Job summary
Senior Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Adult Inpatients, Critical Care
Band 7 Full-time, 12-month fixed term contract.
We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join the acute in-patient service at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. You will be based at St Thomas' Hospital, delivering a senior specialist service to Critical Care.
You will have significant experience of working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. You will be able to demonstrate competence in managing patients who are tracheostomy and ventilator dependent. You will have significant experience of managing dysphagia and participating in Videofluoroscopy and FEES.
Main duties of the job
To take autonomous responsibility for delivering a highly specialist service to adult inpatients referred from Critical Care areas with communication and/or swallowing disorders. This includes patients with tracheostomies and/or ventilator dependency.
To provide independent clinical management of patients requiring assessment and rehabilitation of complex communication and swallowing disorders, with the aim of restoring optimum function or offering compensatory strategies. This will include assessing the patients' needs for alternative/augmentative communication where appropriate.
To contribute to the development of expert Speech and Language Therapy services in Critical care in collaboration with the Clinical Lead SLT, and to be an autonomous advanced specialist resource for treatment of critical care patients on the St Thomas' site.
About us
There is a strong ethos of clinical support, supervision and development within the team. The service is able to offer you excellent supervision and peer support, with an emphasis on team working. Quality improvement projects and research ideas are strongly encouraged, both within SLT and in the multi-professional teams. We have regular team meetings, plus opportunities for continuing professional development through in-house training, clinical excellence networks and external courses.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide highly specialist independent clinical management of inpatients with complex disorders of swallowing/communication.
- To demonstrate an advanced level of clinical decision making to assess, make a clinical diagnosis, develop, implement and evaluate specialised treatment programmes with the aim of restoring function or offering compensatory strategies.
- As a core member of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) to influence decision making regarding treatment planning and consequences for rehabilitation of communication and swallowing. To use strong negotiation skills in order to support and advocate for patients and carers, contributing to best interests discussions and decisions.
- As a core member of the MDT to participate in team meetings/working parties and where appropriate propose and assist in implementation of policy/service development.
- To provide highly specialist independent clinical management for patients requiring ventilatory support and /or with tracheostomies in situ presenting with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. To have highly developed knowledge of different modes of ventilation and the impact of mechanical ventilation and respiratory compromise on swallowing and phonation. To have specialist knowledge in methods to establish and facilitate phonation and swallowing function in patients on mechanical ventilation. To offer training, support and second opinions for other members of the SLT team with complex critically ill patients.
*please see Job description for further detail
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide highly specialist independent clinical management of inpatients with complex disorders of swallowing/communication.
- To demonstrate an advanced level of clinical decision making to assess, make a clinical diagnosis, develop, implement and evaluate specialised treatment programmes with the aim of restoring function or offering compensatory strategies.
- As a core member of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) to influence decision making regarding treatment planning and consequences for rehabilitation of communication and swallowing. To use strong negotiation skills in order to support and advocate for patients and carers, contributing to best interests discussions and decisions.
- As a core member of the MDT to participate in team meetings/working parties and where appropriate propose and assist in implementation of policy/service development.
- To provide highly specialist independent clinical management for patients requiring ventilatory support and /or with tracheostomies in situ presenting with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. To have highly developed knowledge of different modes of ventilation and the impact of mechanical ventilation and respiratory compromise on swallowing and phonation. To have specialist knowledge in methods to establish and facilitate phonation and swallowing function in patients on mechanical ventilation. To offer training, support and second opinions for other members of the SLT team with complex critically ill patients.
*please see Job description for further detail
Person Specification
Qualifications/Education
Essential
- Masters or equivalent level of post-graduate specialist training, short courses and specific training
- Attendance at advanced dysphagia training including completion of videofluoroscopy competencies
- Completion of RCSLT FEES competencies
- Completion of RCSLT Tracheostomy competencies
Professional Registration
Essential
- Registered member of HCPC
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant specialist experience working with adults with acquired disorders of communication and swallowing including working at a specialist level with tracheostomy patients and ventilator dependant patients
- Significant experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience of support and supervision of junior staff
- Experience of development and delivery of informal and formal training of other professionals
Desirable
- Lead role in Quality Improvement project
- Experience in leading Videofluoroscopy clinics
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential
- Evidence of advanced independent management and knowledge of dysphagia with acquired neuromuscular disorders, complex medical and post-surgical conditions and with tracheostomy and mechanically ventilated patients.
Desirable
- Knowledge of management of communication/swallowing in patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation including different modes of mechanical ventilation and their impact.
Person Specification
Qualifications/Education
Essential
- Masters or equivalent level of post-graduate specialist training, short courses and specific training
- Attendance at advanced dysphagia training including completion of videofluoroscopy competencies
- Completion of RCSLT FEES competencies
- Completion of RCSLT Tracheostomy competencies
Professional Registration
Essential
- Registered member of HCPC
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant specialist experience working with adults with acquired disorders of communication and swallowing including working at a specialist level with tracheostomy patients and ventilator dependant patients
- Significant experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience of support and supervision of junior staff
- Experience of development and delivery of informal and formal training of other professionals
Desirable
- Lead role in Quality Improvement project
- Experience in leading Videofluoroscopy clinics
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential
- Evidence of advanced independent management and knowledge of dysphagia with acquired neuromuscular disorders, complex medical and post-surgical conditions and with tracheostomy and mechanically ventilated patients.
Desirable
- Knowledge of management of communication/swallowing in patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation including different modes of mechanical ventilation and their impact.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
