Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Older Adults

Job overview

Are you an experienced speech and language therapist, who is dedicated to working with people with dementia?

Would you like to develop your skills, to include working with older adults with other mental health needs, such as psychosis, anxiety and depression?

Are you caring and compassionate, with good problem-solving skills?

If so, this role could be ideal for you. We are small, supportive team, working across inpatient settings for South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. You would be working alongside a Band 7 colleague and also the Head of Service  across 4 older adult wards in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon.

You can work flexibly across these wards, according to your geographical location. Each ward offers opportunities to engage in existing activities and pathways and also to develop the service yourself and make your own impact.

We are committed to supporting our staff in their career aspirations. We offer a range of ongoing development and training opportunities within our service. This includes regular supervision, yearly appraisals, Older Adult AHP meetings, strong links to Kings College Hospital CPD, access to Recovery College and local mental health networks. You can also join trust wide MDT groups, that focus on other areas you may be interested in, such as end of life care, autism and learning disabilities.

Main duties of the job

You will play a key role in supporting older adults with communication and / or swallowing difficulties on our mental health wards and we welcome applicants who are interested in:

• Assessment and therapeutic input for older adults
• Working closely with the extensive MDT, collaborating to make effective care plans
• Bespoke training for wards according to need
• Development of groups
• Attending MDT ward rounds and other clinically focused meetings
• Working in a patient-centred way and making our services as accessible as possible to people from all backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental health needs
• Supporting students and therapy enablers
• Promoting the role of speech and language therapy within mental health across the Trust

As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. We often find that, in addition to improving your quality of life, it can also contribute to good patient care, for example working a longer day to have 3 opportunities for meal time assessments and then a shorter day another time.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Description and Key Responsibilities:

1) To have autonomous responsibility for the assessment, diagnosis and management of adults admitted with feeding and swallowing difficulties under the care of the older adult wards, including people living with dementia, psychosis, depression or anxiety.

2) To assess people with communication difficulties as part of the MDT, contributing to mental capacity assessments and guidance that supports behavioural care plans for people living with dementia or mental health difficulties. 3) To provide complex and sensitive clinical information to patients and carers in a personalised clear and accessible format, both in written and verbal form. To liaise effectively and work collaboratively with the relevant multidisciplinary teams to plan and facilitate appropriate management and care planning. To carry out joint assessments with other members of the multidisciplinary team where appropriate. To attend ward rounds, case conferences and MDT meetings as appropriate 4) To develop, deliver and evaluate training regarding communication, feeding and swallowing to MDT. 5) To contribute to embedding knowledge with regards to dysphagia and communication within the older adult wards.

6) To participate regularly in the evaluation of the effectiveness of intervention and models of service delivery, maintaining up to date knowledge of relevant clinical guidance and research. To publish and disseminate information which results from research and audit activity. To evaluate outcomes for clients and the service. To ensure that service users and carers are involved with projects and service developments wherever appropriate. 7) To support the development of Therapy Enablers and similar roles on the wards and to contribute to nursing and clinical support worker inductions. To support student clinical placements. 8) To deputise for B7 SLT where clinical need arises.