Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

Are you a newly qualified or band 5 Speech and Language Therapist?

Would you like to make a difference to the lives of people with Learning Disabilities who live in the Dudley borough?

We have an exciting opportunity for a role with our adult Speech and Language Therapy team in our busy community Learning Disability service. If you are passionate about supporting the communication and swallowing needs of vulnerable patients, please read this advert carefully and get in touch with any queries.

There are many transferrable skills in this client group to kick-start your career in SLT. You can learn and grow in our supportive multi-disciplinary team.  We have a proven track record in supporting newly qualified SLTs in this area and are proud to offer:

• AHP preceptorship programme
• Peer support and mentorship
• Professional clinical and management supervision
• Shadowing experience
• Funding for CPD training
• SLT Networking events
• In-house Makaton and Talking Mats tutors
• Symbol software and iPad access

Please note that this role is not eligible for Visa sponsorship. We reserve the right to close this vacancy if a high number of applications are received. Please do not apply unless you meet the personal specification listed. The role involves independent travel to see patients in their own settings. Where applications appear to be written by AI and other details in the application do not match the experience, qualifications and skills listed, such applications will not be short-listed.

Main duties of the job

• The post-holder has responsibility for providing Speech and Language Therapy assessment and intervention in communication and dysphagia as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to adults over the age of 18 with an identified learning disability in community settings. The post-holder will assess, diagnose and manage the communication and/or swallowing needs of patients receiving clinical assessment and intervention in community settings under the supervision of a senior SLT clinician. This may include the following duties:
• Collection of detailed case history information
• Informal assessment and observation
• Undertakes clinical work with individuals and groups of clients
• Uses formal standardised assessment and informal assessment procedures
• Communicates assessment and therapeutic findings within the multi-disciplinary team
• Completes contemporaneous case notes and written clinical information completion according to Trust procedures
• Undertakes clinical work with individuals and groups of clients with guidance from senior SLT
• Develops coordinated multidisciplinary programmes of care / care packages
• Makes decisions leading to SLT review or discharge of clients and/or referral to other services, as appropriate
• Is responsible for managing own community clinical caseload under guidance of a more senior clinician

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Develops specialism in communication disorders in people with learning disabilities including the ability to analyse and compare clinical information derived from assessment of a complex caseload seeking guidance from the relevant SLT lead when required due to complexity.
• Develops clinical competencies in dysphagia management.
• Contributes to audit, research and developments in the clinical field and service as directed by service leads.
• Provides advice in relation to care of clients with specific communication and swallowing needs to the multi-disciplinary team.
• Provides both direct and indirect  intervention, consultation, advice and support; working within a multi-disciplinary model to a complex caseload in order to ensure that the inter-agency needs of clients are met, seeking highly specialist support and second opinions from senior clinical leads for the most complex patients.
• Promotes, supports and integrates the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist’s guidance and standards into all clinical work.
• Actively participates and supports MDT intervention by regularly attending patient MDT meetings and clinical reviews.