Advanced Speech and Language Therapist

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

We are seeking a confident and enthusiastic B7 advanced Speech and Language Therapist, to provide specialist communication and eating, drinking and swallowing assessment and intervention to adults with a learning disability.

You will be based within our Advanced Learning Disability Specialist (ALDS) Team in Wakefield. Working to support SLT colleagues manage caseloads across the trust's 4 community LD health teams: Wakefield, Barnsley, Kirklees, and Calderdale.

In this post you will work clinically in various health, social care, and community settings, working closely with other health professions from our LD health teams, social care, and independent providers.

We are passionate about providing a high-quality service delivering positive outcomes for people with learning disabilities. To enable our staff to achieve this, you will be supported to progress and achieve your potential through clinical and leadership CPD opportunities. We also support and encourage research.

We are open to either a part-time or full-time working.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

Main duties of the job

You will be a highly motivated and conscientious individual, who has the desire to work creatively with people with learning disabilities.

We are looking for a dynamic person to join our current ALDS team to provide the highest standards of safe and compassionate planned care to clients to maximize their independence and unlock their full potential.

The post holder will be a senior therapist within the ALDS team and will provide support to Speech and Language therapists in all localities, providing support and advice and where required direct input into complex and high-risk cases.

You will also provide specialist speech and language therapy assessment and treatment for service users in receipt of care from community services, enabling service users to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. The post holder will be required to work flexibly across all four localities and will contribute to the leadership and development of the Specialist Learning Disability Health Team in accordance with local and national guidance.

The post holder will be a source of expertise around communication and dysphagia and provide support and advice to others.

For further information please contact Komal Shires - Speech and Language Therapist Professional Lead/Clinical Lead Learning Disabilities at komal.shires@swyt.nhs.uk 07917283602 or Jackie Shakespeare ALDS Team manager at Jackie.Shakespeare@swyt.nhs.uk 07833293314.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health, and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees, and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities; we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families, and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we're run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical, and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The post holder will be a senior therapist within the community multi-disciplinary team, based in the identified locality. They will also provide senior support to Speech and Language therapists in other localities, providing support and advice and where required direct input into complex and high-risk cases.

You will also provide specialist speech and language therapy assessment and treatment for service users in receipt of care from community services, enabling service users to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. You will be actively involved in the promotion of Speech and Language therapy within the service area. The post holder will be required to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and the client group.

The post holder will contribute to the leadership and development of the Specialist Learning Disability Health Team in accordance with local and national guidance.

The post holder will be a source of expertise around communication and dysphagia and provide support and advice to others.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Clinical

The post-holder independently assesses, diagnoses, and manages the communication and/or swallowing needs of clients, in particular those with the most complex difficulties, to maximize appropriate health and social benefits. It will also include the management of clients for whom English is not the first spoken language.

The post holder will formulate and deliver individual treatment programmes based on specialist knowledge for differential diagnosis for communication and dysphagia, using evidence-based practice, national and local guidelines, and profession-specific clinical skills and techniques.

The post-holder provides both direct and indirect intervention, consultation, advice, and support informed by evidence-based practice working within a multi-disciplinary model to ensure that the inter-agency needs of clients are met.

The post-holder undertakes advisory work, second opinions, and provides peer review and advice within their area of expertise to support and develop the clinical skills of other staff.

In conjunction with other band 7 SLT, the post-holder provides clinical supervision for other SLT posts working across localities and this includes where appropriate providing direct input into complex cases.

The post-holder liaises both orally and in writing with any significant others involved in the management of the client, within and outside the NHS, to ensure the client's needs are met effectively and efficiently.

The post-holder contributes to discussion in a multi-disciplinary forum where speech and language therapy recommendations may conflict with medical/other opinions to facilitate quality of life and best interest decisions.

The post-holder is responsible for managing their own caseload, including clinical administration and appointments, to meet access criteria and ensure a cost-effective, quality service.

The post-holder has autonomous responsibility for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous client records, to ensure compliance with departmental, professional, and legal requirements.

The post-holder is expected to work occasionally with clients with challenging behaviour independently and work alone in the community conducting the appropriate risk assessments as required.

Service Development

The post-holder is aware of current local and national priorities, which may impact upon service delivery and contributes to the development of strategies for meeting needs.

The post-holder takes part in clinical research opportunities and/or leads or collaborates on the writing of articles and publications relevant to their specialist field.

Clinical Governance

The post-holder adheres to the standards in place within the BDU under the pillars of clinical governance, including audit, evaluation, and the identification and management of risk in any environment (clinical and non-clinical).

The post-holder is subject to annual appraisal and regular supervision.

The post-holder is expected to provide clinical supervision for a range of less experienced staff, including assistants, newly qualified therapists, and others as appropriate.

Resource Management

Physical resources: the post-holder identifies and manages appropriate service equipment requirements and is responsible for security, maintenance, and transportation of clinical resources in the team, including keeping inventories as appropriate.

The post-holder assists non-NHS colleagues in the identification of suitable resources to support and develop communication and safe swallowing.

Training

The post-holder identifies, writes, delivers, and develops packages of training within their specialist clinical area, to advise, educate, and empower multi-disciplinary groups and families/carers to enhance and support effective communication and safe swallowing.

The post-holder identifies and pursues appropriate and relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities from a variety of sources to keep their professional knowledge up-to-date.

The post-holder provides practical procedural instruction to a range of more junior staff (both qualified and unqualified).

On a rotational basis, the post-holder supervises clinical placements for undergraduate speech and language therapists to assist Higher Education Institutes.

The post-holder is expected to work with clients with challenging behaviour independently and work alone in the community conducting the appropriate risk assessments as required.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification

Experience

• Management and leadership experience.
• Significant experience as a Band 6/7 therapist in a Learning Disabilities or related clinical field.
• Significant experience of multidisciplinary working including development of effective networks/partnerships.
• Active participation in audit, service evaluation, and research in relevant clinical field.
• Experience of practice in a range of relevant Adult Learning Disabilities settings.
• Supervision of clinicians undertaking post-graduation dysphagia training supervised experience.
• Experience of supervision, appraisal, and development of therapy staff and students.

Personal Attributes

• Good timekeeper.
• Maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• Show creativity in working to meet the needs of people with a learning disability.
• A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Qualifications

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or relevant equivalent overseas qualification.
• HCPC registration.
• Post-basic dysphagia training.
• Postgraduate qualification relevant to the post or relevant level clinical experience.
• Postgraduate qualification to Masters Level or equivalent in a field related to Speech and Language Therapy and Learning Disabilities.
• Leadership training.
• Advanced level dysphagia training (masters level).
• RCSLT License to Practice.

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Evidence of a high standard of performance in a range of clinical skills, promoting clinical excellence.
• Commitment to improving the experience of service users and their carers.
• Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
• Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
• Specialist knowledge and application of current best practice in speech and language therapy and adults with learning disabilities.
• Up to date knowledge of NHS modernisation issues and implications for speech and language therapy and wider services.
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural and diversity issues.

Training

• To be willing to undertake post graduate training to further skills, knowledge, and expertise.
• Documented evidence of continuing practice and professional development.
• Evidence of self-directed learning.
• Leadership training.
• Advanced level dysphagia training (masters level).

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust