Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

To lead a team of specialist speech and language therapists as part of the Autism assessment service alongside the Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Speech and Language Therapy.

The main role of this team is to provide a high-quality speech and language assessment service for children suspected of having an autism spectrum condition, both pre-school and school-age (up to 18 years of age). This role will include supervision of a team of band 6 speech & language therapists, in close conjunction with the Advanced Clinical Practitioner and wider multi-disciplinary team.

In addition, this post holder will support the wider hospital trust by performing comprehensive therapeutic assessment and management for infants, children and young adults with Dysphagia while inpatient in the hospital.

Please note that the Children's Speech & Language Service in Plymouth is delivered by Livewell Southwest. While we maintain a close working relationship with this service, this post is within a separate service and is not part of this wider community team.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

To provide an expert speech & language opinion on young people being assessed for a possible autism spectrum condition in conjunction with the wider multi-disciplinary team.

To provide clinical leadership and supervision alongside the Advanced Clinical Practitioner for the speech & language therapy team based within the Community Paediatric service, ensuring the team maintains a high level of clinical excellence.

To maintain expert knowledge relating to assessment and support for young people with an autism spectrum condition, sharing this with others both within and external to the team.

To provide clinical expertise in Paediatric Dysphagia for in-patients, including some cover to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. To devise and deliver any individualised management plans and liaise with the community speech and language therapy team for follow up.

Job responsibilities

1. To provide expert assessment for young people being assessed as part of an autism spectrum assessment pathway, forming an opinion on their presentation to be shared with the wider multi-disciplinary team.
2. To use and support the speech & language therapy team in using a range of appropriate assessments such as the CELF-5, CELF-5 Metalinguistics, TALC and ACE.
3. To actively contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings, offering a professional, defensible opinion whilst constructively engaging with and challenging colleagues.
4. To provide clinical leadership for the Specialist Speech & Language Therapists within the community paediatric service, promoting practice development in line with local, regional and national guidelines.
5. To communicate in an appropriate way with children and young people who have a range of special educational needs or disabilities.
6. To ensure clear communication of information, both verbally and in writing, for families and other professionals.
7. Within the speech & language team, carry out regular clinical and management supervision (including supervision around safeguarding) alongside annual appraisals.
8. In collaboration with the MDT, provide appropriate scrutiny and oversight of the autism assessment process, including coordination of aspects of the autism assessment process and chairing of meetings where required.
9. To support the development of the wider multi-disciplinary team utilising expert knowledge relating to autism spectrum conditions and speech & language development.
10. To bring innovative solutions to the team, particularly in managing pressures around waiting times and complex assessments.

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Proven knowledge and demonstrable experience of completing assessment with young people who have, or may have, an autism spectrum condition.
• Ability to use, and interpret the results from, a range of speech & language assessment tools or batteries.
• Specialist proven knowledge and demonstrable experience working with Paediatric Dysphagia in acute and community paediatrics.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering care through a virtual format, reflecting experiences through the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Demonstrable experience in being part of a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approach to children with SEND.
• Demonstrable experience of line managing and clinically supervising speech & language therapy colleagues and students.
• Proven knowledge and understanding of care pathways to facilitate appropriate referrals.
• Proven knowledge of clinical governance and risk.
• Proven evidence of CPD in relevant areas of specialism.
• Demonstrable experience of conducting audits/research.
• Demonstrable experience of setting up new projects/initiatives/care pathways.
• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Networks.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Proven evidence of Postgraduate/Basic training in Paediatric Dysphagia, making reference to the relevant RCSLT competency frameworks.
• HCPC Registered Speech and Language Therapist.
• Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
• Proven knowledge of alternative communication modalities such as Makaton, PECS and Intensive Interaction.
• Masters level/equivalent qualification in Autism and/or Paediatric Dysphagia.
• Videofluoroscopy training or be able to prove competency.
• Competency in the management of tracheostomy patients.

OTHER FACTORS

• Ability to travel from place to place to deliver service needs.
• Ability to lone work.

DISPOSITION / ATTITUDE / MOTIVATION

• Ability to work well within a busy environment, accept delegated tasks from manager, work to deadlines and manage a dynamic workload.
• Ability to cope with change and proactively engage with this.
• Ability to problem solve and demonstrate sound clinical reasoning.
• Mature and friendly personality with the ability to influence and motivate others within the team.
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and committed.

APTITUDE & ABILITIES

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate and present information orally and in writing in a clear and logical manner.
• Ability to build working relationships with peers and multi-agency professionals.
• Highly developed presentation skills and ability to present to professionals at all levels.
• Ability to undertake audit and to use the results to develop clinical practice.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to work flexibly, prioritise and manage time effectively.

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.