Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Band 5/6 Run-Through)

Job overview

Would you like to be part of a well established multi disciplinary health and social care team? Would you like to support and improve the lives of adults with learning disabilities within the London Borough of Islington? Islington Learning Disabilities Speech and Language Therapy team are looking for a band 5 speech and language therapist with an exciting opportunity to progress to band 6 within the post. The post holder will deliver communication and dysphagia intervention programmes, with supervision and support to develop skills in managing a caseload of adults with learning disabilities with complex communication and dysphagia needs. There will be opportunities to deliver dysphagia and communication training for paid and family carers, local community day and residential/supported living services. You will be part of a well established speech and language therapy team that includes a part time SLTA and will also contribute to a variety of multidisciplinary pathways. You will be offered regular supervision, including cross borough peer supervision opportunities and networking opportunities across the wider Whittington SLT teams. There will be opportunities for flexible or part time working.

For further details/informal discussion about this post please contact Radhika Lingham, clinical lead speech and language therapist on 07516 900 138 Mon – Fri 9-5pm or you can email at [email protected]

Main duties of the job

Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDFs, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder is a member of an integrated multi-agency learning disabilities service (Health and Social Services). The team provides a specialist service to young people and adults with learning disabilities in a range of community environments across Islington. Islington is a culturally diverse borough with many multi-ethnic, bilingual and multi-lingual speaking communities. These may provide potential barriers to communication which could affect delivery of client care.  Speech and language therapists will need to have an awareness of, and sensitivity to, social, cultural and economic issues.

The post holder will deliver Speech and Language Therapy care in a range of environments including client’s homes, day opportunity settings and community settings in Islington.  They will work with a range of other professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, psychiatrists, social workers and a range of other carers and community personnel. They will encounter a wide range of physically and emotionally challenging conditions in clients’ homes and other environments in the community.

Main duties:

Clinical

• To be able to provide basic clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of language and communication problems in Adults with Learning Disabilities, providing appropriate intervention and evaluating outcomes
• To be able to provide basic clinical expertise in the area of dysphagia for Adults with Learning Disabilities, drawing on support of senior colleagues as required
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness drawing on evidence based practice and outcome measures
• To make appropriate basic differential diagnoses and clinical decisions based  on evidence from assessment, seeking support and advice from a supervisor as appropriate
• To develop knowledge and skill in autism, AAC, audiology, mental health, accessible information and  positive behaviour support with training, support and advice from a supervisor as appropriate.
• To develop clear care plans based on best practice
• To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of patients/clients with communication and dysphagia difficulties
• To communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions, demonstrating empathy and ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist
• To work closely with clients, carers and families, in order to agree plan of management
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties
• To employ excellent communication skills
• To develop skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic process
• To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities and their carers in particular when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the communication and dysphagia difficulties and implications of the same
• To develop the ability to manage adults with challenging behaviours employing appropriate management strategies
• To monitor and review the progress of clients against the targets set and agreed, seeking support from clinical supervisor as appropriate
• To adapt practice to meet individual patient/client circumstances
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on clinical practice with peers / clinical supervisor based on research and evidence based practice.
• To develop the ability to reflect on the sensory aspects of client’s communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness
• To be aware of legal requirements relating to the provision of a specialist speech and language therapy service, seeking advice and support as appropriate.
• To maintain up to date and accurate case notes and write reports reflecting specialist knowledge, and ensuring that they meet departmental standards and are in line with local trust and social services policy, and RCSLT professional standards
• To manage and prioritise a defined caseload and workload independently
• To contribute to multi-agency assessments, as required, seeking support and supervision as required
• To contribute to the teamwide pathways and approaches for clients with complex mental health needs and/or challenging behaviours, seeking support and supervision as required
• To demonstrate negotiation skills
• To negotiate with clients, carers and others around individual case management
• To develop negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations recognising potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and seeking advice and support to resolve
• To ensure that clients are referred to other services as appropriate, in consultation with manager or supervisor
• To develop a working knowledge of the principles of Clinical Governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to, and implementation of service and team area plans, national and local guidelines and RCSLT professional and clinical guidelines
• To develop an awareness of current policies and practice in social services
• To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including: Safeguarding and other legal frameworks.
• To contribute to the local Trust’s systems of clinical governance, participating in and developing innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness in collaboration with others
• To be accountable for own professional action recognising professional boundaries and working  within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct,  seeking advice as appropriate
• To work independently accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre-determined intervals