Job summary
The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

For further details on this vacancy please contact Hayley Sorensen, Operational Manager or Alex Harper Head of Profession 0300 422 8105.

This post requires the post holder to be able to undertake all statutory and mandatory training and post holders must be able to undertake physical interventions. Fitness for physical intervention will be assessed by Occupational Health.

Main duties of the job
Clinically the role is diverse with service delivery to a range of wards including neurology, oncology and respiratory. There will be the opportunity to work with patients with tracheostomies and to hold a specialist clinical caseload. Access to FEES and videofluoroscopy is available. You will be responsible for managing the day to day operations of our acute general medicine team. In addition, you will provide line management, supervision and service development for our inpatient services and hold responsibility for the ongoing development of the whole SLT team in dysphagia management.

About us
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Job responsibilities
To lead the complex care inpatient Speech and Language Therapy team supporting service provision and embedding best practice in the acute setting.

To independently manage a highly specialist and complex caseload; including screening, in depth assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and review of adults with acute, chronic and complex acquired disorders of swallowing, voice and communication.

To work closely with the Operational Manager and Head of Profession for SLT in the ongoing development of the SLT service in the inpatient setting.

To work closely with the inpatient team and the ward teams in promoting information and education sharing to enhance MDT working

To evaluate and develop appropriate documentation associated with the general inpatient service, including, but not limited to care pathways, guidelines, policies and processes relating to the general in-patient service.

To actively participate in the SLT team providing videofluoroscopy, Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) clinics and tracheostomy care in the acute setting. Or willingness to undertake training.

To manage and prioritise own clinical workload as appropriate, working efficiently to manage professional time and delegate according to competency levels of other therapists.

Qualifications
Essential

• Has a Speech and Language recognised degree or MSc
• Has significant experience

Desirable

• Is qualified in FEES and VF
• Has experience in service development
• Holds a valid UK driving licence / able to travel between sites

Experience
Essential

• Has worked in an Acute NHS service
• Has leadership experience including supervision/line management

Desirable

• Has trained in FEES and or VF

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 (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).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).