Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Stroke

Job overview

• This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of our stroke service offering support to patients /families in our acute and rehab stroke wards in beautiful South Devon, with easy access to wonderful beaches and moors.
• As part of our dynamic and fast paced stroke service the post holder will manage a caseload of adults with complex acquired disorders of speech, language, and swallowing following stroke.
• The post holder will function as a core member of the stroke multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social services personnel, dietitians and discharge co-ordinators.
• Access to instrumental swallowing assessment - in particular our well-developed Fees service.
• 1:1 regular management supervision.
• Access to clinical supervision 1:1 and in peer groups.
• Joint working and second opinions with our clinical specialists.
• Regular opportunities for CPD
• A car owner/driver and current driving licence is essential or full access to a car for work purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005).
• We are an innovative and motivated team within a supportive and collaborative environment that offers: ·

Main duties of the job

• To independently manage a caseload of patients on the stroke wards with complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties with reference to theory, published research and evidence, and agreed best practice.
• To prioritise and respond to referrals, allocating to less experienced colleagues and exercising professional judgement based on clinical experience

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To independently manage a caseload of in-patients with complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties with reference to theory, published research and evidence, and agreed best practice.
• To be responsible for triaging referrals to the Speech and Language Therapy service alongside SLT colleagues.

To be responsible for ensuring patients’ safety regarding eating and drinking by assessing, monitoring and updating, and communicating details of safe practice to the patient, medical and ward staff, and carers, ensuring that

recommendations are clearly documented

• To provide appropriate specialist stroke intervention and evaluate outcomes
• To make judgements about when to refer patients for instrumental swallow examination considering the risks and benefits of the procedure.
• To prioritise and decide on appropriate highly specialised treatment programme , matched to individual patient need and

to adapt and modify management options based on extended and developing clinical expertise whilst ensuring patient/carers/multi-disciplinary team are fully involved in the decision-making process

• To assess the need for alternative and augmentative means of communication
• To identify where high -tech electronic communication systems are required to meet patient need and to liaise with AAC specialist SLT.
• To use highly developed communication and counselling skills such as reflective listening, open questioning, empathy, and reassurance when explaining highly complex and sensitive information to the full range of levels in understanding of patients and carers, where anxiety frequently acts as a

barrier and co-operation is not guaranteed

• To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications for lifestyle and employment e.g. when communication skills will not be recovered and/or oral

feeding is no longer an option. To provide counselling and support before onward referral for more formal consultations if judged necessary

• To monitor, recognise, assess and evaluate subtle changes in patients’ conditions and adapt assessment and treatment programmes accordingly based on extended clinical experience, including in palliative care
• To write reports reflecting specialist knowledge with regards to adults with communication and/or swallowing disorders

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.