Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust; Romford; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in London is seeking an experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join our Stroke & Neurosciences teams across two hospitals (Queen's Hospital Romford and KGH Goodmayes).

The role offers Band 7 rotations between acute stroke care, inpatient rehab, and neurosurgical/neuro ICU settings, with opportunities for development and service improvement.

Qualifications

• Strong background in Stroke/Neurosciences with extensive dysphagia and communication disorders experience.
• Competent in VFSS; ITU & tracheostomy experience is beneficial.
• Autonomous practitioner with professional and legal accountability.
• Experience in acute and rehabilitation settings.

Responsibilities

• Undertake full and comprehensive assessments of complex patients using advanced clinical reasoning.
• Develop and maintain specialist skills in critical care management including tracheostomy and ventilated patients.
• Collaborate within Stroke and Neurosciences MDT to deliver holistic patient-centred care.
• Lead on service development and innovation within HASU/ASU and rehab pathways.

Skills

VFSS

FEES

Dysphagia management

Stroke/Neurosciences

Tracheostomy care

Communication disorders

Education

Bachelor's degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate, evidence based & dynamic SLT to join 29 SLTs over 2 hospitals.

BHRUT has a well-established stroke pathway including Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit (HASU), Acute Stroke Unit (ASU), inpatient rehab & Early Supported Discharge (ESD). Queen’s Hospital also provides the regional neurosurgical service for Essex, which means a varied neuroscience caseload. You will join our current Band 7 rotations between Acute Stroke care (HASU/ASU), rehab (inpatient & ESD) & Neurosciences (including neurology & neurosurgery, neuro ITU & awake craniotomy).

The Stroke & Neurosciences MDT provide holistic, patient centred care with opportunities for innovation & service development. These teams often pilot new technologies, projects & programs focused on providing the best service possible.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Stroke/Neurosciences with extensive experience managing dysphagia & communication disorders associated with these caseloads in an acute/rehabilitation setting. They should be competent in VFSS. ITU & tracheostomy experience is beneficial. In-house training for trache & FEES can be provided. Applicants can be considered for the option of a development post from a 6 to 7.

As a highly specialist, autonomous practitioner you will be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your work including management of patients in your care and supporting colleagues to do likewise.

To undertake a full and comprehensive assessment of a range of complex patients using highly advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques. This may include use of FEES and VFSS, and interpretation of their findings in conjunction with Consultant Radiologist, ENT, and other professionals as required.

To develop and maintain highly specialist skills in managing patients in the critical care environment, including those with tracheostomy, and on ventilators. This includes advanced assessment skills for investigation of the upper aerodigestive tract including diagnosis of swallowing and communication disorders. This also includes supporting communication.

We’re an organisation that is getting better and better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we’re proud of and our patients are happy with.

They are benefitting from a new electronic patient record (we were the last acute trust in London to introduce one) and our maternity services have been rated good by the Care Quality Commission.

We operate from two main sites – KGH in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 346,000 people visiting them last year. We’re campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen’s and get rid of corridor care.

We’re proud of our regional Neurosciences Centre, Radiotherapy Centre and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. We’re also part of the North East London Cancer Alliance.

We run a Women’s Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub. These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The majority of our 8,400 staff – who come from 146 different countries - live in the three diverse London boroughs we serve and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 of them are on our Ofsted accredited apprenticeship programmes. We’re proud to be a London Living Wage employer.