Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Job overview

The Community Neuro and Stroke Team, are a well established team, delivering highly specialist care to individuals following neurological injury, diagnosis and following a stroke. The team comprises of highly experienced Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Speech & Language therapists, Nurses, Dietitian and a forward-thinking consultant in Neuro rehab, who are all keen to share their knowledge and experience to enhance the care for people in the Wigan borough.

We are seeking a suitably experienced Speech and Language Therapist who has a keen interest in the field of neurological rehabilitation and would like to develop their knowledge and skills in this area. You will work closely alongside and be supported by other Specialist staff in the team. NHS experience is essential.

This is a permanent, full time post (37.5 hours) working across Monday to Friday with occasional weekend working but no Bank Holidays.

An Enhanced DBS with Adults' Barred List check will be obtained during pre-employment checks

Main duties of the job

To act as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist within the Community Neuro and Stroke Team, providing specialist care to adults with dysphagia and/or communication impairment following diagnosis of neurological injury/condition including congenital, progressive and acquired conditions. Provide advisory/educational service to patients, relatives, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in the specialist field of SLT. To take a role in the specialist assessment and treatment of patients who may have complex and chronic presentation, and to determine clinical diagnosis and treatment indicated. To manage a defined caseload using evidence based / client centred principles to access, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. To provide leadership and clinical supervision for other junior staff as delegated by manager and/or professional supervisor. To regularly supervise junior staff members, Specialist Rehabilitation Facilitators/Practitioners, and students on placement within the service.

Working for our organisation

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values ‘the WWL Way’.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities 
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care, and to maintain overall accountability for delegated duties of treatment to junior staff for patients on your caseload. 
• To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention, and to develop comprehensive discharge plans.
• To ensure interventions take place in the most appropriate setting, e.g. clinic or clients’ homes. 
• To work with clients and/or carers to identify goals as part of an overall care plan in cooperation with the inter-disciplinary professional team using recognised goal setting system. 
• To demonstrate and apply a broad level of understanding of the effect of disability and long term condition management and ensure high standards of holistic clinical care. 
• To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professional, to promote understanding of the aims of intervention, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care. 
• To provide advice and support to colleagues working within other clinical areas (outpatient department, sub-acute sites, and other in-patient specialities) regarding patients with neurological dysfunction. 
• To comply with the Code of Ethic and Professional Conduct, Health and Care Professions Council Guidance and National and Trust Policies and Procedures. 
• To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this effectively and efficiently regarding clinical priorities and use of time. 
• To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.
• To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal. 
• To maintain a professional portfolio of Continuing Professional Development recording learning outcomes through participation in internal and external development opportunities.
• To contribute to client related developments and activities within the multi-professional and interdisciplinary team. 
• Any other duties incidental to the post. 
 
Planning and Organisational Duties 
• To plan, prepare and undertake client assessments for a designated caseload in line with professional and national standards and guidelines. 
• To use clinical judgment in order to prioritise caseload in line with clinical guidelines and protocols. 
• To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions in collaboration with clients using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals. 
• To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for clients with multiple needs/pathology in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention. 
• To be responsible for ensuring the appropriate and effective selection of treatment modalities and sites for delivery of interventions i.e. in a community or hospital setting
• To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Trust Policies. 
• To justify own clinical judgments when differences of opinion occur and demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work practises 
• To contribute to the Trust’s clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda. 
• To maintain timely statistics and other records as requested by the Service and the Trust. 
• To monitor the quality of record keeping for support staff and students. 
• To demonstrate understanding of national and local guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service delivery.
• To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practices, clinical pathways, and protocols within your clinical area. 
• To participate in the day-to-day organisation and development of the Service.
• To participate with other team members in measurement of and evaluation of work and current practice through use of outcome measures and audit. 
• To contribute to the Trusts and Teams Clinical Governance arrangements and the quality agenda. 
• To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local level. 
• To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects
• To identify and implement service and practice development within own area of clinical specialism in conjunction with supervisor and/or manager. 
 
