Paediatric speech and language therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

• To work alongside the MDT providing support and professional exchange of ideas and experience.
• To attend appropriate meetings within the MDT.
• To communicate condition related information to clients/parents who may have communication problems themselves.
• To work closely with clients, carers and families, agreeing decision making relevant to the client management.
• To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and carers to engage in the process.
• To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively and to process according to organisational policy.
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and or have challenging communication difficulties.
• To employ excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• To utilise technology to enhance access to the service offering video or telephone consultations to families.

2. Knowledge, training and experience

• To identify personal and professional development evidenced by a personal development plan as part of the appraisal process.
• To maintain professional standards by attending appropriate training and development for own clinical field to maintain up to date HCPC and RCSLT registration.
• To demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to RCSLT professional clinical guidelines.
• To keep up to date with new techniques and developments for the promotion and maintenance of good practice in own clinical field.
• To develop a working knowledge of all relevant organisational procedures including (safeguarding children, SEN procedure, vulnerable adults etc.) and other legal requirements.
• To develop a working knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and their application to professional practice.

Education/Training

• To contribute to the training of Speech & Language Therapy colleagues, other professional groups and carers.
• To provide advice to other relevant parties as appropriate.
• To provide and supervise observational placements for speech & language therapy students and prospective speech & language therapy students.
• To explain the role of speech & language therapy(ists) in work settings.

Administrative

• To undertake general administrative and client related administrative tasks in line with speech & language therapy service operational policies.
• To maintain client records in accordance with RCSLT professional standards and local organisational operational policies and quality standards.
• To provide accurate statistical information as required
• To produce reports circulated to a wide range of professional colleagues across agencies, clients and carers regarding clients needs and summarising proposed care plans.
• To share information with others observing data protection guidelines
• To use technology for resource making, therapy sessions, and recording of data.

3. Analytical and judgement skills

To assess patient understanding of treatment and therapy proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment/therapy.

4. Planning and organisational skills

To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload and work demands to meet patient and service priorities, in conjunction with the senior speech & language therapist alerting the senior speech & language of excessive demands and effects on patient care.

5. Physical skills

To undertake assessment of patients with a wide variety of presentations and conditions: using clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to formulate individualised treatment plans and programmes

6. Responsibility for patient / client care

• To provide a comprehensive patient focused service to children living in the Swale area.
• To deliver speech and language programmes.
• To continually reassess patient progress, adapting programmes accordingly and developing discharge plans.

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

To be aware of and adhere to service and team plans and policies including integrated/multi-agency working.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment and facilities, ensuring faulty items are removed from use and reported for action

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 or concerns.

To manage clinical and non-clinical risk within own role according to team and organisational protocols including the development of individual patient clinical risk assessments

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

Participate in the organisations Staff Appraisal system as an appraisee including the agreement of a personal development plan.

10. Responsibilities for information resources

To collect and submit all data and statistics as required in a timely and accurate manner.

To record patient contacts onto the CHS system used by the organisation for recording all information relating to patients you are currently treating.

11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

To participate in team and service audits and research projects

12. Freedom to act

To abide by the rules of professional conduct of the royal college of speech and language therapists

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent.
• License to Practice Registered member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of wide range of clinical settings and communication difficulties at undergraduate/post graduate level
• Experience of working in paediatrics at undergraduate/post graduate level.

Desirable

• Experience of managing a caseload.

Knowledge

Essential

• Well established knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to the client group.
• Understanding of the roles of other professionals.
• Knowledge of standards of record keeping.

Desirable

• Member of clinical excellence group (CEN)
• Post graduate training in relevant areas.

Skills

Essential

• Good presentation skills both written and verbal.
• Good organisational skills.
• Highly developed auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically.
• Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills

MCH values

Essential

• Good understanding of MCH values

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Medway Community Healthcare

Address

Orchards

Attlee Way

Sittingbourne

ME10 2HE

Employer's website

https://www.medwaycommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)