Job summary
The post holder will provide an efficient and high quality speech & language therapy service within the Older People's Mental Health Service. As an experienced autonomous practitioner they will assess, diagnose and treat service users with communication problems and/or dysphagia in community and inpatient settings covered by this service. The post holder will participate in Continuing Professional Development, clinical audit and in service training.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties & Responsibilities
- To work within the most appropriate location for the service user i.e. ward or in a community setting including nursing and residential homes as required
- Team working and good communication skills are paramount within this role
About us
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:
- Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
- Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
- Access to Continued Professional Development
- Involvement in improvement and research activities
- Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
- Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- To be responsible for managing a defined speech and language therapy caseload within the Older Peoples Mental Health Service
- To adhere to national and local standards and guidelines relating to Professional Practice including RCSLT, NICE etc
- To be responsible for assessment, differential diagnosis, formulation of treatment plans, writing assessment reports, providing appropriate intervention and evaluating the treatment outcome for each individual patient
- To prioritise, organise and manage a clinical caseload to ensure efficient and effective high quality patient care
- To review and discharge individual patients
- To seek second opinions when necessary
- To make onward referrals when appropriate
- To accept support from designated colleagues
- To offer advice to relatives/carers and significant others about individual patients and demonstrate practical procedures when appropriate
- To communicate complex condition-related information to patients, service users, carers and other staff in an appropriate manner.
- To set and maintain a high standard of clinical practice and encourage and motivate other members of the team
- To maintain levels of professional competence and clinical knowledge according to the needs of the service
- To offer clinical/professional advice within a multi-disciplinary setting to work collaboratively with patients and relatives/carers and other professionals and voluntary agencies to provide a model of care which addresses the patients needs
- To attend appropriate patient related meetings e.g. ward rounds, case conferences, discharge meetings ensuring effective communication of the patients speech and language therapy needs
- To work with volunteers and therapy support workers
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- To be responsible for managing a defined speech and language therapy caseload within the Older Peoples Mental Health Service
- To adhere to national and local standards and guidelines relating to Professional Practice including RCSLT, NICE etc
- To be responsible for assessment, differential diagnosis, formulation of treatment plans, writing assessment reports, providing appropriate intervention and evaluating the treatment outcome for each individual patient
- To prioritise, organise and manage a clinical caseload to ensure efficient and effective high quality patient care
- To review and discharge individual patients
- To seek second opinions when necessary
- To make onward referrals when appropriate
- To accept support from designated colleagues
- To offer advice to relatives/carers and significant others about individual patients and demonstrate practical procedures when appropriate
- To communicate complex condition-related information to patients, service users, carers and other staff in an appropriate manner.
- To set and maintain a high standard of clinical practice and encourage and motivate other members of the team
- To maintain levels of professional competence and clinical knowledge according to the needs of the service
- To offer clinical/professional advice within a multi-disciplinary setting to work collaboratively with patients and relatives/carers and other professionals and voluntary agencies to provide a model of care which addresses the patients needs
- To attend appropriate patient related meetings e.g. ward rounds, case conferences, discharge meetings ensuring effective communication of the patients speech and language therapy needs
- To work with volunteers and therapy support workers
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- oUse of a car or access to a means of mobility
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential
- oDegree level qualification Speech/Language/ Pathology/Therapy
- oHCPC licence to practice
- oProven post registration experience of working with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties
- oEvidence of attendance on relevant specialist short courses to maintain and develop a sound knowledge base of a specialist therapist working in the field of adult acquired swallowing and communication difficulties
- oCertificate in dysphagia or equivalent - in-depth practical experience in the field of dysphagia
- oMaintenance of clinical knowledge base/level of professional competency across the range of acquired communication and swallowing disorders to ensure evidence based practice
- oAble to manage caseload independently
- oAble to identify areas of own personal/professional development
Desirable
- Membership of R.C.S.L.T
- Demonstrable experience of working with people with dementia
- Supervision of junior staff or support workers
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- oAble to communicate effectively with members of the MDT
- oAble to train/teach students, other professionals and assistants
- oAble to communicate complex and changing information to clients, carers and other professionals in a sensitive manner
- oAble to communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers and other professionals
- oAble to negotiate with other professionals, patients and their carers
- oAble to communicate complex material clearly
- oAble to provide potentially distressing information in a sensitive manner, showing empathy and understanding
- oAble to adapt communication style to overcome barriers to understanding
- oSensitive interpersonal skills to facilitate therapeutic relationships
- oAble to communicate effectively with angry or distressed patients/relatives
- oUse of basic counselling skills with patients, carers with highly complex needs
Desirable
- Further training in counselling
- Further training in end of life issues
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- oAble to analyse and evaluate results of formal/informal assessments of communication and swallowing
- oAble to make judgements including complex facts and situations
- oAble to analyse, interpret and compare a range of options for individual therapy programmes
- oAble to evaluate outcomes and modify approach to maximise outcome
- oAble to problem solve
- oAble to reflect on practice with peers
