Job summary
Band 5 SLT Full time - 37.5 Hours per week
Come to beautiful Plymouth, for a fantastic job and a great work life balance, living close to the sea and the moors! An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic Speech and
Language Therapist to join our team. We
have a vacancy in our band 5 rotation in the Adult Speech & Language
Therapy Team. The post offers rotational experience with : the Community SLT Team, the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit and our 15 bedded Neuro-rehabilitation Unit. It entails
working with nurses, doctors and a range of Allied Health Professionals in
multi-disciplinary teams, as well as SLT colleagues and community partner
teams. The post involves working with adults with a range of communication and
swallowing difficulties, alternative feeding, AAC (Augmentative and Assistive
Communication) devices and switch access systems. Working closely with families
and carers is essential.
We are a friendly, supportive team and are happy to consider both newly qualified or more experienced therapists for this post.
The SLT service
is committed to CPD, research and audit and clinical supervision. We have a close working relationship with Marjons University for training Speech and Language Therapy
students and a range of 3rd sector organisations.
Interviews will be held on the 10th July 2023.
Note: This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
Main duties of the job
To independently
manage an adult caseload, in-patients and community patients (with access to
advice from more experienced and specialist speech & language therapists).
To be responsible for assessment and diagnosis, as well as development and implementation of treatment programmes for personal/shared
caseload with access to clinical supervision and advice from senior colleagues
and relevant others.
To monitor non-complex dysphagia (swallowing
difficulties) and liaise with more experienced SLT team members regarding management.
To act as named key-worker and communicate findings of
assessments and recommendations to members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
and medical staff at ward rounds, and co-ordinate appropriate care plans, goal
planning and discharge process
To be responsible for training patients,
professionals, non-professionals and carers to support speech language and
communication difficulties (SLCD) in relation to personal caseload (including
raising awareness).
To be responsible for own case notes, writing in the
medical and ward notes, and report writing for a range of purposes including
legal, and contributing to the multidisciplinary goal planning process.
To participate in a rotation with other band 5 SLTs.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.
We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.
Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:
Protected CPD time for registered staff
Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff
Leadership & mentoring programmes
Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training
A Robust Preceptorship
A bespoke induction programme
Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
• To independently manage an adult caseload, in-patients and community patients (with access to advice from more experienced and specialist speech & language therapists).
• To be responsible for assessment, diagnosis and development and implementation of treatment programmes for personal/shared caseload with access to clinical supervision and advice from senior colleagues and relevant others.
• To monitor non-complex dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and liaise with more experienced SLT team members re management.
• To act as named key-worker and communicate findings of assessments and recommendations to members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and medical staff at ward rounds, and co-ordinate appropriate care plans, goal planning and discharge process
• To be responsible for training patients, professionals, non-professionals and carers to support speech language and communication difficulties (SLCD) in relation to personal caseload (including raising awareness).
• To be responsible for own case notes, writing in the medical and ward notes, and report writing for a range of purposes including legal, and contributing to the multidisciplinary goal planning process.
• To participate in a rotation with other band 5 SLTs.
4. Key responsibilities
Clinical
• To independently manage personal caseload with reference to theory, published research and evidence and agreed best practice.
• To identify, collect, analyse, and interpret case related information and data from patients, carers and other relevant sources.
• To undertake a range of formal and informal assessments as indicated by the presenting SLCD and/or dysphagia.
• To reach differential diagnoses on the basis of evidence gathered from assessments and other sources and with reference to theory.
• To assess, manage and advise patients with dysphagia and their families with support from more experienced Speech and Language Therapists when required.
• To attend ward rounds and hand over meetings to update the MDT on individual patient goals and specialised care plans.
• To develop patient-centred treatment/management plans ensuring patient/carers are fully involved in the decision making process.
• To be responsible for the writing and dissemination of clinical reports based on assessment and treatment findings to appropriate professionals and relevant others.
• To be responsible for admission, management and discharge of patients in relation to personal caseload without direct supervision.
• To communicate highly complex information to patients whose ability to understand and co-operate is the primary difficulty and where a range of means and levels of communication are required.
• To appropriately explain highly complex and sensitive case related information to patients and their carers.
• To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications e.g. where the communication difficulties are not likely to resolve.
• To monitor, recognise and evaluate changes in the patient’s condition and adapt the assessment and treatment programme accordingly.
• To identify, and communicate risk factors for impaired swallow and communication difficulties.
