Job summary
We are delighted to advertise this 10 month fixed term post to lead the Outpatient Neurology service and Stroke Team at our Denmark Hill site. We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced therapist who is an expert clinician with the skills and passion to lead and grow these services.
The successful applicant will lead a team of Speech & Language Therapists across the stroke and outpatient neurology services. Within the stroke team, we provide an enhanced 7-day service into our Hyperacute Stroke Unit. The site has Videofluoroscopy and FEES including development of a joint outpatient FEES clinic which we will be running with community colleagues from GSTT.
The post holder will join the senior SLT Band 8 team who strategically lead the SLT services across all our sites.
Our 54 SLTs are fully integrated into the multidisciplinary teams, including OT and PT with whom they are co-located. King's College Hospital has a large Therapy department with over 400 therapists from Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy. Each service is organised under a Head of Profession with a Chief of Therapies heading up the service and representing Therapies across the Trust as well as externally. The department has a well-established provision of education and training, supervision and appraisal, ensuring that all staff have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and to reach their full potential.
Main duties of the job
A Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist who delivers expert standards of practice and clinical care. Working across both in- and out-patients, the post holder will carry a neurology caseload, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, MND & FND and will clinically lead the Neurology (outpatient) & Stroke team on the Denmark Hill site. They will provide clinical support & management to other areas of DH Neurosciences as required.
About us
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- To autonomously assess, diagnose, treat and manage a complex caseload of adults with communication and swallowing problems in a specialist area in accordance with Kings College Hospital Speech and Language Therapy service guidelines and service standards.
- To provide expert knowledge and clinical judgement, specialist recommendations and second opinion to the wider SLT and MDT.
- To provide information, advice and support to patients, carers, relatives and staff.
- To liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team to facilitate patient management.
- To attend ward and team meetings and case conferences, as appropriate
- To liaise with all appropriate agencies pre and post discharge. In particular to liaise with Speech and Language Therapists within the regional network to facilitate seamless transfer of care. This may include links with voluntary organisations.
- To provide accurate and timely reports, including transfer and discharge reports.
- To facilitate access to specialist AAC assessment and management.
- To recognise boundaries of own extended role and manage associated risk at all times.
Administrative Responsibilities
- To maintain comprehensive and accurate patient notes in accordance with departmental policy and to ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of these records.
- To monitor and review teams activity in accordance with local performance indicators and national requirements to help inform service delivery and evaluation.
- To ensure departmental equipment and communication devices are regularly maintained and in good working order.
- To lead and participate in values-based recruitment.
Leadership
- To provide high quality values-based clinical and professional leadership to Neurology Outpatients & Stroke Inpatients SLT teams.
- To deputise for the Head of Speech & Language Therapy as appropriate.
- To demonstrate excellent communication skills and maintain high quality relationships.
- To raise and maintain the profile of KCH SLT service.
- To represent the service, profession, department and trust at national, local and trust-based working groups and provide expert knowledge to those groups.
- To support the Head of SLT in the delivery of key aspects of Kings strategy.
Systems and Data Management
- To use a range of IT skills and software packages, including those for the statistical analysis of research data.
- To ensure that data collection and audit take place a minimum of quarterly to populate KCH SLT balanced scorecards.
- To ensure that all databases are protected under Caldecott principles regarding confidentiality
- To provide continual evaluation of services by ensuring accurate data collection that is reviewed regularly with action taken to improve performance as necessary and stakeholders receive timely, accurate reports.
- To write accurate and timely reports which represent KCH patient and activity data.
Research and Service Development
- To ensure that service users with living experiences are fully involved in identifying areas for service co-design and research.
- To work with patients, relatives and carers to ensure the SLT service is patient-focussed, including learning from adverse incidents and complaints.
- To work with the Head of SLT and Clinical Lead SLTs to continuously evaluate and integrate KCHs model of SLT prioritisation and streams of care.
- To be responsible for initiating and developing relevant quality improvement and research activity within KCH acute SLT teams, supporting & participating in wider MDT research.
- To actively seek sources of funding/income generation to support research projects.
- To take KCH SLT research through to presentation at national level, including publication.
Education and Training
- To create and maintain a learning culture, ensuring that staff have sufficient opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills by attendance at appropriate post-registration courses of both clinical and managerial content and link in to other training programmes within KCH Nurses, Midwives & AHP Academy, KHP, SEL and nationally.
- Help firmly establish values-based professional practice across pathways, services, organisations and systems, working with individuals, families, carers, communities and others
- Prepare and participate in lectures, seminars and demonstrations to Speech & Language Therapists and to senior healthcare professionals at a local and national level.
- To ensure planned in-service training for the team provides an appropriate peer learning opportunity supporting both the critically appraisal of research studies and how to implement them effectively into clinical practice.
- Develop staff potential and help people to learn, develop and improve (in and from practice) to promote excellence.
- To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, using reflective practice and maintain a portfolio that indicates personal development
- To supervise the professional development of qualified staff and SLT students. To participate in own regular clinical supervision & appraisal.
Governance / Quality Control
- To submit, investigate and develop actions for improvement, including multiprofessional responses, to adverse incidents
- To respond to complaints and contacts with PALS in a timely and professional manner.
