Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Critical Care

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist in the role of Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist/Team Lead for Critical Care, based across Pilgrim Hospital Boston and Lincoln County Hospital.

For Critical care, across the two sites there is a total of 25 beds. 16 beds at Lincoln County Hospitaland 9 beds at Pilgrim Hospital providing patient care at Level 2 and 3, flexed according to patient demand.

The SLT service was established in 2022 within the multidisciplinary team on the Critical Care units, providing a 6-day service to patients, and regularly working jointly with physiotherapy,dietetic, nursing, and medical colleagues in providing holistic therapeutic assessments/interventions.

The SLT team input to patients with acquired communication and feeding/ swallowing disorders on the critical care pathway, including patients with a tracheostomy in situ. We are keen to further embed SLT in the units and progress our role with critical care patients through training opportunities and service development.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to oversee the clinical work of all SLTs and SLTAs on Critical Care, by managing, training, and supporting less experienced colleagues as required. They will provide highly specialist SLT input and support to patients and their families as indicated.

The post holder will contribute to the leadership of the wider Adult Speech and Language Therapy service through attendance at monthly Leads meetings with SLT Leads from relevant specialties, and to the leadership of Critical Care through attendance at monthly Critical Care Clinical Governance meetings and ward management meetings.

Applicants are required to have current/recent (within the last year) experience of working on an inpatient / critical care unit with adults with acquired communication and feeding/ swallowing disorders on the critical care pathway including those with complex dysphagia and tracheostomy.

To discuss the post further, please liaise with Amy Evans amy.evans@nhs.net (Clinical Services Lead) or Jennifer Burnettjennifer.burnett5@nhs.net (Adult SLT Operational Lead)

Please note this position will not commence before May 2025

About us

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust is in the top 25 per cent of all community trusts for overall staff engagement in the 2021 NHS National Staff Survey.

At LCHS, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in LCHS' workforce.

LCHS recognises the increasing demand for more flexibility in working practices in order to accommodate the personal goals and commitments that employees experience at different stages during their working lives. Flexible working opportunities such as part-time working, compressed hours, job shares, and hybrid working models can help staff to balance their personal and work commitments. Arrangements can be put in place if it can be shown that the needs of the individual can be balanced with those of the service and the impact on other team members, enabling the Trust to recruit and retain skilled staff, raise staff morale, reduce absenteeism and respond to changing service needs more effectively.

We are an ambassador of a learning culture that will support the right individual to progress in their chosen career through an 'earn while you learn' apprenticeship programme. Visit our Learning and Development page to find out more https://www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk/join-us/learning-and-dev