• To recognise the need for onward referral for more specialist SLT intervention, further assessment or multidisciplinary advice.
• To negotiate with carers/patients and professionals around individual case diagnosis and management where others have less specialist knowledge and/or experience in relation to speech, language, communication, and dysphagia and differences of professional judgement can occur.
• To pass on skills to inform and enable other professionals and carers to agree and carry out individualised treatment programmes and advice e.g. clarifying individual patient’s levels of understanding thereby helping them give informed consent for complex procedures/life choices.
• To be responsible for training and advising patients, carers, professionals, and non-professionals how to support speech, language, communication and dysphagia.
• To contribute to clinical teams, both multi and uni-disciplinary, by discussing and negotiating own and others input around patient’s needs, ensuring a well-co-ordinated care plan based on best practice, evidence and care pathways.
• To undertake practice and line-management supervision with more experienced colleagues.
Professional
• To maintain registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
• To progress and develop professional and clinical skills across a range of acquired speech, language, communication and dysphagia difficulties by working with more experienced staff, undertaking self-directed and more formal CPD activities and maintaining personal portfolio.
• To recognise own professional and clinical boundaries and competencies and seek advice and support when necessary.
• To maintain professional and service standards with adherence to local and national guidelines and clinical governance, including confidentiality.
• To record and update personally generated clinical observations, assessment results, and treatment and advice details in patient case notes and medical notes.
• To participate in Livewell’s Annual Appraisal Process
• To follow and implement local and national policies with elements of independent professional judgement.
• To contribute to policy and service development locally through the clinical governance process.
• To be responsible for the safe use and security of clinical equipment
• To be responsible for notifying senior staff of need to update equipment to meet caseload demands (according to service guidelines)
• To provide clinical activity data and routine recording of CPD, travel, and other related activity, observing data protection guidelines
• To provide advice, demonstration and explanation of own clinical work to students, other professionals and visitors.
• Supervision of assistants and volunteers involved with caseload.
• To take part in research and clinical audit as directed by senior staff and contribute to others’ research by providing data.
• To be able to recognise breakdown/conflict when it occurs and seek advice and support from more senior colleagues to resolve.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
• To independently manage an adult caseload, in-patients and community patients (with access to advice from more experienced and specialist speech & language therapists).
• To be responsible for assessment, diagnosis and development and implementation of treatment programmes for personal/shared caseload with access to clinical supervision and advice from senior colleagues and relevant others.
• To monitor non-complex dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and liaise with more experienced SLT team members re management.
• To act as named key-worker and communicate findings of assessments and recommendations to members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and medical staff at ward rounds, and co-ordinate appropriate care plans, goal planning and discharge process
• To be responsible for training patients, professionals, non-professionals and carers to support speech language and communication difficulties (SLCD) in relation to personal caseload (including raising awareness).
• To be responsible for own case notes, writing in the medical and ward notes, and report writing for a range of purposes including legal, and contributing to the multidisciplinary goal planning process.
• To participate in a rotation with other band 5 SLTs.
4. Key responsibilities
Clinical
• To independently manage personal caseload with reference to theory, published research and evidence and agreed best practice.
• To identify, collect, analyse, and interpret case related information and data from patients, carers and other relevant sources.
• To undertake a range of formal and informal assessments as indicated by the presenting SLCD and/or dysphagia.
• To reach differential diagnoses on the basis of evidence gathered from assessments and other sources and with reference to theory.
• To assess, manage and advise patients with dysphagia and their families with support from more experienced Speech and Language Therapists when required.
• To attend ward rounds and hand over meetings to update the MDT on individual patient goals and specialised care plans.
• To develop patient-centred treatment/management plans ensuring patient/carers are fully involved in the decision making process.
• To be responsible for the writing and dissemination of clinical reports based on assessment and treatment findings to appropriate professionals and relevant others.
• To be responsible for admission, management and discharge of patients in relation to personal caseload without direct supervision.
• To communicate highly complex information to patients whose ability to understand and co-operate is the primary difficulty and where a range of means and levels of communication are required.
• To appropriately explain highly complex and sensitive case related information to patients and their carers.
• To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications e.g. where the communication difficulties are not likely to resolve.
• To monitor, recognise and evaluate changes in the patient’s condition and adapt the assessment and treatment programme accordingly.
• To identify, and communicate risk factors for impaired swallow and communication difficulties.
• To recognise the need for onward referral for more specialist SLT intervention, further assessment or multidisciplinary advice.
