Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly specialist Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to join our expanding Neonatal Speech and Language Therapy Service. This newly created permanent role offers the chance to play a key part in shaping and developing an innovative service that supports babies and their families during some of the most critical stages of early development.

Working within our neonatal team, you will help deliver specialist assessment, intervention and support for infants with feeding, swallowing and communication needs, while contributing to service development, quality improvement and multidisciplinary working across the neonatal pathway.

As part of a significant investment in the service, you will work alongside an experienced Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist at Kettering General Hospital and be supported by a friendly, knowledgeable and highly collaborative neonatal multidisciplinary team. You will also benefit from strong links with an established regional neonatal network, providing excellent opportunities for professional development, networking and shared learning.

Main duties of the job

Serving a population of approximately 350,000 from Northampton and its surrounding area, Kettering General Hospital is a busy district general hospital with a level 2 Local Neonatal Unit (LNU) that typically admits around 450 babies per year. Our neonatal service provides intensive, high-dependency and special care for 20 babies (from 27 weeks gestation) as part of the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNODN), Admissions to the unit comprise both kettering born babies and those born in other hospitals within EMNODN and referred to us for short-term intensive and high-dependency care.

We welcome applications from therapists with experience in neonatal care, paediatrics, feeding and swallowing, or related specialist areas. We would also encourage applications from dysphagia-trained Speech and Language Therapists who can demonstrate the clinical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and potential required to develop into this highly specialist neonatal role.

Work within a supportive multidisciplinary neonatal team committed to delivering outstanding family-centred care.

• Access excellent professional development opportunities through local and regional networks.

• Benefit from flexible working arrangements, which will be considered for the successful candidate.

• Explore future opportunities for additional hours within our partnership neonatal services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for a motivated and skilled Speech and Language Therapist with post-qualification clinical experience relevant to neonatal practice.

Be part of an expanding and developing neonatal SLT service with opportunities to influence its future direction.

Main duties of the job

CLINICAL:

• Provide autonomous specialist assessment, treatment and advice to inpatients on the local neonatal unit and neonatal transitional care unit. Neonates are ward based inpatients who present with feeding/swallowing difficulties.

• To be able to identify neonates with feeding difficulties, swallow dysfunction, and dysphagia and develop suitable management plans to reduce their risk of stress, aspiration and feeding aversion.

• Utilise a range of informal and formal approaches to assess the neonates early communication and pre-feeding/breastfeeding/bottle feeding skills and to support the MDT in identifying these needs to inform optimum care planning and intervention.

• Maintain an in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of neonatal clinical needs and presentations resulting from a range of acquired conditions.

• To communicate complex information effectively and clearly with clinical colleagues regarding assessments and interventions both in spoken and written reports, as well as in day-to day liaison.

• Deliver therapy programmes based on current evidence and clinical knowledge to meet the needs of the infant and family’s profile.

• To be aware of the boundaries of own practice, and to always manage the associated clinical risk effectively.

• Work closely with members of the MDT to holistically identify the range of needs of the infant and family and how best to support these.

• To communicate effectively, empathically and clearly with families and carers regarding issues which will sometimes be complicated or emotionally charged.

• To sensitively deal with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care e.g. imparting news or poor prognosis

• To work with the MDT to ensure timely community referrals, discharge planning meetings, liaison with other medical specialities and healthcare professionals.

• To be able to identify need for further instrumental swallowing assessment.

• To critically reflect on own and others’ performance and use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of future practice.

• To identify own training needs and to keep skills up to date.

• To continue to meet the clinical competencies according to RCSLT standards

• To demonstrate good organisational skills in terms of time and caseload management.

• To attend meetings and seminars/case conferences as appropriate, and liaise with and advise other disciplines, as appropriate, to achieve comprehensive, effective and confidential patient management through to discharge.

• To always behave in a professional manner.

• To appropriately seek and use supervision to review complex case material, develop skills, plan continuing professional development, set learning targets and address any issues which may be relevant to the fulfilment of your role.

• To actively engage with East Midlands Neonatal operational delivery network (EMNODN)  via network meetings and externally via relevant Clinical Excellent Networks (CEN’s).

CONSULTATION:

• To provide expertise and specialist neonatal speech and language therapy advice and consultation to other professionals in relation to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and care.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

• To attend Trust working parties as requested by the Service Lead to contribute to strategic service and at times for Trust wide development

• To provide governance, strategic and recruitment support as requested to Acute SLT Team Lead and Children’s Therapies Manager

• To fully engage in the Trust and team strategies including five-year plans and visions.

RESEARCH:

• To carry out and co-operate in audit/service-related projects.

• To contribute to team outcome measures which are reported back to the Neonatal Operational Delivery Network and maintain SLT specific outcome measure database.

• To monitor and evaluate clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice using appropriate outcome measures

• To participate in research conducted within the department in discussion with the lead for the service.

• To use computer software in developing and operating systems for storage and analysis of data and creation of reports for colleagues in relation to audit activities and clinical research.

TEACHING, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION:

• To provide teaching and training to other professional colleagues/staff groups at a local, and national level.

• To present on relevant research/practice at events/forums

• To supervise junior members of staff and provide line management support within the team.

• To provide student education and create an appropriate learning environment for placement-based education.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ORGANISATIONAL:

• To take part in service/departmental policy implementation and development

• To ensure a high standard of documentation including clinical notes, reports and goals and outcome measures are maintained.

• To manage own time effectively within the demands of the service.

• To ensure timely recording in patients records paper and or electronic systems

• Work across the Trust to support gaps in service as identified by the Lead for the service, as required.

• Input data into database including outcome measures

• To complete admin tasks on behalf of patients or team members within the service.

GENERAL:

• To observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources within the team, such as assessments, resources, technology, equipment.

• To maintain effective paper and electronic records and develop information recording systems as appropriate in performing the duties of the job.