Job summary
Contribute to the delivery of a high-quality speech and language therapy service for inpatients at University Hospitals Plymouth. Additionally, one session a week as part of the Head and Neck Cancer service.

Main duties of the job
As a member of the Adult Acute Inpatient Team, to independently manage a caseload of in-patients with complex communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties, including tracheostomised patients.

To be responsible for training and advising patients, carers, professionals, and non-professionals how to support complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties in relation to caseload.

To clinically supervise and appraise identified junior staff.

To provide second opinions to less experienced SLTs in the team

To work under the direct supervision of the Macmillan Speech & Language Therapist (Head & Neck Oncology) for 0.1 wte and to develop skills in clinical management of this highly specialist caseload

About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• To be responsible for prioritisation, assessment, diagnosis, and development of specialised treatment programmes and discharge for personal/shared caseload for inpatients, with access to second opinions from highly specialist or Professional Lead SLT as required.
• To independently manage personal caseload with complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties with reference to theory, published research and evidence, and agreed best practice.
• To prioritise and respond to medical and other referrals in line with departmental guidelines and exercising professional judgement based on extended clinical experience.
• To undertake a range of formal and informal assessments, including risk analysis of swallowing, understanding and use of voice, grammar, vocabulary, speech sounds, fluency, social use of language, carer/patient interaction, and non-verbal communication and to make judgements re normal and abnormal functioning.
• To make judgements about when to advocate referral of patients for videofluoroscopy (VF) or Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) examination taking into account the risks and benefits of the procedure. To participate in the examination and to jointly interpret results in order plan appropriate SLT treatment.
• To be responsible for ensuring patients safety with regard to eating and drinking by assessing, monitoring and updating, and communicating details of safe practice to the patient, medical and ward staff, and carers, ensuring that recommendations are clearly documented in medical notes and at the bedside.
• To identify, collect, analyse, and interpret complex case related information and data from patients, carers and other relevant sources in order to reach an accurate diagnosis.
• To reach differential diagnoses on the basis of assimilated evidence from formal and informal assessments including psychological factors (some of which may be conflicting) and with reference to normal and abnormal criterion and research evidence.
• To prioritise and decide on appropriate specialised treatment/management matched to individual patient/family need including use of communication aids and to adapt and modify treatment options based on extended clinical expertise whilst ensuring patient/carers are fully involved in the decision making process.
• To be responsible for updating medical notes, a range of report writing including legal, and dissemination of findings to appropriate professionals and relevant others
• Autonomous responsibility for admission, prioritisation, management and discharge of patients in relation to complex caseload.
• To use highly developed communication and counselling skills such as reflective listening, open questioning, empathy, and reassurance when explaining highly complex and sensitive information to the full range of levels in understanding of patients and carers, where anxiety frequently acts as a barrier and co-operation is not guaranteed.
• To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications for lifestyle and employment e.g. when communication skills will not be recovered and/or oral feeding is no longer an option. To provide counselling and support before onward referral for more formal consultations if judged necessary.
• To monitor, recognise, assess and evaluate subtle changes in patients conditions and adapt assessment and treatment programmes accordingly based on extended clinical experience.
• To assess the risk to, and vulnerability of, patients and families in relation to timing and manner of treatment and amount of information provided, i.e. where inappropriate intervention could have a negative effect e.g. inappropriate introduction of liquids when a safe swallow is not evident thereby presenting significant risk to patients safety.
• To implement the second opinions process as and when necessary, and refer on for highly specialist SLT intervention, recommend videofluoroscopy, or request multidisciplinary input.
• To reflect on practice both individually and with peers/mentors and to identify personal strengths and development needs in order to raise clinical competence.
• To maintain registration with the Health Professions Council.
• To recognise own professional and clinical boundaries and competencies and seek advice, support and training when necessary with in a clinical supervision and appraisal framework.
• To maintain professional and service standards with adherence to local and national guidelines and clinical governance, including confidentiality.
• To participate in the Trusts Annual Appraisal Process
• To follow and implement local and national policies with elements of independent professional judgement.
• To contribute to local policy and service development through the clinical governance process.
• To be responsible for maintaining equipment records and the safe use and security of clinical equipment. To identify and request therapy equipment to meet caseload demands (according to service guidelines).
• To provide accurate clinical activity data and routine recording of CPD, travel, and other related activity, observing data protection guidelines
• To take part in research and clinical audit as directed by senior staff, undertake action research with personal caseload for advanced dysphagia course, and contribute to others research by providing data.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Specialist graduate level education in speech and language therapy
• HCPC registration
• Post-graduate accredited dysphagia training as evidenced through competencies.

Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• Consolidated demonstrable experience with adult/mixed caseload
• Consolidated demonstrable experience of working with dysphagia at post basic level
• Able to identify areas for own personal/professional development

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience of working with tracheostomy patients
• Able to actively participate in video fluoroscopy examinations with support from colleagues in MDT
• Demonstrable experience of day to day line management, supervision and appraisals of staff or students

Aptitude & Abilities
Essential

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate highly complex information to meet a range of levels of in understanding of clients and carers
• Ability to negotiate and explain complex case related information about speech & language development and disorders to a range of audiences
• Able to recognise limitations of own clinical competencies and the need for onward referral for more specialist advice

Desirable

• Able to produce professional presentations for teaching purpose
• Able to work well in a busy environment with multiple medical teams
• Able to lead small scale projects

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).