Job summary
Ealing Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service, are looking for a Band 6 Therapist, to be part of our friendly Community SLT team.

We are a supportive and experienced, specialist community team of a Band 8a, B7's, B6 roles, B5 roles and SLT Assistant's, with a strong commitment to CPD. We offer excellent clinical and professional support and supervision, and access to relevant courses, internally and externally, to support you in developing your knowledge and skills.

The posts will be located within Ealing Community Partners, in the Ealing Adult SLT service based at Clayponds Hospital or at Ealing Day Treatment Centre.

Main duties of the job
You will be managed, supervised and will work closely with SLT Assistants and the wider SLT team, including a Band 8a & 7 team leads.

The successful candidates will ideally have, some knowledge, skill and experience of working with both dysphagia and communication patients as a result of Neurological disorders including stroke, progressive degenerative disorders, care of the elderly and dementia.

The successful candidates will be an active member of the multi-professional team and work to ensure its continued development. Good communication, liaison and time-management skills are required to manage the caseload effectively, in addition to being forward thinking and enthusiastic.

About us
We can offer you:

• Flexible working; full time, part time and job sharing depending on your needs
• An excellent support and supervision structure, including a Trust Professional SLT Lead
• Excellent professional development and ongoing training opportunities both internal and external
• An interesting, manageable, caseload
• Access to Talking Mats training
• Access to a department budget for resources and equipment including a specific, Communications Aids Budget
• An opportunity to participate in innovative new work models
• Fast, effective, IT and technology
• Excellent MDT working opportunities
• Good links to the Acute environment and access to timely VF
• Work from a purpose built location with free staff parking

The Ealing Adult SLT Team form part of the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust portfolio of services and we work closely with our colleagues within West London NHS Trust.

Job responsibilities

• To use specialist clinical skills to manage a caseload of adults with communication and/or swallowing difficulties for patients in an inpatient setting.
• To provide specialist assessment of communication and swallowing problems, formulate a hypothesis using a high level of clinical reasoning, and develop and implement appropriate interventions/rehabilitation to be delivered in an inpatient setting.
• To provide appropriate specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes.
• To write comprehensive reports that are accessible to a range of professionals reflecting specialist knowledge.
• To develop clear care plans, advice and information, based on best practice and to use specialist knowledge to inform clinical judgments for care management.
• To ensure that patients and/or carers are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans and wherever possible facilitate patients with communication and/or cognitive difficulties to participate in the process to ensure meaningful outcomes.
• To provide advice and training to other professionals, carers and relatives regarding the safe management and care of patients with communication and/or swallowing difficulties to maximise the patients skills and reduce clinical risk.
• To work collaboratively and liaise with a wide range of other professionals across a variety of locations and agencies.
• To adapt practice to meet individual patients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• To reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of patients communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness.
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures, and maintain knowledge of current literature and developments within the specialist clinical field of adult neurology (including stroke, progressive neurological conditions, and dementia).
• To demonstrate some knowledge and use of high and low technology communication aids with a range of patients.
• To manage risk when dealing with people who have swallowing difficulties, to promote choice by providing information about the risks and to contribute to moral and ethical decision making about oral and/or alternative feeding choices.

Person Specification
Educations/ Qualifications
Essential

• Registration with Health Professions Council as a Speech and Language Therapist
• Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree qualification or equivalent
• Evidence of attendance at relevant courses and membership of relevant Special Interest Groups
• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Networks

Desirable

• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist.

Experience
Essential

• Experience working with adults with acquired disorders and a significant proportion of this should be with stroke.
• Relevant specialist experience post qualification in assessment and management of acquired communication/swallowing disorders of neurological aetiology
• Experience within specialist area of stroke.
• Involvement in multi-disciplinary working

Desirable

• Post graduate experience should include outpatient and community setting
• Experience of supervising more junior staff and volunteers
• Experience working with interpreters.
• Experience of developing and providing specialist training to nursing home staff, carers, and other members of the MDT

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal.
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent caseload management skills, including the ability to prioritise caseload and work independently.
• Demonstrates ability to be a good team member and assume leadership responsibilities
• Knowledge of high and low technology communication aids and their use with adult neurological patients
• In-depth knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to specialist patient group.
• In depth knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to communication and dysphagia in specialist patient group and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits.
• In depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance /audit / record keeping.
• Knowledge of up-to-date advances in clinical management relevant to specialist patient group and application to own clinical practice.

Desirable

• Well established knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to adult acquired communication, cognitive and swallowing disorders

Other
Essential

• Computer literacy/IT skills and a willingness to update these

Desirable

• Car driver and access to a car for work purposes

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.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.