Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist: Clinical Lead for Mainstream Schools

We are looking for an innovative and enthusiastic individual to join us in our 0.8wte role as clinical lead for Mainstream Schools in Central West Sussex. The ideal candidate will have a genuine affinity for promoting excellent communication in Mainstream Schools and will have been working in the NHS for a minimum of 2 years at Band 6 or above, with experience of supervising others.

Excellent and broad-reaching clinical skills combined with a resilient and flexible personality are required. This role has a high clinical component with the need to be able to see the big picture as a key element, along with supporting and training others and superb organisational skills.

The Mainstream Service operates on a Universal, Targeted and Specialist Model, in close liaison with West Sussex Local Authority. The Band 6,5,4 and 3 team members are welcoming, dedicated and resilient and well supported by a brilliant Admin Team.

The Trust is supportive of staff training and development; we have access to some funding at locality level as well as the national CPD funding. There will be opportunities to further skills and knowledge through in house management skills, access to colleagues across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove as well as an Education and Training Department for funding external courses. This Trust has a particular focus on Leadership development.

Main duties of the job

This is a Clinical Lead role for Mainstream Schools in the Central Area of West Sussex, the applicant would work in conjunction with the Clinical Leads from neighbouring localities in West Sussex as well as Brighton & Hove. The Highly Speech and Language Therapists also work closely with colleagues Education, there are regular Trust-wide meetings to review cases and opportunities to be part of a wider multi-disciplinary team ensuring a high quality service is delivered to children in Mainstream Schools.

The ideal candidate be able write complex clinical reports based on assessment findings. They will have knowledge and skills suitable to be able to contribute to projects, data collection and strategic developments within the Mainstream Schools Pathway.

All staff have regular supervision sessions - everyone is part of a clinical supervision group which meets every couple of months, and has 1:1 supervision with their line manager every 6-7 weeks. In addition there are team meetings with a clinical element 6 times a year - face to face or on Microsoft Teams according to the circumstances. We also have the benefit of a Professional Lead for Children's Speech and Language Therapy who sits outside the Operational Management of the team, and can provide additional advice or supervision on professional matters, Governance and Standards.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.

We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
• Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
• Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
• Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
• Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
• Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Job responsibilities

• To provide assessment, diagnosis and management to children within the designated caseloads, providing highly specialist programmes of care.
• To provide advice to other professionals and parents in order to support the needs of children with speech, language and communication delay and disorder in specialist area.
• To organise caseloads within the scope of the highly specialist post advising the SLT Service Manager of shortfalls and difficulties as they arise.
• To negotiate with parents, carers and others around individual case management, demonstrating well developed negotiation skills and management of conflict.
• To be responsible for administration and record keeping conforming to Departmental and Trust regulations concerning the format and security of patient records and the Data Protection Act.
• To be aware of, and adhere to, legal requirements relating to the provision of a Speech and Language Therapy Service and of procedures relating to Child Protection.
• To recognise own professional boundaries and seek advice and support as appropriate.
• To lead in the development of innovative practices, projects and therapy packages in specialist area in collaboration with SLT Service Manager
• To participate in the development of Team and Service clinical policies and plans as directed by SLT Service Manager.
• To provide timely and accurate statistics as required by the Department. k) To provide appropriate and timely reports and other client related

Person Specification Qualifications and/or Professional Requirements

• Degree / Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy HPC Registration . A masters level qualification or equivalent knowledge and skills demonstrated through wide range of paediatric experience and training
• Membership of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Experience

• Wide ranging paediatric SLT experience including at least 3 years as a Specialist SLT (normally band 6 or above)
• Assessment, diagnosis and independent management of a wide ranging paediatric caseload
• Working in partnership with parents/carers and other agencies
• Design and delivery of training packages to other professional groups and parents/carers
• Contributions to audit and evaluation within a clinical governance framework
• Clinical supervision of students, support staff and assistants

Skills and Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of assessments and therapy techniques and of different models and frameworks of working
• In-depth knowledge of issues relating to differential diagnosis and aetiology in a range of speech, language and communication difficulties
• Working knowledge of government policies, including Education systems, National Curriculum and National Service Framework for Children
• Knowledge and understanding and of prioritisation systems, principles of clinical effectiveness/audit
• Excellent organisational and negotiation skills
• Excellent presentation and training skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to reflect on own and others' practice
• Highly developed auditory skills for assessing speech and language

Other Requirements

• Flexible approach to service design and delivery
• An understanding of the principles of Equality and Diversity in relation to staff and patients.
• Car Driver/owner or suitable alternative

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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