Job summary
Are you a Speech and Language therapist with experience and interest in voice disorders?

This is an excellent opportunity for someone seeking a specialist post to primarily work with patients with clinical voice disorders. You will also support our community service, and if you have the requisite skills can support with instrumental assessment service delivery (videofluoroscopy and FEES). You will primarily be based within the ENT voice service, with the delivery of the remaining hours to be decided based on your skill set and our service need.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and flexible clinician that is autonomous in assessment and management of voice disorders, with an underpinning of anatomy and physiology knowledge, and demonstrates excellent communication and administrative skills to support MDT working.

This post will be based at Ipswich Hospital with remote working a core part of therapeutic intervention. The voice service is part of a wider ENT service delivery model, including Head and Neck Cancer, and sits within a larger integrated SLT team that covers both acute and community service provision.

If you are not sure about applying, we would welcome contact from you to discuss what you could bring to the service and how we could help you to develop. We welcome applications from band 5 clinicians looking to develop their skills through this post

Main duties of the job
The purpose of this post is to provide assessment and management to patients who are referred predominantly by ENT and present with clinical voice disorders. Your role will also involve providing assessment and management of communication and swallowing disorders arising as a result of a range of acquired aetiologies, as a member of our integrated inpatient, outpatient and community Speech and Language therapy team. Depending on your skill set and experience, there may be an opportunity to support the delivery of the Joint Voice Clinic with ENT and our SLT-led therapeutic scoping clinics, FEES and videofluoroscopy clinics. There will be opportunities to contribute and lead on service development projects.

The post holder will be based at Ipswich Hospital, although there may be an element of homeworking using telehealth models of service delivery. Some community outreach domiciliary visits may be required, necessitating lone working and travel between places of work.

About us
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is thatTime Mattersto everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here -www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

Job responsibilities
For full details of theresponsibilitiesand duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with people with voice disorders
• Experience of independently managing own caseload with people who have acquired conditions, including patients with dysphagia and communication difficulties
• Experience of working as a member of a team (Speech & Language Therapy and MDT)
• Liaising with other agencies/other staff groups
• Use of evidence-based practice and measurements of quality eg outcome measures

Desirable

• Teaching/training other staff
• Clinical supervision of students/junior staff
• Experience of directing SLT/Therapy assistants
• Experience of analysing instrumental assessments and preparing detailed reports (with supervision)
• Experience of working with people with progressive/terminal illness
• Experience of working with people in acute distress
• Experience of working with elderly/very unwell people

Qualifications
Essential

• RCSLT recognised degree or equivalent
• Eligible for registered membership of RCSLT
• HCPC membership
• Independent dysphagia practitioner
• Portfolio of CPD evidence relevant to post, including specialist knowledge of the client group

Desirable

• Evidence of attendance at specialist dysphagia courses
• Evidence of Videofluoroscopy/FEES Competency specialist training/experience
• Ability to travel to different places of work/driving licence

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the larynx
• Knowledge of conditions that could cause voice disorders
• Knowledge of features of voice disorders, and how to assess and appropriate interventions to support their rehabilitation
• Knowledge of neurologically impaired patients, including those with communication and swallowing problems as a result of progressive conditions, CVA etc
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice in relation to dysphagia assessment and therapy intervention
• Independent clinical (bedside) assessment of dysphagia
• Assessment of communication impairments by various means, including informal assessment and formal assessment

Desirable

• Knowledge of use of instrumental assessments in dysphagia management.
• Knowledge of ENT and scoping assessment
• Involvement in audit/clinical governance within Speech and Language Therapy
• Awareness of change in NHS and current legislation

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.