Lead Speech and Language Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Be responsible for planning and overseeing the delivery of an effective SLT Service to Adults using clear and decisive leadership, overall appraisal, supervision andperformance management/development of the SLT staff.

To be responsible for overseeing professional conduct, grievance and disciplinarymanagement, recruitment and selection and management of annual leave entitlements.

Responsibility for the management of the delegated budget including the setting andmonitoring of expenditure, identifying variances and ensuring plans for new service developments are in line with budgetary agreements/constraints.

To autonomously manage a caseload of varying complexity and in a variety of settings.

Analyse, monitor and support the Service in prioritising demands and maintainingeffective service delivery across Health and Social Care (HSC) makingoptimum use of resources. This may include discussion with Associate Directors to varyservices and then relay this information to both staff and service users.

Take a lead in ensuring that the implications of all local and national strategies andpolicies are interpreted appropriately for Adult SLT in Guernsey.

To adhere to and ensure SLT staff adhere to SLT and HSC policies and procedures.

To participate/lead on project/audit activity.

To adhere to RCSLT code of ethics and professional conduct and comply with HCPCstandards of proficiency and facilitate and monitor compliance of SLT staff with local andnational standards of practice.

Demonstrate effective time management balancing clinical and managerial demands.

To delegate work to SLT staff and to supervise students.

To triage referrals into the service to ensure the waiting time for assessment is met andallocation to appropriate skilled staff

Clinical

To provide specialist speech and language therapy for adult and elderly patients withhighly complex speech, language and communication difficulties and/or dysphagiaresulting from neurological and medical conditions.

To assess, plan, implement and evaluate intervention using evidence based patientcentred principles.

To autonomously hold responsibility of a caseload taking into account referral criteria andprioritisation.

To manage and prioritise a specialist caseload, including those with multi-pathology andcomplex needs. Duties will include assessment, using standardised and non-standardisedSLT assessment tools, diagnosis, therapy of identified SLT goals as part of an overall careplan, and discharge planning working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team.

To provide a specialist response in complex and highly complex cases, to plan andimplement patient centred individual or group intervention using graded activity toachieve therapeutic goals. To monitor, evaluate, analyse and modify treatment in orderto measure progress and demonstrate clinical effectiveness of intervention usingevidence-based practice and outcome measures.

To provide formal and informal clinical education and teaching within the scope of yourown practice to the patient and their carers, staff (AHPs, Nursing Staff and SupportWorkers), GPs and the third sector on the effect of disability, adaptations to the patientssocial and physical environment and to prescribe and/or recommend appropriateequipment to meet individual need.

To provide expert clinical care/advocacy (inclusive of advocating for gaining informedconsent) for those patients with significant communication disorders.

To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals and gain valid informed consent.Also, be able to work within the legal framework with those who are unable to giveinformed consent.

Documentation

To ensure that postholder and all SLT staff maintain up to date written and electronicrecords (summarising assessment, proposed care or management plans, includingappropriate onward referrals) and statistical data in accordance with local, HCPC andRCSLT professional standards of practice.

To provide specialist SLT and clinical management reports relevant to caseload.

To develop and formalise documents to meet current and ongoing needs of both the SLTService and HSC and participate in written project proposals

Leadership

To manage SLT staff on a daily basis, with responsibility for CPD, leave, staff meetings,disciplinary, conflict, team dynamics, equipment ordering, travel, etc. and to support SLTstaff in a sensitive and timely manner.

To act as a professional role model for all staff, promoting high standards of practice andstrong professional values, promoting a learning culture which supports staff throughchange and development.

To review and reflect on postholder and SLT staff practice and performance througheffective use of supervision and appraisal in line with policy and procedures and tomanage poor performance issues in consultation with Associate Director, ClinicalSupport Services.

To work as a senior representative of the profession to determine SLT policies andstandards and ensure their successful implementation, to lead on designated projectsfor the continued development of the SLT Service and to represent the SLT AHP servicesas requested, both locally and nationally

Financial Management

Responsible for managing the SLT Adult Service budget for the procurement of assets,supplies, training, travel etc. and monitoring expenditure against agreed targets andmaking effective use of financial resources.

Responsible for accounting for actual or potential deviations from budgets andrecommending corrective action. This will include forecasting expenditure in accordancewith States of Guernsey directives.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Excellent written skills with the ability to write reports and business cases for consideration by the Corporate Management Team/Committee.
• Proven leadership skills and experience of managing teams.
• Evidence of ongoing continuous professional development.
• An understanding of current health policy and practice and implications for the SLT service as well as an understanding of current national policy developments and frameworks

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Post Graduate qualification in Dysphagia (if not part of degree)
• Leadership qualification or evidence of completion of a recognised leadership programme
• Membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

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

States of Guernsey

Address

Princess Elizabeth Hospital

Le Vauquiedor

St. Martin

Guernsey

GY4 6UU

Employer's website

https://www.gov.gg/ (Opens in a new tab)