Clinical skills & Responsibility for Patient Care
Essential
- oAble to assess and treat a broad range of neurologically based communication disorders
- oAble to develop and implement specialised treatment programmes
- oAble to structure clear care plans which reflect best practice
- oAble to adapt therapeutic approach to meet the needs of individual clients
- oAble to be flexible and adaptable
- oCompetent in the assessment/management of dysphagia in adults
- oAble to recognise own clinical/experience boundaries and seek support when appropriate
Desirable
- Able to identify areas for own personal/ professional development
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- oAble to prioritise clinical caseload
- oAble to manage own time and prioritise tasks
- oAble to delegate appropriate tasks to support workers
Policy/Service Development
Essential
- oAble to apply policies to own work area and identify potential difficulties
- oBasic understanding of NHS structures and systems
Financial & Physical Resources
Essential
- oAble to identify resources required for own work role
- oAble to create basic resources for work with individual clients
Information Skills
Essential
- oExcellent written communication skills
- oAble to keep accurate records of therapy and up-to-date patient notes
- oAble to produce detailed, accurate, timely reports
- oUnderstanding of patient record systems on wards and in the community
- oBasic IT skills
Desirable
- Awareness of range of software available for therapeutic purposes
Physical, mental & emotional skills and effort
Essential
- oExcellent observational skills
- oHighly developed sensory skills: auditory when discriminating phonetics and swallow sounds, and touch when digitally assessing swallowing
- oAble to manage the emotional consequences of working with communication impaired clients and their relatives, in distressing situations, such as late stage terminal illness or coming to terms with disability
- oAble to deal with the emotional consequences of working with communication/swallow impaired clients in distressing circumstances ie degenerative/terminal conditions requiring palliative treatment/approach
- oAble to be flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable working patters, deadlines and frequent disruptions
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- oUse of a car or access to a means of mobility
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential
- oDegree level qualification Speech/Language/ Pathology/Therapy
- oHCPC licence to practice
- oProven post registration experience of working with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties
- oEvidence of attendance on relevant specialist short courses to maintain and develop a sound knowledge base of a specialist therapist working in the field of adult acquired swallowing and communication difficulties
- oCertificate in dysphagia or equivalent - in-depth practical experience in the field of dysphagia
- oMaintenance of clinical knowledge base/level of professional competency across the range of acquired communication and swallowing disorders to ensure evidence based practice
- oAble to manage caseload independently
- oAble to identify areas of own personal/professional development
Desirable
- Membership of R.C.S.L.T
- Demonstrable experience of working with people with dementia
- Supervision of junior staff or support workers
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- oAble to communicate effectively with members of the MDT
- oAble to train/teach students, other professionals and assistants
- oAble to communicate complex and changing information to clients, carers and other professionals in a sensitive manner
- oAble to communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers and other professionals
- oAble to negotiate with other professionals, patients and their carers
- oAble to communicate complex material clearly
- oAble to provide potentially distressing information in a sensitive manner, showing empathy and understanding
- oAble to adapt communication style to overcome barriers to understanding
- oSensitive interpersonal skills to facilitate therapeutic relationships
- oAble to communicate effectively with angry or distressed patients/relatives
- oUse of basic counselling skills with patients, carers with highly complex needs
Desirable
- Further training in counselling
- Further training in end of life issues
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- oAble to analyse and evaluate results of formal/informal assessments of communication and swallowing
- oAble to make judgements including complex facts and situations
- oAble to analyse, interpret and compare a range of options for individual therapy programmes
- oAble to evaluate outcomes and modify approach to maximise outcome
- oAble to problem solve
- oAble to reflect on practice with peers
Clinical skills & Responsibility for Patient Care
Essential
- oAble to assess and treat a broad range of neurologically based communication disorders
- oAble to develop and implement specialised treatment programmes
- oAble to structure clear care plans which reflect best practice
- oAble to adapt therapeutic approach to meet the needs of individual clients
- oAble to be flexible and adaptable
- oCompetent in the assessment/management of dysphagia in adults
- oAble to recognise own clinical/experience boundaries and seek support when appropriate
Desirable
- Able to identify areas for own personal/ professional development
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- oAble to prioritise clinical caseload
- oAble to manage own time and prioritise tasks
- oAble to delegate appropriate tasks to support workers
Policy/Service Development
Essential
- oAble to apply policies to own work area and identify potential difficulties
- oBasic understanding of NHS structures and systems
Financial & Physical Resources
Essential
- oAble to identify resources required for own work role
- oAble to create basic resources for work with individual clients
Information Skills
Essential
- oExcellent written communication skills
- oAble to keep accurate records of therapy and up-to-date patient notes
- oAble to produce detailed, accurate, timely reports
- oUnderstanding of patient record systems on wards and in the community
- oBasic IT skills
Desirable
- Awareness of range of software available for therapeutic purposes
Physical, mental & emotional skills and effort
Essential
- oExcellent observational skills
- oHighly developed sensory skills: auditory when discriminating phonetics and swallow sounds, and touch when digitally assessing swallowing
- oAble to manage the emotional consequences of working with communication impaired clients and their relatives, in distressing situations, such as late stage terminal illness or coming to terms with disability
- oAble to deal with the emotional consequences of working with communication/swallow impaired clients in distressing circumstances ie degenerative/terminal conditions requiring palliative treatment/approach
- oAble to be flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable working patters, deadlines and frequent disruptions
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).
