Job summary
The post holder will be responsible for the provision of a highly specialist speech and language therapy service, involving the assessment, diagnosis and management of communication and feeding problems in children with communication and feeding/ swallowing difficulties related to their illness/ condition who may present with a wide range of co-existing aetiologies including neurological, cardiac and airway and, who may require a tracheostomy +/- ventilation. This will be on a variety of inpatient wards and in tertiary clinics, including videofluoroscopic swallow study clinic as a core part of the service. Providing education and delivering training will be core to the role. Line management and supervision will be provided by the Team Lead/ Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapists.
Main duties of the job
The role requires specialist knowledge and skills in paediatric dysphagia, infant feeding, tracheostomy, videofluoroscopy, acquired communication disorders, and alternative and augmentative communication. On the wards you will share the care of patients to ensure equity and therefore good interpersonal and team-working skills are essential. You will also be required to work in some specialist outpatient clinics, deliver training and be involved in quality improvement projects. Your job may include cross-site working at the Royal Brompton Hospital as our two hospitals have integrated.
You will liaise frequently and provide advice to community speech and language therapists and other professionals and are expected to contribute to research, development and audit activities. Providing support and clinical supervision to students, more junior speech and language therapists and volunteers is an important part of the post. You will be required to contribute to formal and informal undergraduate and post graduate teaching and training to speech and language therapists and other professionals.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research's biomedical research centres, established with King's College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached.Job Description and person specification for full details
Please see attached.Job Description and person specification for full details
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached.Job Description and person specification for full details
Please see attached.Job Description and person specification for full details
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Evidence of Masters or equivalent level of specialist training
- Intermediate dysphagia course or equivalent
- Health Care Professions Council- license to practice
- Relevant assessment and therapeutic interventions and an ability to compare relative benefits underpinned by evidence based practice i.e. dysphagia and acute onset communication impairment including videofluoroscopy
- Dysphagia and communication in paediatric tracheostomy
Previous Experience
Essential
- Working as a Speech and Language Therapist in an acute setting with a paediatric caseload
- Lead role in videofluoroscopy swallow study
- Management of feeding and dysphagia in infants
- Management of acute onset communication impairment in paediatrics
- Caseload management and prioritisation in an acute inpatient setting
- Working closely with team members and colleagues to ensure high quality care
Skills
Essential
- Highly specialist assessment and management of paediatric feeding/swallowing and acute onset communication difficulties, seeking advice where appropriate (including use of videofluoroscopy swallow study)
- Use knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements and decision-making for complex cases
- Apply an evidenced based practice approach to clinical cases
- Engage and negotiate with carers, parents and others around individual case management
- Ability to reflect on own practice and identify strengths and development needs
- Recognise potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and generates potential solutions
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Evidence of Masters or equivalent level of specialist training
- Intermediate dysphagia course or equivalent
- Health Care Professions Council- license to practice
- Relevant assessment and therapeutic interventions and an ability to compare relative benefits underpinned by evidence based practice i.e. dysphagia and acute onset communication impairment including videofluoroscopy
- Dysphagia and communication in paediatric tracheostomy
Previous Experience
Essential
- Working as a Speech and Language Therapist in an acute setting with a paediatric caseload
- Lead role in videofluoroscopy swallow study
- Management of feeding and dysphagia in infants
- Management of acute onset communication impairment in paediatrics
- Caseload management and prioritisation in an acute inpatient setting
- Working closely with team members and colleagues to ensure high quality care
Skills
Essential
- Highly specialist assessment and management of paediatric feeding/swallowing and acute onset communication difficulties, seeking advice where appropriate (including use of videofluoroscopy swallow study)
- Use knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements and decision-making for complex cases
- Apply an evidenced based practice approach to clinical cases
- Engage and negotiate with carers, parents and others around individual case management
- Ability to reflect on own practice and identify strengths and development needs
- Recognise potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and generates potential solutions
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).