Communications and Key Working Relationships
• To demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long-term condition management 
• To demonstrate effective communication skills with patients, relatives, carers, team members and other agencies 
• To convey information on diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment plans in a range of verbal and non-verbal forms that clients/relatives can understand.
• To use communication skills and aids, as part of the IDT to gain informed consent where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g., challenging behaviours, impaired cognition, anxiety, dysphasia 
• To assess capacity, gain valid consent and can work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. 
• Must demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long-term condition management 
• To be able to organise and take a lead in Multi-Disciplinary Team / Inter-disciplinary team meetings and case conferences. 
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs to maintain good working relationships. 
• To act as an advocate for patients’ needs when necessary. 
• Use a variety of skills to gain consent and co-operation to treatment plans. 
• To educate patients, relatives and carers in conditions and their effects to adapt to an appropriate lifestyle. 
 
Responsibility for Finance 
• To advise team leader on resources required to carry out the job.
• Be responsible for the monitoring of materials and equipment and bring defects or deficits to 
• the attention of the team leader / clinical manager. 
• To advise, assess and prescribe appropriate equipment for patient use within resources available in Health, Social Services and Education. 
 
Responsibility for Human Resources 
• To be responsible for working within locally agreed protocols and guidelines. 
• To actively participate and comply with the annual PDP and appraisal system.
• To plan and implement the induction of junior staff/students. 
• To receive, plan and deliver in-service training for own profession and others.
• To undertake the supervision of junior staff as delegated by senior staff. 
• To regularly supervise, evaluate and assess students to include negotiating learning contracts and setting objectives.
• To contribute to development of practice/procedures etc. within the integrated neuro & stroke rehab service. 
• To ensure annual retention on Health Professions Council Register to maintain state registration, taking responsibility for own continued professional development and document this evidence in a professional portfolio, showing proof of competence to practise within the NHS. 
• To take responsibility for ensuring clinical supervision needs are met and personal development plans are undertaken. 
 
Responsibility for Health & Safety 
• To comply with the Trust Manual Handling and Health and Safety Policies at all times and within guidelines for therapeutic handling. 
• To contribute to the Clinical Governance agenda, attending Clinical Forum, Staff meetings, Care Governance etc. 
• To assess risk to ensure safety of user/carer/self and colleagues and report back to senior member of team where applicable. 
• Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
 
Responsibility for Teaching 
• To be responsible for providing fieldwork education placements and liaising with students/college. 
• To promote the service to the wider community delivering awareness training to other health professionals, schools etc. as required. 
• To take part in training/education of colleagues and staff/students of other disciplines. 
 
Work Circumstances & on-call
• To be responsible, in conjunction with the Operational Leads and Highly Specialist therapists, for the delivery of the Community Stroke and Neuro Model and evidence-based practice.
• To be responsible for clinical supervision of appropriate staff 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Diploma/Degree Speech and Language Therapy. HCPC Registration

Desirable criteria

Relevant post graduate qualifications Training from a higher Education Institution for graduate student supervision. Evidence of Relevant Post Graduate Study in Neuro/stroke Rehab

Experience

Essential criteria

NHS experience essential Post registration experience in neurological rehabilitation and condition management Experience of working with multi agencies. Experience of working in an interdisciplinary team and independently. Experience of liaison with other professionals and partnership workin Experience of supervising students and staff from different professions

Desirable criteria

Post graduate experience related to clinical speciality Experience of training staff Experience of working in a community setting. Experience of working in an interdisciplinary team Experience in supervising therapy support staff. Experience of training staff.

Skills

Essential criteria

Evidence of working without direct supervision and being able to use own initiative Ability to work autonomously within specialist clinical area. Good analytical judgement skills Must demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long term condition management The ability to understand and respect different points of view working with people from a variety of cultures. Good literacy in computer use i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Excellent time management skills/ability to prioritise own caseload with the education and supervision of team members and support/delegate the organisation of the caseload of support staff. High level clinical reasoning skills and problem solving skills.

Desirable criteria

Post graduate experience related to clinical speciality Experience of training staff Experience of working in a community setting. Experience of working in an interdisciplinary team Experience in supervising therapy support staff. Experience of training staff

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Specialist knowledge in relevant clinical skills and approaches to patient management. Specialist knowledge of a wide range of neurological conditions Awareness of challenges of partnership and multi-agency working Knowledge of research/audit Working knowledge of Evidence Based Practice. Evidence of clinical and professional post qualification training and education. Demonstrate and evidence commitment to lifelong learning

Desirable criteria

knowledge of specialist seating, postural management systems, cognitive and communication assessments. Knowledge of NICE guidelines pertinent to neurological condition

Additional

Essential criteria

Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation. Ability to work flexibly according to service needs To maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Able to travel across Trust independently

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