Speech & Language Therapist (Xr05)

Job summary Expected Shortlisting Date 02/01/2025 Planned Interview Date 13/01/2025 Are you an enthusiastic, flexible, and pro-active Speech and Language Therapist looking for a challenge in an exciting and fast-moving environment?
A unique temporary opportunity has arisen for a Band 5 Speech & Language Therapist to join the Adult Speech & Language Therapy team in Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.
You will be supported by senior and specialist speech and language therapists and be welcomed into a friendly and innovative team.
Our priority is to ensure that we provide the best patient experience and clinical outcomes possible.
Within the team we are proud to be able to offer a wide and varied career.
You will be supported to develop in a team where there are many opportunities for joint working and skill sharing.
This is an opportunity to support the team through winter.
The B5 rotational posts within LTHT Adult SLT Team currently include: Acute inpatients; Neurosurgery; Neurological rehabilitation; Stroke (acute and rehab) and outpatient services.
The rotation cycle occurs every 9 months at present.
Main duties of the job We are looking for HCPC and RCSLT registered Speech and Language Therapists or a graduate with registration imminent or applied for, with an interest in working with adults with acquired neurological and related conditions in hospital environments, We are searching for a motivated individual to play a supportive role across adult pathways working in partnership with a wide range of healthcare professionals.
A dysphagia qualification and experience of working in the acute environment assessing and treating adults in the above areas is highly desirable.
This post provides excellent opportunities to learn and develop skills as a core member of well-established MDTs working alongside physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietetics, nurses and assistants.
You will be able to demonstrate skills in assessment, treatment and management of communication and swallowing difficulties in conjunction with excellent inter-personal communication, organisational and team working skills.
You will have experience of multidisciplinary working and be able to show evidence of continued professional development.
About us The post holder will join a highly supportive and innovative Speech and Language Therapy Service comprising 40 wte SLTs serving ENT/Maxillofacial/Head and Neck, Neurosciences, Acute Medicine including complex airways and Outpatients.
The Department offers comprehensive supervision in conjunction with a well-established Continuing Professional Development program and access to regular staff meetings.
You will be working with one of the most forward-thinking, pioneering and well-respected Trusts in the UK.
With St Jamess University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary being two of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, our reputation for excellence has seen us train thousands of medical specialists who now practive all over the world.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles.
As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed.
If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.
Job description Job responsibilities JOB PURPOSE To assess, diagnose, plan and deliver speech and language therapy treatment programmes to patients with communication and swallowing impairments in their care.
To carry and prioritise their own clinical caseload as an autonomous practitioner.
To be responsible for their own continuing professional and personal development.
To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive speech and language therapy treatment notes/records for each patient.
3.
JOB DIMENSIONS The post holder will rotate around various clinical areas.
They will be responsible for their own variable caseload within their specialty area.
Access to advice and support from a senior speech and language therapist is available if required, clinical work is routinely evaluated.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Qualifications Degree or equivalent Experience A variety of clinical areas experienced through student placements or previous employment.
Skills Competent written and verbal skills Ability to organise and prioritise own workload Time management skills Knowledge Sound theoretical knowledge of speech and language therapy practice Awareness of current issues in healthcare Standards of professional practice Personal Attributes Enthusiastic and self-motivated Flexible and adaptable Good interpersonal skills Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
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CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS Organisational skills Time management skills Communication skills Professional 8.
CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING An understanding of the principles of patient centred care.
To have a working knowledge of Professional Standards set by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health Care Professions Council.
9.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Clinical To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work relating to the assessment and treatment of patients in your care undertaking clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognoses across a range of conditions and to decide on the best course of intervention from a range of options.
Using investigative and analytical skills to formulate individualised management and treatment plans.
To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients.
To demonstrate dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
To develop and deliver the speech and language therapy element of the rehabilitation programme, and on occasion to deliver some elements normally undertaken by nursing or allied health professional colleagues.
To be an active member of the speech and language therapy service.
The working pattern will require flexibility to ensure safe and effective service provision.
Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients to progress treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.
Ability to work in a stressful environment imparting information regarding poor rehabilitation prognosis on a daily basis Ability to deal effectively with emotional and/or aggressive patients and/or carers on a daily basis This will necessitate the use of communication skills to motivate Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the knowledge to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
To ensure a high standard of clinical care for patients.
Education and Training To provide spontaneous and planned advice to relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of a specific speech and language therapy treatment plan.
To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of their condition.
To be an active member of the team in-service training programme through regular attendance and occasionally contributing.
Professional and Managerial Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence based practice in the areas of communication and swallowing, developing knowledge of a variety of conditions and patient types.
As a member of the clinical team you will be required to ensure that you implement policy and service development changes.
To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through Continued Professional Development activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects your own personal development.
To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service.
This will include case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning as appropriate.
To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development objectives to meet set knowledge/competencies.
To participate in the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of, audit and outcome measures, either individually or as part of a clinical team.
To demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation.
To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, incorporating them as necessary into your work.
In the absence of a senior staff member to supervise more junior staff, assistants and students.
To allocate individual tasks to assistants as appropriate.
Organisational To be responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the senior speech and language therapist and plan/organise efficiently and effectively with regard to patients management and use of time.
To decide priorities for own work load, balancing patient related demands.
To be responsible for the safe and competent use of individually prescribed equipment used by patients and general therapy equipment used by physiotherapy support workers through teaching, and supervision of practice.
To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of verbal/written reports/letters.
To be involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department.
To be aware of Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of your work area, including your prompt recording and reporting of accidents to senior staff, and ensuring that equipment use is safe.
To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures.
To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by the senior speech and language therapist.
COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Internal Line manager speech and language therapist All grades of speech and language therapy staff Medical, nursing and AHP colleagues Support staff External Speech and language colleagues employed by other Trusts.
working for external agencies.
11.
SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS i) PHYSICAL EFFORT: Frequently throughout the day there will be a requirement to undertake moderate physical activity lasting approximately 30 60 minutes treatment sessions involving transferring, manoeuvring and mobilising of patients.
Therapeutic treatment sessions may require this post holder to undertake moving and handling tasks with patients where mechanical aids are not practical or appropriate.
There may be the requirement for the post holder to travel between sites within Leeds Health Economy in order to best meet the needs of the service.
ii) MENTAL EFFORT: Intense concentration required for patient assessment and treatment.
iii) EMOTIONAL EFFORT: Occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.
iv) WORKING CONDITIONS: This job involves exposure to unpleasant working conditions on a weekly basis including direct contact with bodily fluids.
Person Specification Skills & behaviours Essential Professional, hard working and flexible with a positive attitude Able to work in a team, demonstrate time management skills and initiative Able to prioritise and organise and delegate as necessary own workload Qualifications Essential BSc (Hons) in Speech Therapy / Clinical Language Sciences or equivalent Health Professions Council Registration Desirable Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Experience Essential Varied clinical placements with Communication and Swallowing caseloads