Band 5 Speech & Language Therapist

Workplace Doctors; Stanford Dingley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Workplace Doctors seeks a Speech and Language Therapist with expertise in acquired dysphagia to join a busy acute setting. You will assess and treat patients, develop evidence-based therapy plans and evaluate outcomes, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

You will involve patients in planning, obtain informed consent, and work under senior supervision when needed. Post-graduate dysphagia competencies are ideal, with opportunities for further training and career development.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is essential.
• IELTS 7.5 (or OET B) if applicable.
• DBS check required.
• Post-graduate competencies in acquired dysphagia preferred.
• Experience in acute settings with high patient throughput is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assess and treat patients with speech and/or communication disorders.
• Involve patients in planning and prioritising care goals.
• Deliver therapy programs based on evidence-based practice and evaluate outcomes.
• Assist with videofluoroscopic studies within competency.
• Communicate clearly with patients, carers and MDT members.
• Maintain informed consent and safeguarding standards.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication skills

Empathy

Negotiation

Clinical reasoning

Education

HCPC Registration

IELTS/OET for overseas professionals

Job description

Responsibilities

• Be skilled in clinical reasoning, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients seeking advice from senior colleagues when necessary.
• To ensure that patients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible.
• Formulate and deliver individual therapy programmes based on current evidence based practice (EBP) and evaluation of outcomes.
• To demonstrate skills in dealing with complex issues to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management.
• To assist with videofluoroscopic studies of swallowing within the scope of competency.
• Ensure that patients give informed consent prior to treatment, working within the legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to give valid consent.
• To write discharge reports reflecting specialist knowledge.
• To ensure a well-co-ordinated care plan/patient pathway through discussion of therapy findings and planned goals.
• To communicate complex condition-related information from assessment to patients, carers, families and members of Multi-Disciplinary team/other professions.
• To work closely with patients, carers and families, agreeing decision-making relevant to the patient's management.
• To demonstrate empathy with patients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.
• To demonstrate skills in motivating patients to engage in the therapeutic process.
• To employ negotiation skills in the management of conflict with different people and across a range of situations.
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication or cognitive difficulties.
• To employ excellent communication skills (verbal, non-verbal and written).
• To be skilled in assessing patients with a range of acquired disorders of speech and/or communication.

This job title and description is an outline of the principal areas of responsibility and may be subject to periodic change. These duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the post holder may be called upon to adapt to and undertake different or new appropriate duties as may be required in line with professional and service developments, within the grading level of the post and the competence of the post holder. Prior to any variations to your job description consultation will take place in line with the Trust's policies and procedures.

Key Working Relationships & Communication

Internal to the Trust External to the Trust MDT colleagues SLT colleagues Operational Manager Speech & Language Therapy Head of Dietetics and Speech & Language Therapy SLT services at neighbouring Trusts Organisations providing on-going therapy input e.g. community SLT services, voluntary or charitable organisations, Hospice staff etc. General Practitioners/Primary Care staff

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to act part of a team
• Ability to cope with a varying work load
• IELTS ( 7.5 with 7.0 in each module) - OR OET Exam Grade 'B' Overall for Overseas AHP Professionals
• HCPC Registration Required (Health & Care Professionals Council) Essential - We can provide guidance if needed

Note: The trust operates a policy whereby all employment for staff that have access to children / venerable adults will be subject to satisfactory DBS Disclosure ( Disclosure and Barring Service) The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Overseas candidates will require an international police check or character reference.

At Workplace Doctors we welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion.

Candidates will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post.

Ideal candidates will have completed post-graduate competencies in acquired dysphagia management and have recent, relevant experience in an acute setting with a high volume, high throughput workload. However, support and training can be given for candidates with suitable transferrable skills. Experience of assessing and treating patients with communication disorders due to a range of acquired neurological conditions is essential.

You will have the opportunity to complete any outstanding RCSLT Dysphagia competencies, develop skills in caseload management, attend regular MDT meetings as well as start gaining competencies in videofluoroscopy/FEES.