Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Speech and Language Therapist to work as part of the Coventry and Rugby Community Learning Disabilities team delivering Speech and Language Therapy input to the Integrated Community Services, Community Learning Disabilities Service. Previous experience of working with Adults with Learning Disabilities is essential.

Consideration maybe given for a development post from band 5-6

Main duties of the job

• To participate in the organisation, delivery and development of Speech and Language interventions.
• To carry a clinical caseload in communication and dysphagia providing specialised Speech and Language Therapy to adults with a learning disability with a range of highly complex needs in a variety of settings.
• To provide specialist clinical support and supervision to other Speech and Language Therapists, assistants, students and members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• The role involves close collaborative working with multi-disciplinary colleagues in the community setting, completing assessments, planning interventions for  adults who have a learning disability, identifying and meeting training needs and providing specialist advice.

Essential Requirements include:

• RCSLT membership and HCPC registration
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience of working with people with a learning disability in the community
• Driver with access to independent means of transport

For further information please contact  Hope Barnard

Highly Specialist SLT on 02476 324380, or via email on [email protected]

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST

1.     Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including caseload management and direct clinical care. To work within the professional body’s code of conduct and scope of practise.

2.     Obtain and record informed consent from patients/clients’ at each contact in accordance with Trust policy.

3.     Carry out triage, comprehensive specialist assessments for patients/clients.  Interpret clinical and non-clinical information, use clinical reasoning skills to accurately diagnose and develop specific treatment plans.  This may occur within ward environments or a range of community settings.

4.     Provide advice, or signposting as appropriate, to other professionals or single assessments to meet patient/clients’ holistic care needs

5.     Formulate and deliver individual treatment programmes based on specialist knowledge, differential diagnosis for communication and dysphagia, evidence-based practise, national and local guidelines using profession-specific clinical skills and techniques. (e.g. standardised assessments, AAC, group and individual work)

6.     Negotiate with clients and carers to identify and formulate client-centred goals and demonstrate ongoing evaluation of patient/client progress using agreed outcome measures.

7.     To contribute to multi-agency working e.g. meeting to share information and plan patient/client care

8.     Prioritise urgent or unexpected or planned referrals, adjusting caseloads and allocations to meet revised needs.

9.     Assess and record competency of less experienced staff, colleagues form other professions, non-registered staff and students, carers to carry out any delegated tasks.

10.  Identify and manage clinical and other risks.  Record near misses and actual events through the incident reporting process.

11.  Develop own and others skills, knowledge and expertise, ensuring continuous professional development by various methods (e.g. in-service training, workshops, shadowing, 1:1 training courses, peer facilitation) when relevant and appropriate to the needs of the service and funding.

12.  Identify, plan, deliver and evaluate specialist training

13.  Actively contribute to the staff appraisal process as an appraise

14.  Undertake measurement, evaluation and audit of the service to improve quality, standards and contribute to the evidenced base.  Promptly act on feedback from clients to improve their experience.

15.  Maintain accurate and timely electronic and paper records of activity and contacts to support contractual requirements

16.  Undertake other duties when requested by professional or operational managers.

17.  To promote a positive and beneficial relationship with the patient/client, their relatives/carers and other professionals involved, respecting individual needs and promoting user involvement/decision making.

Communication

18.  Communicate with patients/clients, relatives, carers, colleagues, external agencies appropriate to develop and maintain relationships, provide information, persuade or influence or communicate difficult, unwelcome or contentious information.

19.  Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication tools e.g. instructions, motivation, diagrams, pictures, signs and symbols

20.  Be able to use the written or spoken word effectively and appropriately, via face-to-face, email, telephone, letter, presentation.  Communication may be 1:1, or in groups

21.  Communicate effectively where there may be considerable barriers to understanding or acceptance of the information e.g. comprehension difficulties

Analytical and Judgemental Skills/ Freedom to Act

22.  Be an autonomous practitioner, working within appropriate professional guidelines and code of conduct.

23.  Actively participate in peer supervision, clinical development opportunities with peer clinicians

24.  Actively participate in clinical and management supervision with senior clinicians and managers

25.  Continuously develop depth of knowledge in their field and support others to do so.

Planning and Organisational Skills

26.  Triage, prioritise and manage own clinical caseload.  To advise and support less experienced staff on managing their caseload

27.  Assess and plan therapeutic interventions from initial referral to discharge and onward management which may include very long term plans and contribute to care packages for patients/clients with chronic, complex conditions.

28.  Manage often competing clinical and non-clinical demands and prioritise appropriately to meet the overall service need

Physical Skills

29.  Be able to use a keyboard to enter client data and access information, and use the Trust website and email system

30.  Required to be skilled in delivering physical interventions (MAPA) in line with Trust policy where required

Responsibility for Patients/Clients

31.  Have direct face-to-face responsibility for patient/client contact when assessing or treating.

32.  Be responsible for the therapy element of ongoing treatment packages.  Provide specialist advice via written or verbal instruction to patients/clients, carers and relatives.

Policy and Service Responsibilities

33.  Proactively promote services and seek opportunities for service development or business opportunities

34.  Contribute to and suggest changes to Trust wide policies.

35.  Work within the multi-disciplinary to team to ensure consistent and equitable application of all Trust polices

36.  Implement departmental policies and changes across the service

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

37.  Maintain stock control of any central therapy resources

Responsibility for Staff

38.  Manage a team of clinical and non-clinical staff daily, by allocation of work, prioritising activities

39.  Undertake appraisal and supervision of staff

40.  Provides training for peers and staff regularly as a routine part of staff and service development as required (as often as daily for new staff)

Responsibility for Information

41.  Clinically and professional responsible for maintaining patient/client records (paper based or electronic)

42.  Provide  timely data about team performance and patient/client outcome measures related to activity and contract monitoring regularly or as required

Research and Development

43.  Carry out audit regularly to improve service and compliance with local and national standards

Physical Effort

44.  To employ appropriate strategies to manage aggressive behaviour in the work place.  Regular exposure to clients who may be physically aggressive.

Mental Effort

45.  Concentrate during assessments and patient/client report preparation and documenting clinical activity. These activities are carried out every day.

Emotional Effort

46.  Be frequently exposed to emotionally demanding or distressing circumstances when dealing with patients/clients with emotional needs or challenging behaviours, carers or relatives.  This may be highly distressing on occasions.

Working Conditions

47.  Will be required to use a VDU most days

48.  Will be dealing with clients daily who may be verbally or physically aggressive

49.  Will be dealing with clients and associated bodily fluids

50.  A frequent requirement to travel to venues within the Trust

This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended in consultation with the post holder.  It should be reviewed whenever major changes have been agreed to the post and should be reviewed as part of the annual appraisal process to ensure it remains an accurate reflection of the duties and responsibilities undertaken by the post holder.