Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

South Tyneside and Sunderland Speech and Language Therapy Service Childrens Team:

1.0 posts x B7, 37.5 hours per week, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

We are seeking a B7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with significant experience of providing specialist assessment and intervention approaches for children with a range of additional and complex needs, including eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. In this post you will work clinically in various community settings working closely with other health professionals and our partners in Education.

You will be working as part of a Team which is innovative and adaptive to new ways of working to further develop and improve. CPD opportunities and links to current research and evidence-based practice are actively encouraged. There are excellent links across the Childrens SLT staff with joint supervision and sharing practice sessions and there is good admin and SLTA support within the Department. The successful SLT will have opportunities to further develop their clinical expertise and leadership skills working as part of a collaborative team, which strives to provide a high-quality service with good outcomes for children and young people.

We have been successful in achieving increased investment into our service and we hope you will join our expanding and forward-thinking team.

Main duties of the job

You will work as one of the Lead SLTs in the clinical area of CAN Children with additional and complex needs who present with a range of speech, language and communication needs and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

You will have significant post graduate training and experience, in relation to clinical diagnostic assessment and therapy approaches for children with complex needs. You will have experience of working at a specialist level with pre-school and school age children, working with communication partners/carers to support each child’s needs.

You will have a key role in both individual and group supervision for other SLT staff, SLT assistants and students and as part of the Leadership Team, to coordinate and monitor the service within this clinical area. There is excellent support and networking within the Childrens SLT team and effective team working and good organisational skills are essential.

Job responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialist and skilled speech and language therapy service to children with dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties) and a broad range of communication disorders including children who may require alternative or augmentative communication systems.
• To promote positive outcomes and practice in this area of work.
• To work with the SALT Manager in identifying and delivering service improvements and service developments to benefit patient care.
• To work in multiple locations.
• To provide delegated supervision to SLT staff and students.

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Highly specialist knowledge of a range of communication disorders in children and appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention techniques with evidence of post-graduate qualification and / or training at an equivalent level.
• Highly developed knowledge of current best practice in speech and language therapy provision to children and young people with a range of SLCNs and vulnerabilities.
• Knowledge of relevant national policies and procedures relevant to Education, Health and Care planning.
• Knowledge of relevant NICE guidelines and policies relevant to the specialist area.
• Highly developed communication skills (oral and written) enabling others to understand complex information and overcome barriers to understanding.
• Ability to carry out highly specialised assessment working with other professionals to make a differential diagnosis, prognosis, and management/intervention plan including eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia) and speech, language and communication including high and low tech Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) methods.
• An in-depth knowledge of the range of health, social service, voluntary and private agencies relevant to specialism.
• A working understanding of the legal responsibilities of the profession and the associated code of ethics, including a commitment to non-discriminatory practice and compliance with data protection legislation.
• Knowledge of child protection and vulnerable adult protection procedures.
• Knowledge of different learning styles and training in clinical supervision.
• Awareness of bilingual issues in speech and language therapy.
• An in-depth working understanding of the structure, policies, priorities, and functioning of the NHS.
• Excellent time management, administrative, and organisational skills.
• The ability to work autonomously and actively within a team, within codes of practice and professional guidelines.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills in order to facilitate professional relationships with clients, carers, members of multi-disciplinary teams, and others.
• Well developed teaching, training, and presentation skills, in order to identify training needs, and devise and deliver training and education to other professionals and carers.
• Highly tuned observational, investigative, and analytical skills enabling interpretation of verbal and non-verbal messages within the context of the clients overall needs.
• Ability to frequently apply sustained and intense concentration when working with clients with severe and complex needs, in order to respond appropriately and record accurately.

Desirable

• Knowledge of relevant local and national policies and procedures relevant to mental health.
• Counselling skills, including the ability to empathise, convey complex and sensitive information, and deal with emotional and/or distressing circumstances via recommended training programme plus experience of advanced counselling skills for working with complex cases.

Physical Skills

Essential

• Highly developed auditory and visual perceptual skills for assessment of speech, language and communication disorders.
• Safe and effective manual handling skills.
• Computer skills to maintain information systems, generate reports and produce teaching materials.
• Ability to work on multiple demands at one time.
• Ability to cope with frequent exposure to unpleasant/highly unpleasant working conditions e.g., bodily fluids, challenging behaviour.
• Ability to deal with anxious, hostile and distressed clients and families.
• Ability to carry out duties as a lone worker.
• Ability to meet the travel demands of the post.

Desirable

• Car driver/owner or access to mobility support.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Speech and Language Pathology / Therapeutics or equivalent.
• Registration with the Health Professionals Council (HPC).
• Successful completion of a significant number of specialist short courses/self-study/training in the specialist area of work. Evidence of integration of this learning into clinical practice at a highly specialist level.
• Highly specialist knowledge of children with physical disability / medical needs in assessment, diagnosis, and therapy techniques with evidence of post-graduate qualification and training at an equivalent level eg Post registration Dysphagia, AAC, Autism, Hanen/Intensive Interaction.

Desirable

• Highly specialist knowledge of a range of communication disorders in children/young people and appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention techniques.
• Membership of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
• Advanced Dysphagia Modules.
• Competencies in Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies.
• Knowledge of tracheostomy in relation to speech and dysphagia.
• Leadership/management training.

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-graduate training and experience equivalent to Masters Level, working as a qualified SALT with children and young people with a wide range of speech, language and communication disorders and experience in a specialist children's role.
• Experience and highly developed knowledge of a range of highly specialist clinical procedures and therapy techniques.
• Extensive experience in different styles of service delivery group therapy, individual therapy and consultancy.
• Experience of collaborative working practice with SALT and other professionals.
• Experience of working within a variety of settings eg in patient acute, intermediate care, community rehabilitation.
• Experience of planning, delivering, and evaluating training within the SALT department, and to other agencies including education, health, patients, carers, social services, private and voluntary sector.
• Experience of participation in activities to support the clinical governance agenda e.g. carrying out audit projects.
• Experience of working through others to deliver complex care plans in specialist area.
• Comprehensive experience of planning, negotiating and setting specialist realistic, timed care plans/programmes, care aims and objectives.

Desirable

• Experience of working with children/infants with dysphagia.

Employer details

Employer name

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Sunderland Children's Centre

Durham Road

Sunderland

Tyne and Wear

SR3 4AG

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