Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Neuro-Rehabilitation

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Speech & Language Therapist (SLT) who exemplifies our Trust values to join our evolving neuro-rehabilitation service for one year in a fixed-term pilot role.  The postholder will provide Rapid Access to Acute Rehabilitation (RAAR) to patients on neurosciences pathways across Charing Cross Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, with the focus on Major Trauma, working flexibly across sites depending on service need.

The postholder will provide an in-reach service to enable earlier access and more intensive input from SLT. They will work closely alongside the acute SLTs, ward-based MDTs, and other RAAR MDT colleagues to achieve a high standard of holistic care and a positive patient experience.

They will also be part of the wider SLT department, which runs weekly videofluoroscopy clinics and an on-request FEES service, benefitting from support from a wide range of highly skilled colleagues.

The post holder must be an effective communicator with strong clinical skills and experience in delivering neuro-rehabilitation to patients with complex dysphagia and communication needs as part of an MDT. The role offers the opportunity to further develop a range of skills: clinical, educational, and service improvement, and is supported by the Clinical Lead SLT for Stroke and Neuro-Rehab. It would particularly suit someone flexible who is keen to develop a service with demonstrable outcomes.

Main duties of the job

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including management of patients in your care and undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To provide comprehensive and specialist therapy assessment and diagnosis for patients with a range of highly complex presentations, by utilising advanced clinical reasoning, evidence-based knowledge, investigative and analytical skills and specialist assessment techniques.
• To work both independently and within a team structure, demonstrating leadership to manage own and team caseload.  To efficiently manage a caseload and organise this effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
• To formulate and deliver an individualised and specialist care plan / therapy management programme based on advanced knowledge of evidence based practice, advanced clinical reasoning skills and a wide range of specialist treatment options. As a specialist clinician to provide a second opinion where required.
• To provide clarity and communicate complex clinical findings to the patient/carers to gain valid informed consent, prior to any intervention. To work within a legal framework for those patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
• To communicate with patients in a way that empowers them to make informed choices about the management of their condition and engages them in the planning and delivery of treatment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviews, please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.