Speech and Language Therapist Band 6

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

Provision of specialist Speech & Language Therapy for patients of Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital.

Act as an integral member of the Therapy Team providing assessment, diagnosis and intervention to patients.

Delivery of speech and language therapy intervention will be in conjunction with the rest of the multi-disciplinary team.

Support for colleagues within and outside of Speech & Language Therapy, including the provision of student placements.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To assess, develop and implement Specialist Speech and Language Therapy treatment and evaluate outcomes.

To use specialist skills to formulate a diagnosis.

To provide specialised written and verbal advice to a range of professionals regarding the management and care of clients with severe/ complex communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.

To maintain specialist knowledge of current practice and literature, ensuring decisions are based on the best available evidence.

To adapt clinical practice to meet individual patients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.

To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained.

To communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions.

To contribute to clinical teams both uni-disciplinary and multidisciplinary by discussing own and others input around clients needs ensuring a well-coordinated care plan.

To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.

To demonstrate skills in motivating clients with severe communication needs and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic process and enabling them to contribute to the decision making process regarding their care plans.

To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.

To demonstrate the ability to reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of clients communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness.

To demonstrate good negotiation skills with carers, clients and other professionals around complex case management.

To employ counselling skills with clients/ carers with complex needs and maintain sensitivity when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the clients difficulties and implications of the same.

To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures.

To demonstrate specialist skills working with clients with disabilities.

CASELOAD MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

To manage and prioritise complex and specialist caseload and workload with minimal support from SLT colleagues. To use specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgement/ decision making.

To use specialist knowledge to develop protocols and care plans in areas of expertise.

To liaise with relevant user groups as appropriate.

To recognise and understand role boundaries and limitations and at all times, seeking advice from senior colleagues as required.

To produce reports reflecting specialist knowledge for individual clients and client groups.

To be an active member of the multi disciplinary team, contributing to service delivery, audit and development.

To provide specialist advice/ second opinions to speech and language therapists and other professionals in areas of expertise.

To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and Trust policies.

To share relevant information with others, observing data protection guidelines.

To demonstrate skills in dealing with complex issues to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management.

To advise team members of issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures and to use specialist knowledge to inform service/ policy developments as appropriate.

To maintain intense concentration in all aspects of patient management for prolonged periods.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To work within defined departmental, organisational and national policies/protocols, guidelines, and professional code of conduct

To work with HCPC Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics

To be aware of and adhere to service and team plans and policies.

To contribute to interagency/ multi disciplinary team building and policy development.

To participate in the development of local/ national clinical guidelines informed by evidence for clinical specialism.

To be flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable work patterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions.

To demonstrate specialist knowledge in clinical specialism underpinned by current evidence based practice.

To maintain and develop specialist clinical skills through attending relevant courses, meetings and special interest groups.

To comment on proposed service/policy developments as appropriate.

To provide mentoring, supervision, support and advice to more junior colleagues and students.

To use specialist knowledge to provide training for speech and language therapists and other professionals.

To provide high quality clinical placements for student speech and language therapists.

To explain the role of Speech and Language Therapists to visitors, students and volunteers.

To undertake Clinical Governance/audit projects within the local service.

To participate in departmental research and clinical governance/audit projects.

To collect and provide research data as required.

To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate.

To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.

To work independently accessing appraisal within an individual performance framework at pre-determined intervals.

To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.

To identify personal/professional development evidenced by Personal development plan/ professional portfolio developed within an appraisal framework including objectives relating to clinical specialism.

To participate in individual performance review ensuring that the objectives set reflect the service and trust plans including objectives relating to clinical specialism.

To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain skills and knowledge required of a therapist working in the field of moderate learning difficulties and maintain up to date HPC and RCSLT registration.

To demonstrate knowledge of, and adhere to RCSLT professional and clinical and National and Local clinical guidelines.

To develop a working knowledge of the principles of Clinical Governance and their application to Professional practice.

To recognise potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and seek advice and support to resolve.

To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor and identify own strengths and development needs.

To participate in the development of others problem solving/ negotiation skills within peer review/ support.

To keep up to date with new techniques and developments in areas of clinical specialism.

To have due regard for your own personal safety and that of patients/carers, in particular to have regard to moving and handling regulations and ensure the safe positioning of self and others.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• An ability to work as part of the MDT and communicate appropriately with all grades of staff.
• An ability to empathise and reassure
• Evidence of presentation and teaching skills within a healthcare environment

Desirable

• Experience of presenting to mixed audiences e.g. doctors, nursing staff and other AHPs

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Degree/MSc in SALT
• HCPC Registration
• Post basic dysphagia qualification

Desirable

• Membership of relevant clinical interest or professional group

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD including attendance at courses relevant to stroke, critical care, dysphagia, voice or respiratory conditions
• Good clinical reasoning skills based on evidence and current research
• Evidence of attendance at mandatory training
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the MDT and their differing contributions to patient care
• Experience of supervising staff

Desirable

• Good IM and T skills

Values and Behaviours

Essential

• Demonstrate enthusiasm, vision and a desire to achieve
• Committed to developing expertise within SALT and the clinical speciality
• Demonstrate a forward-thinking and professional attitude
• The ability to work as part of a team
• Flexible and able to adapt to situations which may be stressful and highly pressured.

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

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital

Address

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital

Thomas Drive

Liverpool

Merseyside

L14 3PE

Employer's website

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