Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our friendly and supportive speech and language therapy team in a Band 5 rotation post. The postholder will participate in a rotation across community, acute (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) and stroke (University Hospital Lewisham) settings. The successful candidate will be supported to completed newly qualified practitioner and dysphagia competencies as required, and will have exposure to instrumental assessments including videofluoroscopy and FEES.

PLEASE NOTE: We may not be able to offer sponsorship for this post

Main duties of the job

To provide a general speech and language therapy service to adults with communication and swallowing problems across the acute, community and stroke teams, under the supervision of a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

To be fully involved in the multi-disciplinary process across the respective teams.

To provide training/ supervision for volunteers, assistants and other professions as requested by the Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Result Areas & Performance: •    To assess, develop and implement speech and language therapy treatment for patients with communication and swallowing problems •    To manage and prioritise your caseload and workload independently •    To make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from assessment, seeking advice as appropriate •    To employ counselling skills with patients and carers •    To write therapy programmes to be carried out by the speech and language therapy assistant •    To demonstrate specialist knowledge in the area of the current rotation, underpinned by current evidenced based practice •    To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of a specialist therapist working in the respective fields. To maintain HPC and RCSLT registration and ensure it is up to date •    To keep up to date with new techniques and developments for the promotion and maintenance of good practice in your clinical area •    To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by the use of evidence based practice and outcome measures •    To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies •    To have due regard for your own personal safety and that of clients and carers, in particular to have regard to moving and handling regulations, restraining policies, lone working and ensure the safe positioning of self and others

Organisational •    To be aware of, adhere to and implement service and team plans and policies •    To use your specialist knowledge to inform service/policy developments as appropriate •    To attend meetings at the request of the service manager •    To consult with service users regarding service developments wherever possible, within existing resources •    To participate in and develop innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness within Speech and Language Therapy and the Trust in general •    To develop care protocols/packages informed by the evidence of your clinical specialism in liaison with your supervisor and/or service manager •    To develop Clinical Governance/audit projects within the speech and language therapy services •    To develop local clinical guidelines informed by the evidence of your clinical specialism. •    To demonstrate the ability to reflect on your practice with peers and mentors and identify your own strengths and development needs •    To contribute to interagency/multi-disciplinary team building •    To assist with the identification of training needs within the team

Professional •    To be accountable for your own professional action and recognise your professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate. •    To attend and contribute to departmental CPD sessions participating in peer review. •    To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to clients. •    To demonstrate a working knowledge of the principles of Clinical Governance and their application to professional practice. •    To gather activity data accurately and regularly, ensuring the provision of such information promptly within local Trust guidelines. •    To participate in departmental research and clinical governance/audit projects. •    To collect and provide research data as required. •    To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations. •    To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and following the Trust complaints procedure. •    To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties. •    To demonstrate knowledge of, and adhere to, RCSLT Professional and Clinical and National and Local Clinical Guidelines.

Financial To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate

Partnerships Communications and Relationships •    To negotiate therapy goals with patients, their carers and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) •    To provide information, support and training to relatives and patients •    To write reports for other professionals reflecting your knowledge of communication and swallowing •    To communicate complex condition related information from assessment and intervention to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions •    To attend ward rounds, case conferences, rehabilitation meetings and other multidisciplinary meetings. To ensure a two-way exchange of information with these parties to help decide on the best course of intervention for each individual •    To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist •    To provide advice on speech and language therapy to non-specialists and other specialists/professionals within clinical field •    To participate in the development and delivery of training (formal and informal) to others in area of clinical expertise