Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced HCPC registered Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly Community Speech and Language Therapy Team covering the West Lancashire area on a full-time, 12-month fixed term basis.

Our Speech & Language Therapists work with adults who have communication and/or swallowing difficulties with the team being based at Bickerstaffe House. You will work with patients in clinic settings and in their own homes, including nursing and residential homes, providing assessment, treatment and ongoing management for people with a wide range of Speech and Language Therapy needs. The role offers the chance to build strong multidisciplinary relationships across neighbourhood services and make a visible difference to the health and wellbeing of the local population.

You will assess, diagnose, plan and deliver treatment for patients with a range of complex needs, including people living with long-term conditions. We are therefore looking for someone with strong clinical reasoning, excellent communication skills and a compassionate, proactive approach to care. In return, you will join a service that values professional development, collaborative working and continuous improvement. We value CPD and carry out robust clinical supervision and appraisals to encourage therapists’ specialist interests and innovation.

Main duties of the job

To provide evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy assessment and intervention to service users who have communication and/or eating and drinking difficulties. These occur as a consequence of physical and mental health conditions such as: Learning Disability, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia and Mental Illness.

The caseload may cover the whole spectrum of communication disorders, e.g., non-verbal communication, dysfluency, high level language / social use of language and voice as applicable to the service.

The role will be integrated within the therapy team and will work with the team to develop person-centred care plans.

Supervision will be provided by a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To participate as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with specific responsibility to assess and treat adults with complex health needs.

To be responsible for the delivery of specialist assessment, diagnosis, treatment, delivery and evaluation of evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy intervention in a variety of settings including inpatient, individuals home setting, care homes or outpatient clinics for clients with communication and swallowing disorders, such as dysphagia, dysfluency, voice, head and neck.

To act as a Care coordinator where applicable, ensuring that clients have full access to any generic services that they require.

To be responsible and accountable for their own caseload and ensure that care plans are written and reviewed regularly.

To contribute to the prioritisation of the waiting list for Speech and Language Therapy.

To complete intake assessments on behalf of the team and feedback to the multi-disciplinary team.

To work alongside and liaise with other professionals within the team, staff at day centres, residential staff and families.

To provide clinical advice to these on the communication needs of clients, resolving areas of conflict as necessary.

To provide specialist knowledge on alternative and augmentative systems of communication, where appropriate. To ensure that all relevant agencies have access to all systems.

To Identify and take responsibility for allocating work and providing supervision to Speech and Language Therapy assistants.

To provide training days to staff teams around specific individual’s communication to devise strategies and management plans.

To be able to deputise on the absence of the clinical lead and ensure coordination of caseload is well managed within the team.

To be an active and enthusiastic team member by participating with service improvement activities, promoting innovation, being supportive to other team members and proactive when identifying potential issues in the service.