• To negotiate with carers/patients and professionals around individual case diagnosis and management where others have less specialist knowledge and/or experience in relation to speech, language, communication, and dysphagia and differences of professional judgement can occur.
• To pass on skills to inform and enable other professionals and carers to agree and carry out individualised treatment programmes and advice e.g. clarifying individual patient’s levels of understanding thereby helping them give informed consent for complex procedures/life choices.
• To be responsible for training and advising patients, carers, professionals, and non-professionals how to support speech, language, communication and dysphagia.
• To contribute to clinical teams, both multi and uni-disciplinary, by discussing and negotiating own and others input around patient’s needs, ensuring a well-co-ordinated care plan based on best practice, evidence and care pathways.
• To undertake practice and line-management supervision with more experienced colleagues.
Professional
• To maintain registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
• To progress and develop professional and clinical skills across a range of acquired speech, language, communication and dysphagia difficulties by working with more experienced staff, undertaking self-directed and more formal CPD activities and maintaining personal portfolio.
• To recognise own professional and clinical boundaries and competencies and seek advice and support when necessary.
• To maintain professional and service standards with adherence to local and national guidelines and clinical governance, including confidentiality.
• To record and update personally generated clinical observations, assessment results, and treatment and advice details in patient case notes and medical notes.
• To participate in Livewell’s Annual Appraisal Process
• To follow and implement local and national policies with elements of independent professional judgement.
• To contribute to policy and service development locally through the clinical governance process.
• To be responsible for the safe use and security of clinical equipment
• To be responsible for notifying senior staff of need to update equipment to meet caseload demands (according to service guidelines)
• To provide clinical activity data and routine recording of CPD, travel, and other related activity, observing data protection guidelines
• To provide advice, demonstration and explanation of own clinical work to students, other professionals and visitors.
• Supervision of assistants and volunteers involved with caseload.
• To take part in research and clinical audit as directed by senior staff and contribute to others’ research by providing data.
• To be able to recognise breakdown/conflict when it occurs and seek advice and support from more senior colleagues to resolve.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrate excellent knowledge of Speech, Language and Communication Disorders, differential diagnosis in the adult neuro client group.
- Demonstrate an understanding of multi-disciplinary team working and individual roles
- Knowledge of outcome measures within adult neuro client group.
- Knowledge and understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Evidence of special knowledge/interest/ experience in aphasia and/or motor speech disorders
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in speech and language therapy
- HPC Registration
- RCSLT Registration
- RCSLT Level C dysphagia competencies (completed)
- Evidence of on-going education and professional development
- Computer literate
- Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if this is not first language
Desirable
- Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network
- RCSLT accredited post-graduate dysphagia training
Experience
Essential
- Autonomous practitioner with experience of managing a caseload
- Experience in cognitive neuropsychological assessment and treatment planning
- Experience in dysphagia management
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team in a rehabilitation setting
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- Experience of working with staff from other agencies
- Experience of teaching
- Experience of working with Long term conditions
Skills
Essential
- Good skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken.
- Excellent time management and organisational skills.
- Ability to work in teams.
- Excellent IT skills.
- Knowledge of computer assisted therapy and AAC devices.
Desirable
- Skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation.
- Experience with computer assisted therapy and AAC.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrate excellent knowledge of Speech, Language and Communication Disorders, differential diagnosis in the adult neuro client group.
- Demonstrate an understanding of multi-disciplinary team working and individual roles
- Knowledge of outcome measures within adult neuro client group.
- Knowledge and understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Evidence of special knowledge/interest/ experience in aphasia and/or motor speech disorders
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in speech and language therapy
- HPC Registration
- RCSLT Registration
- RCSLT Level C dysphagia competencies (completed)
- Evidence of on-going education and professional development
- Computer literate
- Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if this is not first language
Desirable
- Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network
- RCSLT accredited post-graduate dysphagia training
Experience
Essential
- Autonomous practitioner with experience of managing a caseload
- Experience in cognitive neuropsychological assessment and treatment planning
- Experience in dysphagia management
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team in a rehabilitation setting
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- Experience of working with staff from other agencies
- Experience of teaching
- Experience of working with Long term conditions
Skills
Essential
- Good skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken.
- Excellent time management and organisational skills.
- Ability to work in teams.
- Excellent IT skills.
- Knowledge of computer assisted therapy and AAC devices.
Desirable
- Skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation.
- Experience with computer assisted therapy and AAC.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
