Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Job summary
We are delighted to be recruiting a part-time community Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (3 days a week) to join our friendly and supportive team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a service that delivers care across both community and acute settings, providing a truly integrated approach and ensuring patients receive support throughout their journey.
As a valued member of our team, you will manage a diverse caseload of people with a range of acquired and progressive communication and swallowing difficulties. The role offers excellent opportunities to develop specialist skills in both communication and dysphagia management.
As well as being connected to the wider Speech and Language Therapy service we work closely with the ECCH community Neurology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), this integrated approach enhances patient outcomes, supports shared learning and creates a rewarding working environment for clinicians.
Main duties of the job
For the right candidate, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of adults with acquired and progressive communication and swallowing disorders across a range of community settings within the East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) locality.
Working as part of a supportive and skilled team, you will deliver specialist assessment and intervention in community clinics across Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Lowestoft and Beccles, care homes and patients' own homes. The role offers a varied and rewarding caseload that enables you to develop your expertise while providing person-centred care.
You will be working independently with complex communication and dysphagia presentations, helping individuals maintain their independence, wellbeing and quality of life. You will also play a key role in shaping the future workforce by providing support to band 5 Speech and Language Therapists and students from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
We are looking for a motivated and experienced clinician with a passion for working in community and delivering high-quality care. The successful post holder will have appropriate postgraduate training and experience in complex communication intervention and be competent to a minimum of proficient level on the RCSLT eating, drinking and swallowing competency framework.
About us
ECCH is well established health care provider and has been successfully delivering NHS care within the community since 2011. We provide a range of NHS, community health and social care services predominantly across the easterly region of the Norfolk/Suffolk borders.We are aligned to NHS terms and conditions, and offer many employee benefits, to find out more about us visit our website - www.ecch.org.
We are a social enterprise and staff owned organisation which means staff can opt to be shareholders and have a real say in how ECCH is run and evolves to deliver healthcare for the future.At the heart of our ambition, we work in partnership with and for the community to become the provider and employer of choice for community healthcare.
Job responsibilities
Core Responsibilities: To adhere to National and local standards and guidelines relating to Professional Practice (CQ3 and HCPC) To be aware of and adhere to current legislation and employer procedures relating to the post To demonstrate commitment to personal development and acquisition of further skills and knowledge To keep abreast of research in the fields of dysphagia and communication disorders To be responsible for collecting own work statistics in accordance with ECCH policy To be responsible for managing own time appropriately To be responsible for managing defined caseloads To supervise work with junior colleagues, volunteers and assistants where appropriate To inform clients /carers/ other professionals of strategies which enable individuals to achieve optimal communication and swallowing potential.
To be responsible for student observation To be able to support student placements when required To be able to work as a Practice Educator To be responsible for assessment, differential diagnosis, goal setting, formulation of treatment plans, writing assessment and reports, providing appropriate intervention, including self-management plans and evaluating the treatment outcomes for each individual patient.
To screen, prioritise, assess, review, discharge individual patients as part of caseload management To review and discharge individual patients To seek second opinions when necessary To make onward referrals when necessary To accept support from designated colleagues Offer clinical support to junior colleagues To offer advice and education to carers and significant others about individual patients, and demonstrates practical procedures when appropriate To attend and contribute to staff and team meetings.
To contribute to local and national audit and quality measures To highlight and request equipment necessary for caseload management Indicative Features: Teaching Training and Clinical Supervision Regular access to department supervision system for clinical support Attend and participate in a programme of in-service training and provide training to junior colleagues, volunteers, assistants, professionals/carers, as part of the adult SLT training programme.
Educate SLT students and other professional students by offering example-setting and by observation and explanation. Support junior colleagues in the planning & delivery of training. Clinical Advice and Interpretation or Action Recognises own professional boundaries and seeks advice and support Provides advice and information to patients and their carers, health service professionals, and staff working with the client e.g. Social worker.
Identifies need for onward referrals eg to ENT, Gastroenterology, Videofluoroscopy Specialist Experience On full practise register (HCPC) Supported by experienced staff to develop skills in all areas when support is required Access second opinions.
To provide support to junior colleagues Complexity On-going professional support in all areas when required Manages own caseload and increased complexity of cases May work in more than one location, which may include home visits, clinics and community hospitals. Resource Management, Planning and Policy Making Manages own time efficiently Responsible and accountable for own clinic equipment.
Contributes to discussion on service planning and policy as a member of his/her team Research, Evaluation and Development Keeps professionally up to date in the field/s in which working. Ensures own practice is safe and appropriate. Evaluates own performance through outcome measures. May provide data for others' research. Participates in clinical audit activities.
Staff Management and Leadership May direct junior colleagues, SLT assistants or volunteers To be aware of content of the HR policies and how this applies to their area of responsibility All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues.
All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role. Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word 'CARE'. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone. Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture.
Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.
Person Specification
Qualifications · Essential
Recognised qualification in Speech & Language Therapy Registered member of HCPC Dysphagia Trained
Desirable
A broad and varied range of clinical experience including communication, dysphagia, acute and community settings Experience of working in an acute and/or community setting
Experience · Essential
Experience of working within a community setting Additional Criteria
Essential
SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE Highly developed auditory & perceptual skills for use in all areas of practice Ability to identify and describe use of appropriate assessments for all client groups Keep abreast of Adult Speech and Language Therapy research related to likely patient medical presentation and how it can impact on swallowing and/or communication Up to date knowledge and willingness to maintain in acquired neurological conditions and their impact Ability to plan treatment packages for clients with communication difficulties Dysphagia trained Ability to apply knowledge Band 6 clinical issues/developments to clinical practice Ability to communicate effectively with clients with communication impairment Ability to identify own strengths and needs in relation to post Ability to form relationships with clients and parents/carers/family Ability to work well within a team Good knowledge of legal requirements/government initiatives which may influence practice Awareness of the importance and usefulness of measuring the impact of therapy Ability to support acquisition of AAC with external agencies PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Punctual and reliable Able to begin to organise work load and manage time Able to maintain intense concentration in all aspects of patient management Able to identify when to seek support Able to convey complex condition related information clearly to clients and other professionals in written and verbal form.
Friendly and approachable Able to appreciate and use good humour appropriately within work Able to manage emotional consequences of working with patients with a range of conditions/needs Resilient and has an awareness of the biological and psycho social influences which may impact on work with clients, and may also have an impact on the way the multi-disciplinary team functions Accepts and follows advice and guidance Understands the importance of self-awareness and reflection Willing to support colleagues and work collaboratively Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.
Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours: (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together)
Desirable
Qualified practice educator Has basic counselling skills
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).