- To support SLT clinical governance meetings
- To support, and where appropriate lead, the production of clinical guidelines, local policies and development of new working practices, ensuring they are evidence-based, implemented and audited having taken into account any national priorities/directives.
People Management and Performance
- Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
- Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
- Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
- Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
- Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trusts recruitment policy and process.
- Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
- Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
- Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
General
The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
- To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
- To live and role model the Kings Values we are a kind and respectful team
- To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
- To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
- This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
- All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
Safe Guarding
The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibilityto support the organisation in our duties by;
- attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
- familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns
- reportingany safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately
Infection Control Statement
The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.
The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.
These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- To autonomously assess, diagnose, treat and manage a complex caseload of adults with communication and swallowing problems in a specialist area in accordance with Kings College Hospital Speech and Language Therapy service guidelines and service standards.
- To provide expert knowledge and clinical judgement, specialist recommendations and second opinion to the wider SLT and MDT.
- To provide information, advice and support to patients, carers, relatives and staff.
- To liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team to facilitate patient management.
- To attend ward and team meetings and case conferences, as appropriate
- To liaise with all appropriate agencies pre and post discharge. In particular to liaise with Speech and Language Therapists within the regional network to facilitate seamless transfer of care. This may include links with voluntary organisations.
- To provide accurate and timely reports, including transfer and discharge reports.
- To facilitate access to specialist AAC assessment and management.
- To recognise boundaries of own extended role and manage associated risk at all times.
Administrative Responsibilities
- To maintain comprehensive and accurate patient notes in accordance with departmental policy and to ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of these records.
- To monitor and review teams activity in accordance with local performance indicators and national requirements to help inform service delivery and evaluation.
- To ensure departmental equipment and communication devices are regularly maintained and in good working order.
- To lead and participate in values-based recruitment.
Leadership
- To provide high quality values-based clinical and professional leadership to Neurology Outpatients & Stroke Inpatients SLT teams.
- To deputise for the Head of Speech & Language Therapy as appropriate.
- To demonstrate excellent communication skills and maintain high quality relationships.
- To raise and maintain the profile of KCH SLT service.
- To represent the service, profession, department and trust at national, local and trust-based working groups and provide expert knowledge to those groups.
- To support the Head of SLT in the delivery of key aspects of Kings strategy.
Systems and Data Management
- To use a range of IT skills and software packages, including those for the statistical analysis of research data.
- To ensure that data collection and audit take place a minimum of quarterly to populate KCH SLT balanced scorecards.
- To ensure that all databases are protected under Caldecott principles regarding confidentiality
- To provide continual evaluation of services by ensuring accurate data collection that is reviewed regularly with action taken to improve performance as necessary and stakeholders receive timely, accurate reports.
- To write accurate and timely reports which represent KCH patient and activity data.
Research and Service Development
- To ensure that service users with living experiences are fully involved in identifying areas for service co-design and research.
- To work with patients, relatives and carers to ensure the SLT service is patient-focussed, including learning from adverse incidents and complaints.
- To work with the Head of SLT and Clinical Lead SLTs to continuously evaluate and integrate KCHs model of SLT prioritisation and streams of care.
- To be responsible for initiating and developing relevant quality improvement and research activity within KCH acute SLT teams, supporting & participating in wider MDT research.
- To actively seek sources of funding/income generation to support research projects.
- To take KCH SLT research through to presentation at national level, including publication.
Education and Training
- To create and maintain a learning culture, ensuring that staff have sufficient opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills by attendance at appropriate post-registration courses of both clinical and managerial content and link in to other training programmes within KCH Nurses, Midwives & AHP Academy, KHP, SEL and nationally.
- Help firmly establish values-based professional practice across pathways, services, organisations and systems, working with individuals, families, carers, communities and others
- Prepare and participate in lectures, seminars and demonstrations to Speech & Language Therapists and to senior healthcare professionals at a local and national level.
- To ensure planned in-service training for the team provides an appropriate peer learning opportunity supporting both the critically appraisal of research studies and how to implement them effectively into clinical practice.
- Develop staff potential and help people to learn, develop and improve (in and from practice) to promote excellence.
- To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, using reflective practice and maintain a portfolio that indicates personal development
- To supervise the professional development of qualified staff and SLT students. To participate in own regular clinical supervision & appraisal.
Governance / Quality Control
- To submit, investigate and develop actions for improvement, including multiprofessional responses, to adverse incidents
- To respond to complaints and contacts with PALS in a timely and professional manner.
- To support SLT clinical governance meetings
- To support, and where appropriate lead, the production of clinical guidelines, local policies and development of new working practices, ensuring they are evidence-based, implemented and audited having taken into account any national priorities/directives.
People Management and Performance
- Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
- Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
- Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
- Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
- Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trusts recruitment policy and process.
- Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
- Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
- Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
General
The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
- To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
- To live and role model the Kings Values we are a kind and respectful team
- To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
- To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
- This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
- All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
Safe Guarding
The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibilityto support the organisation in our duties by;
- attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
- familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns
- reportingany safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately
Infection Control Statement
The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.
The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.
These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.
Person Specification
HCPC registered SLT
Essential
Person Specification
HCPC registered SLT
Essential
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).
