Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Band 7 specialist in neurodevelopmental services to assess and support children with social communication difficulties and autism, across child development centres, schools and homes.

You will mentor assistants and students, contribute to clinical protocols, and work within MDTs with psychology, therapy and medical colleagues. HCPC registered, you will be pivotal to service delivery.

Qualifications

• First degree relevant to neurodevelopmental services.
• HCPC registration/licence to practise.
• Evidence of recent CPD in the specialist area.
• Post-graduate training in dysphagia, sensory integration, neurological rehabilitation or neurodiversity.
• Training in clinical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Carry out specialist assessments and differential diagnosis in complex cases.
• Develop and deliver individual and group care programmes in line with pathways.
• Make clinical judgements on highly complex cases including discharge decisions.
• Delegate therapy programmes to assistants and supervise them under the local policy.
• Advise parents, carers and professionals on home and school support needs.
• Assess, provide and monitor therapeutic equipment and teach carers its safe use.
• Triage referrals against service criteria.
• Explain complex information to clients and carers, adapting for culture and language.
• Lead audits and contribute to outcome measurement and updates of care.
• Write reports and maintain clinical records using IT and mobile devices.
• Contribute to service planning, clinical protocols, risk management and liaison with external bodies.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Communication skills

Electronic records

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

First degree relevant to neurodevelopmental services

HCPC registration/licence to practice

CPD evidence in specialist area

Post-graduate training in dysphagia/sensory integration/neurological rehab/neurodiversity

Clinical leadership training

Job description

This Band 7 post sits in the neurodevelopmental team at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, alongside children's therapy, clinical psychology and medical colleagues. The work centres on assessing and supporting children with social communication difficulties and profound and multiple difficulties, with a particular interest in autism assessment and diagnosis. Visits take place in child development centres, education settings and family homes, with some assessments done virtually. HCPC registration is required, and the post holder also mentors assistants and students.

What the job involves

• Carry out specialist assessments and differential diagnosis, contributing to decisions on complex cases
• Develop and deliver individual and group programmes of care and treatment in line with pathways
• Make clinical judgements on highly complex cases, including decisions to discharge, and negotiate with MDT colleagues and carers
• Delegate therapy programmes to assistants, mentoring and supervising them under the local delegation policy
• Advise parents, carers and other professionals on the support needed in home and school settings
• Assess, provide and monitor therapeutic equipment, teaching carers about its safe use
• Triage referrals against service criteria
• Explain complex and sensitive information to clients, carers and team members, adapting communication to cultural, social and linguistic needs
• Offer training and second opinions in the specialist area
• Lead audits and reviews of evidence and contribute to outcome measurement and updating of packages of care
• Write reports, including those that may be used in a legal context, and keep accurate clinical records using IT and mobile devices
• Contribute to service planning, clinical protocols, risk management and liaison with external bodies

Qualifications

• First degree relevant to the service area
• Full membership of a relevant professional body
• Evidence of recent relevant CPD in the specialist area
• Relevant specialist training, e.g. post-graduate dysphagia, sensory integration, neurological rehabilitation or neurodiversity
• Relevant training in clinical leadership

Registration & licences

• HCPC licence to practise

Experience

• Extensive diagnostic assessment and intervention in the specialist area
• Extensive experience as a specialist therapist with children and families in multi-disciplinary or multi-agency teams in health and local authority settings
• Extensive experience managing a mixed, complex caseload of children with developmental disorders and delays
• Significant experience managing safeguarding concerns and understanding of local processes
• Relevant use of leadership skills for service development
• Significant experience supervising colleagues and delivering training to qualified professionals

Skills & knowledge

• Extensive experience giving complex written and verbal information to a high standard
• Knowledge of the national and political agenda shaping health services and the specialist area
• Competent with electronic systems used in the Trust and the clinical area

Nice to have

• Master's post-graduate qualification relevant to the service area

What’s offered

• Clinical supervision through Senior Therapists and AHP Leads
• Strong emphasis on CPD to support development
• Mobile working technology and IT systems