Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated specialist clinician to work as part of the SLT team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The post is based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, a large state of the art teaching hospital. The post holder will work predominantly within the Neurosciences team but will also work across our other inpatient areas, with opportunities to be involved with FEES and the videofluoroscopy service.

You will join a supportive and motivated team and will have access to a number of specialisms, including: Head and Neck Cancer, Acute/CCC and Voice. The team are enthusiastic and innovative and are committed to evidence based practice. Regular team meetings, support and supervision ensure a high quality of service is provided. The team also has strong links with the University of East Anglia, including the School of Health Sciences and Medical School.

NNUH is one of the largest university teaching hospitals in the UK providing first-class acute care for around one million people living in Norfolk and the surrounding areas with specialist medical and surgical multidisciplinary teams which the Acute and Critical Care SLT team input into. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. Within NNUH, the SLT department offers a progressive and highly rewarding environment.

Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist Speech & Language Therapy assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment for adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. The role will have a Neurosciences focus, though there will be an expectation to provide support across other inpatient specialisms.
• To provide specialist education, training and advice to patients, carers, SLT colleagues, other health care professionals, students, and voluntary organisations.
• To be involved in undertaking audit and contributing to research.

To support the delivery of a high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service, all staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH’s ‘PRIDE’ values of People focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence and demonstrate behaviours that support and encourage an inclusive culture.

Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The following skills and experience will be required and are essential for the successful candidates:

• To hold and manage an identified caseload independently and to be legally accountable for all clinical decisions and professional actions.
• To provide specialist assessment, differential diagnosis and appropriate clearly planned SLT intervention and discharge planning for patients with a wide range of disorders in line with RCSLT Clinical Guidelines and standards set by the Therapy Lead/SLT Service Manager.
• To demonstrate specialist knowledge in the area of Neurosciences  underpinned by current evidence based practice.
• To adapt assessment and intervention techniques to the needs of the individual patients on an ongoing basis, including use of augmentative and alternative communication systems as appropriate.
• To support junior colleagues and identify the need for second opinions, referring to senior colleagues as appropriate.
• To work under the supervision of the Highly Specialist SLTs, to conduct and analyse instrumental assessments (e.g., Videofluoroscopy, Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) and to be aware of the health and safety issues in regard to radiation and bodily fluids.

Please view the attached job description for full details of the role, and use your supporting statement to confirm how you meet the essential and desirable criteria on the job specification.