Job summary
Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - 1.0 WTE
Don't miss this exciting opportunity to join our adult acute Speech & Language Therapy team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich! We are proud to be part of Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust who serve a diverse & multicultural local community.
Our SLT teams are friendly & inclusive, we work closely across the MDT & value audit & quality improvement to better refine & develop our services. We have strong links with other acute & community Speech & Language Therapy services within the Trust & our local areas.
We are looking for a therapist who has previously held an independent dysphagia caseload and demonstrates experience ofworking with adults with acquired disorders with established competence in both dysphagia & communication disorder management.
Our Band 6 roles offer excellent opportunities to build on acute assessment and therapy skills including developing or expanding on existing competencies in objective assessment (both VF & FEES) and tracheostomy management.
Main duties of the job
A typical day might include:
- Assessment and treatment for patients with communication and swallowing disorders
- Working with patients who are tracheostomised as part of the MDT
- Participation in weekly VF clinics and FEES assessments on the medical wards
- Supervision of Junior staff and students as necessary
- Participating in Quality Improvement and service development projects within the team and wider trust
The successful candidate will share our commitment to excellence & ensure high standards of evidence based therapy practice. Within our lovely team, you will benefit from diverse opportunities to engage in regular supervision, in-house & external CPD, action learning sessions, leadership development, peer supervision and advanced skill development such as FEES and VF. You will be supported & encouraged to complete & participate in audit, research & quality improvement projects as relevant to your role.
Contact us for an informal chat in confidence, or arrange a visit and allow us to welcome you to the department.
Helen Sampson, Cross-site Lead - Adult Speech and Language Therapy, h.sampson@nhs.net
At Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, our hospitals & community bases are easily accessed from central London by overland rail, the new! Elizabeth line, DLR & bus.
Working in Therapies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVS-EjGWloM
"This is what a therapist looks like" - YouTube
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
- To provide a specialist SLT service to patients from acute (medical and surgical) and Critical Care wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich
- To assess, diagnose and manage adult clients with acquired swallowing and\or communication disorders, using sound theoretical knowledge to inform advice, support and therapy.
- To work closely with the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in the management and discharge planning of these patients in an acute setting
- To assist the Head of Speech and Language Therapy with service evaluation and development
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Site Lead SALT
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapists - Acute team
L&G Acute and ITU Consultants
All Therapists/Leads in Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy / Dietetics
All L&G Speech and Language Therapy Staff
L&G nursing staff
Referring Hospitals
Social Services
Community Services
Home Enteral Nutrition Team MDT & Community Head & Neck Team
GPs
Voluntary Services
Academic Institutions
Acute & Stroke Specialists external to L&G
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
- To provide a specialist SLT service to patients from acute (medical and surgical) and Critical Care wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich
- To assess, diagnose and manage adult clients with acquired swallowing and\or communication disorders, using sound theoretical knowledge to inform advice, support and therapy.
- To work closely with the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in the management and discharge planning of these patients in an acute setting
- To assist the Head of Speech and Language Therapy with service evaluation and development
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Site Lead SALT
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapists - Acute team
L&G Acute and ITU Consultants
All Therapists/Leads in Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy / Dietetics
All L&G Speech and Language Therapy Staff
L&G nursing staff
Referring Hospitals
Social Services
Community Services
Home Enteral Nutrition Team MDT & Community Head & Neck Team
GPs
Voluntary Services
Academic Institutions
Acute & Stroke Specialists external to L&G
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
- Fully registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- Registration with HCPC
- Successful completion of post graduate dysphagia training
Experience
Essential
- Relevant experience of working with adult acquired disorders, including independent practice in dysphagia management.
Desirable
- Experience of working with patients with tracheostomies in critical care and acute inpatient settings.
- Awareness of and experience with objective assessment methods for dysphagia including Videofluoroscopy and FEES
Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of knowledge of own clinical skills and initiative in continuing development
- Knowledge of evidence base for effective treatment for adults with communication and swallowing disorders
- Knowledge of particular needs of patients in this setting
- Knowledge of national policies and guidelines relevant to setting
- In-depth knowledge of assessment tools relevant to assessment of acquired disorders
Desirable
- Knowledge of recent changes in NHS
PERSONAL QUALITIES & SKILLS
Essential
- Ability to learn from clinical experience
- Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to clinical practice
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing
- Ability to work as a member of a team
- Basic IT skills
Desirable
- Ability to supervise students and newly qualified Speech and Language Therapists
- Ability to carry out audit
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
- Fully registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- Registration with HCPC
- Successful completion of post graduate dysphagia training
Experience
Essential
- Relevant experience of working with adult acquired disorders, including independent practice in dysphagia management.
Desirable
- Experience of working with patients with tracheostomies in critical care and acute inpatient settings.
- Awareness of and experience with objective assessment methods for dysphagia including Videofluoroscopy and FEES
Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of knowledge of own clinical skills and initiative in continuing development
- Knowledge of evidence base for effective treatment for adults with communication and swallowing disorders
- Knowledge of particular needs of patients in this setting
- Knowledge of national policies and guidelines relevant to setting
- In-depth knowledge of assessment tools relevant to assessment of acquired disorders
Desirable
- Knowledge of recent changes in NHS
PERSONAL QUALITIES & SKILLS
Essential
- Ability to learn from clinical experience
- Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to clinical practice
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing
- Ability to work as a member of a team
- Basic IT skills
Desirable
- Ability to supervise students and newly qualified Speech and Language Therapists
- Ability to carry out audit
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).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
