Job summary
We are looking for a driven, dynamic and enthusiastic individual who has a passion, and clinical interest, in the specialty of chronic respiratory disease. The successful postholder will work within a small team of highly skilled speech and language therapists, working closely with other allied health professionals to provide highly specialist care to patients.
This is an exciting opportunity to extend skills with tertiary level patients including complex dysphagia and upper airway disorders across the varied field of respiratory medicine, including complex asthma, COPD (including lung volume reduction), neuromuscular disease and ILD. We offer opportunities to participate in regular objective instrumental swallow assessments (FEES and VFS) - please contact us for more information if you think this could be the role for you.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be an integrated member of the multi-professional therapy team, providing therapy to patients with chronic and severe respiratory conditions at Royal Brompton Hospital. They will receive operational and professional management from the Clinical Specialist and Adult Clinical Lead SLTs.
They will lead the assessment, treatment and management of swallowing, voice, and upper airway disorders thrpughout the patient pathway in both outpatient and inpatient settings including in-reach to critical care. significant experience, in-depth knowledge and skills in advanced respiratory disease is essential, including non-invasive (NIV) and invasive ventilation (IV) via a tracheostomy for respiratory muscle weakness.
Completion of competency-based learning and substantial experience with instrumental dysphagia assessments is required (Level 2b FEES practitioner (or equivalent)), and significant experience in video fluoroscopy. Familiarity with using MBSImP in practice is desirable. Experience with inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) management and laryngoscopy with provocation is also desired.
The post holder will be part of the wider SLT team and be responsible for line management and clinical supervision of the band 5 and 6 Speech Language Therapists in the respiratory SLT service.
They may on occasions be asked to support the cardiothoracic and critical care teams at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals as required by service needs.
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 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.
Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy's and St Thomas' in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex conditions, offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.
Our integrated approach to caring for patients from before birth, through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood and old age has been replicated around the world and has gained Royal Brompton and Harefield an international reputation as a leader in heart and lung diagnosis, treatment and research.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main tasks and responsibilities
Communication
1. To provide highly specialist advice and input for patients with communication and swallowing needs at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals
2. To liaise with SLTs, AHPs, medical and nursing teams, and other members of the MDT regarding prioritisation, case management and risk management of patients with communication and swallowing disorders.
3. To demonstrate interpersonal skills that grow and maintain positive working relationships with all healthcare professionals involved in patient care.
4. To communicate sensitive and complex information and sometimes unwelcome news tactfully and diplomatically to patients, parents and carers, acknowledging this may trigger a range of emotions, and to provide ongoing counselling and support.
5. To promote and contribute to multi-professional team building and collaborative practices, e.g. knowledge and skills sharing, joint working.
6. To ensure close liaison with SLT colleagues in other trusts including community teams to ensure adequate handover of individual cases working towards a seamless service.
7. To promote the department, the Trust and the profession by participating in joint initiatives with other members of the team as required by the operational and professional leadership team.
8. To write comprehensive, clear reports to inform medical, education and social services with regard to current and future needs of the patient.
9. To recognise communication breakdown/conflict when it occurs and generate potential solutions.
10. To network with other SLTs locally, nationally and internationally.
11. To produce information for patients which is accessible and user friendly and in accordance with Trust policy.
12. To demonstrate empathy with patients and their carers, particularly in situations where they may be highly stressed or grieving and where barriers to understanding may exist (e.g. linguistic and cultural differences).
13. To contribute positively and constructively to staff meetings and in-service trainings.
Please see the job description document for full role responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main tasks and responsibilities
Communication
1. To provide highly specialist advice and input for patients with communication and swallowing needs at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals
2. To liaise with SLTs, AHPs, medical and nursing teams, and other members of the MDT regarding prioritisation, case management and risk management of patients with communication and swallowing disorders.
3. To demonstrate interpersonal skills that grow and maintain positive working relationships with all healthcare professionals involved in patient care.
4. To communicate sensitive and complex information and sometimes unwelcome news tactfully and diplomatically to patients, parents and carers, acknowledging this may trigger a range of emotions, and to provide ongoing counselling and support.
5. To promote and contribute to multi-professional team building and collaborative practices, e.g. knowledge and skills sharing, joint working.
6. To ensure close liaison with SLT colleagues in other trusts including community teams to ensure adequate handover of individual cases working towards a seamless service.
7. To promote the department, the Trust and the profession by participating in joint initiatives with other members of the team as required by the operational and professional leadership team.
8. To write comprehensive, clear reports to inform medical, education and social services with regard to current and future needs of the patient.
9. To recognise communication breakdown/conflict when it occurs and generate potential solutions.
10. To network with other SLTs locally, nationally and internationally.
11. To produce information for patients which is accessible and user friendly and in accordance with Trust policy.
12. To demonstrate empathy with patients and their carers, particularly in situations where they may be highly stressed or grieving and where barriers to understanding may exist (e.g. linguistic and cultural differences).
13. To contribute positively and constructively to staff meetings and in-service trainings.
Please see the job description document for full role responsibilities.
Person Specification
Skills
Essential
- Delivering high-quality supervision, teaching and training to others
Desirable
- Completion of Practice Educator training and delivery of student placements
Experience
Essential
- In-depth knowledge and experience in assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders in adults
- Post-qualification experience in adult dysphagia including VF clinician, RCSLT 2a FEEs assessor, flexible nasendoscopy
- Experience of working with patients with acute and long-term conditions affecting respiratory and neuromuscular function, including MND and muscular dystrophy
- Familiarity with management of upper airway disorders including laryngeal hypersensitivity, ILO and chronic refractory cough
- Post-qualification experience in assessing and managing adults with acquired voice, speech, language and cognitive-communication disorders
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of managing vocal fold movement impairment following surgical procedures
- Knowledge and experience working with patients with voice disorders
- Completion of Lead VF competencies
- Experience of laryngoscopy with provocation
Knowledge/ Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised degree accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- HCPC registration
- Post-graduate dysphagia training or equivalent supervised experience
- Completion of post-qualification education (e.g. short courses)
Desirable
Person Specification
Skills
Essential
- Delivering high-quality supervision, teaching and training to others
Desirable
- Completion of Practice Educator training and delivery of student placements
Experience
Essential
- In-depth knowledge and experience in assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders in adults
- Post-qualification experience in adult dysphagia including VF clinician, RCSLT 2a FEEs assessor, flexible nasendoscopy
- Experience of working with patients with acute and long-term conditions affecting respiratory and neuromuscular function, including MND and muscular dystrophy
- Familiarity with management of upper airway disorders including laryngeal hypersensitivity, ILO and chronic refractory cough
- Post-qualification experience in assessing and managing adults with acquired voice, speech, language and cognitive-communication disorders
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of managing vocal fold movement impairment following surgical procedures
- Knowledge and experience working with patients with voice disorders
- Completion of Lead VF competencies
- Experience of laryngoscopy with provocation
Knowledge/ Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised degree accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- HCPC registration
- Post-graduate dysphagia training or equivalent supervised experience
- Completion of post-qualification education (e.g. short courses)
Desirable
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).
