will bring specialist expertise in the assessment and management of complex communication and swallowing difficulties, while working closely with multidisciplinary colleagues across community and acute pathways. The role also includes supervision and support of junior staff and rehabilitation assistants, contributing to service development, quality improvement and evidence-based practice across the team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide highly specialist assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for adults with acquired communication and/or swallowing disorders within a community stroke and neurorehabilitation service, using current evidence-based practice to inform clinical decisions, prognosis and discharge planning.
• To contribute to mental capacity assessments and best-interest decision-making processes, enabling patients to maximise their independence, participation and ability to communicate their wishes wherever possible.
• To participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, best-interest meetings and family meetings, providing specialist advice and guidance on communication and swallowing needs.
• To ensure patients, families and carers are actively involved in goal setting, care planning and rehabilitation programmes wherever possible.
• To adapt assessment and intervention approaches to meet individual patient circumstances, including cognitive, cultural, linguistic and environmental factors.
• To provide specialist advice, support and education to colleagues, relatives and carers to promote effective management of communication and swallowing difficulties, including discharge planning and longer-term management.
• To liaise effectively with Speech and Language Therapy colleagues, multidisciplinary team members, acute services, primary care and external agencies to support coordinated, seamless care across the pathway.
• To work within service, professional and Trust policies relating to referral management, clinical pathways, documentation, consent, safeguarding and discharge processes.
• To manage a highly specialist clinical caseload independently, while delegating appropriately to junior Speech and Language Therapists and rehabilitation assistants, and maintaining accurate, timely and legally compliant clinical records.
• To work flexibly across community settings, including patients’ homes, clinics and other relevant locations across Blackpool and the wider service footprint as required.
• To work collaboratively with partner agencies and multidisciplinary or multi-agency teams to ensure effective, joined-up service provision and smooth transitions of care.
• To maintain and apply up-to-date knowledge of professional standards, national guidance and current evidence relevant to stroke and neurorehabilitation, including Speech and Language Therapy best practice.
• To maintain high standards of infection prevention and control, safety and risk management, and to promote these across the team and wider community settings.
• To provide clinical supervision, leadership and day-to-day support to junior staff and rehabilitation assistants, contributing to staff development, service improvement and the ongoing delivery of high-quality community stroke and neurorehabilitation care.

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.