Specialist Allied Health Professional (OT or SLT)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication and Key Working Relationships

*To communicate effectively with a wide range of colleagues across the Trust

*To develop and maintain relationships with clinical and administrative colleagues working as part of a multidisciplinary assessment pathway.

*To use advanced communication skills where the is a lack of agreement amongst professionals and/or complex cases are under discussion to come to a consensus which is agreed by all and in the best interests of the child or young person

*To use empathetic communication skills when giving a diagnosis and/or feeding back on a child or young person's assessment especially communicating bad news or around difficult subjects such as when a diagnosis is not given

*To effectively communicate information regarding SLT with other professions and agencies.

*To contribute to the writing of clients' autism assessment reports, written from a strengths-based perspective

Planning and Organisation

*Plans, manages and prioritises own patient caseload independently.

*Identifies opportunities for integrated clinical working and joint pathways

*Adapts practice to meet individual patient's circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.

*To effectively use clinical supervision to reflect on, plan and evaluate clinical work.

Analytics

*Carries out appropriate measures in order to monitor outcomes of assessment, as required, and to contribute to the overall measurement of standards.

*Provides accurate and timely statistical data.

Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & Therapy

*Work as part of the multidisciplinary team to conduct autism assessments for young people aged 5-17, focussing on the SLT aspect of the assessments.

*To provide specialist SLT assessments of clients referred to the autism assessment team for the diagnostic assessment of Autism, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including discussion, direct observation, formal assessment and informal investigations of the communication skills of children and young people.

*Deputise for clinical lead SLT as needed as a member on the service's interagency referral triage and management process (MDT Triage).

*Carry out ADOS assessments (or similar) with other members of the Autism assessment team as required.

*To contribute to the writing of client's autism assessment reports, written from a strengths-based perspective

Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility

*To adhere to policies and procedures of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

*To maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.

*To attend relevant meetings with a variety of services and agencies.

*To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

*Participate in aspects of service related research and audit as appropriate and required

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & other Resources

*Selects and prepares appropriate equipment required for the implementation of SLT assessment

*Maintains clinic and office equipment in good order, reporting defects or shortfalls in equipment to the office administrator;

*Is responsible for the security of own equipment in base and in transit.

Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management

*Provide support as needed for less experienced colleagues within the team

*Working as part of an MDT and liaising as part of a wider Neurodevelopmental Team.

Information Resources & Administrative Duties

*To access the electronic patient record system and extract pertinent information in order to assist autism assessments.

*To keep accurate electronic records in accordance with policy.

*To follow agreed pathways for booking of appointments etc

Any other Specific Tasks Required

* The post holder may be required to use a car/to travel to different locations across the Somerset region.

* This is a new post that forms part of a developing Child Neurodevelopmental Service. The duties and responsibilities described here are not exhaustive, and are likely to change as the service evolves.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• *Recognised Degree or equivalent in Speech and Language Therapy
• *HCPC registration and RCSLT registration
• *Relevant post-graduate training in the form of short courses in a range of areas of Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy or Paediatric Occupational Therapy

Desirable

• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network

Experience

Essential

• *Significant post-graduate experience in Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy
• *Proven experience of Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy
• *Experience of training others
• *Experience of contributing to service development
• *Experience of supervision of others
• *Evidence of use of clinical opportunities to acquire specialist clinical skills in at least one area of Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy

Desirable

• Evidence of experience in contributing to Autism diagnosis as part of a formal or virtual MDT

Additional Criteria

Essential

• n/a

Desirable

• n/a

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

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Children Looked After, East Re

Level 2 East Reach House

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 3EN

Employer's website

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