Senior Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

NHS; Crawley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health service provider in Crawley is seeking a Senior Specialist Speech & Language Therapist. This role involves managing a complex caseload of dysphagia and communication needs within acute inpatient services. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience, including the supervision of students and contributions to service development. Flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Opportunity to contribute to service improvements

Qualifications

• At least 5 years post-graduate experience.
• Experience across a range of client abilities and disabilities.
• Experience in supervising staff and students.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex dysphagia and communication caseload.
• Provide assessments and interventions in acute settings.
• Contribute to service maintenance and development.

Skills

Experience with dysphagia assessment

Leadership skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clinical communication skills

Creativity in service delivery

Education

Licence to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist

HPC registration

Job description

Overview

Senior Specialist Speech & Language Therapist. Vacancy across 4 wards in Langley Green Hospital (Acute Adult Mental Health) and Uckfield Hospital (Beechwood Dementia ward). Experience with adults in any setting, innovative service delivery, leadership skills, and commitment to providing communication input as well as dysphagia assessment and intervention is required. You will work within a MDT framework with patients, carers and ward staff to co-produce care and may be required to wear the ward uniform.

You will support the wider SLT team across Sussex, providing duty cover for the referral inbox and occasional cover in other areas. You should be familiar with working with other professions, agencies and families, have an understanding of the NHS landscape, and have several years of clinical experience in one or more adult settings. You should be confident in supervision, supporting students, working alongside a MDT and communicating at all levels. Experience in service improvement and design is welcome, as is a flexible approach to implementing and leading innovative changes.

Main duties of the job

The SLT service is a small team working across the county. We accept referrals for dysphagia and communication from a central SLT referral inbox. Referrals are managed via a duty system (rota) and you will have responsibility for referral triage at least one day per week.

• Offer face-to-face dysphagia assessments to patients across the 4 wards.
• Provide language assessments to support differential diagnosis, capacity assessments and decision-making, and to enable patient engagement in treatment and care plans.
• Use electronic systems methodically and timely to capture clinical input for patient safety and effectiveness of journeys through services.
• Contribute to continuous service development, bringing creative solutions, a flexible attitude and a patient-centred approach.
• Regularly support and cover the duty rota.
• Contribute to maintenance and development of the Service.
• 0.6 WTE and supervise students on practice placement.

For further information or to discuss the post, contact the SLT team lead, Mary-Helen L’Heureux at [e-mail] 07471032042 (working days Tue, Wed).

Travel between wards is required; some home working and hot desking can be offered if home working is not possible.

About us

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex, and for children and young people in Hampshire. You will be working with adults with mental health and dementia diagnoses in acute inpatient services.

Travel and lifestyle: easy access to coast and countryside, with proximity to Brighton and London; easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow with good rail links. We are rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Staff surveys show high satisfaction with flexible working and opportunities to contribute suggestions and show initiative.

See the attached 'Partnership Perks' document for details about our benefits package.

Job description & responsibilities

Qualified and experienced Speech and Language Therapist with at least 5 years post-graduate experience.

Manage a complex dysphagia and communication caseload for adults in acute inpatient settings; provide assessments, interventions, training and MDT support.

Communicate assessment findings effectively to colleagues, other agencies and family/carers; contribute to MDT risk assessments and care plans.

Develop and deliver training packages for both Communication and Dysphagia; regularly support and cover the duty rota; contribute to service maintenance and development.

0.6 WTE; regularly supervise students on practice placement.

Applicants may contact the SLT team lead Mary-Helen L’Heureux for further information: [e-mail].

Travel between wards is essential; some home working options may be available.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Licence to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist
• HPC registration

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience as a qualified SLT
• Broad experience with a range of client abilities and disabilities
• Experience of group and individual work
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience in supervising staff and students
• Experience in a clinical area related to the post
• Experience of multi-agency work
• Experience with assessment tools and SLT clinical approaches including dysphagia
• Audit experience and service development
• Expert knowledge of SLT assessments and interventions including dysphagia

Other

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. It may require DBS disclosure. Applications from job seekers requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. UK registration is required. See NHS Careers for details.

Employer details

Employer: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Langley Green Hospital, Martyrs Avenue, Crawley, RH11 7EJ

Employer's website: https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/