Head and Neck Specialist SLT Band 7

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Head and Neck MDT team, Speech and Language Therapy team, AHPs, SLT and Dietetic Manager and Head of Therapies

External: Patients, patients relatives and carers, company representatives, GPs, SLTs in other Trusts, local commissioning groups, and community trust staff.

Risk Assessment:

The post involves lone working when patients are seen, for privacy reasons in an outpatient consultation room and when alone in the Department office.

Job Purpose:

To develop and deliver highly specialist SLT services to patients diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer.

To work as an integral part of the Head and Neck MDT.

Take overall operational responsibility for head and neck cancer SLT service on behalf of the Clinical Lead SLT during periods of absence

To provide training and line management for more junior SLTs within the Head and Neck service, and support within the wider SLT team as required.

To deputise for the Head of Dietetics and SLT as required.

Job Summary:

To provide an integrated in-patient and out-patient service to patients with head and neck cancer

To maintain a very high level of clinical knowledge in the specialist field of head and neck cancer providing advice, second opinions and joint management with colleagues in the Trust. Areas of knowledge to include voice rehabilitation following radiotherapy, surgical voice restoration, dysphagia assessment and rehabilitationTo provide clinical expertise and participate in joint clinics including videofluoroscopy, FEES, SVR and consultant led clinics with appropriate training and support where necessary.

To develop, attend and contribute to combined clinics (joint oncology and ENT)

Surgical voice restoration to manage voice prostheses including measuring, fitting, maintaining and troubleshooting.

To implement training related to specialist area to colleagues in the department/hospital/other Trusts

To liaise with and provide support to therapists across the head and neck cancer pathway.

To review literature and disseminate relevant information

To lead the planning of future management of this client group

To devise, collate and disseminate statistical information to demonstrate service performance, illustrate gaps and to give quality assurance.

To ensure your knowledge and skills are up to date.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in relevant specialty fields which will have led to:
• The acquisition of sound and well-established theoretical and practical specialist knowledge.
• Experience of working with head and neck cancer as part of a MDT.
• Experience of working with complex conditions with an appropriate level of autonomy.
• Previous altered airways experience with patients with laryngectomy.
• Previous head and neck experience.
• Previous experience of assessing and using instrumental assessment as part of caseload management for dysphagia.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Substantial theoretical knowledge of acquired communication, and swallowing disorders.
• Excellent communication skills, for example be able to use skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation and problem solving with patients, colleagues in the department, MDT, medical team and other professionals on a daily basis.
• Awareness of the appropriate use of counselling skills.
• Able to analyse complex and highly sensitive information regarding a patients diagnosis. To be able to communicate this information to patients, relatives and colleagues.
• Ability to overcome non-compliance of professional colleagues.
• Ability to overcome non-compliance of patients and relatives.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or equivalent
• Postgraduate training relevant to role in head and neck
• Membership of RCSLT
• Registration with HCPC
• Relevant post-graduate courses/conferences
• Membership of relevant CEN
• Computer literate

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)