Senior Speech and Language Therapist

Wirral University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Birkenhead; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare facility in the UK is seeking an experienced Speech & Language Therapist to join their Community Paediatrics Team. The ideal candidate will work with children addressing communication and swallowing issues with a focus on quality care and teamwork. Candidates must hold a recognized degree in Speech and Language Therapy and have current HCPC registration. This position is based in Birkenhead, providing a chance to make impactful interventions in children’s lives.

Benefits

Continued professional development

Supportive work environment

Access to additional training resources

Qualifications

• Experience working with children facing communication and swallowing problems.
• Ability to assess and manage a caseload independently.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan, and deliver interventions for diverse patient needs.
• Manage complex dysphagia cases with appropriate documentation.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams for patient management.

Skills

Communication skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Dysphagia competencies

IT literacy

Education

Recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy

Current HCPC registration

Membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

To discover why you should consider applying for a role at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, please watch our video and hear directly from our staff about what it's truly like to work at WUTH and its surrounding areas: https://youtu.be/Z5oMaNXprn8

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Speech & Language Therapist (Band 6) to join our Community Paediatrics Team, based at St Catherine's Health Centre. We are looking for a dedicated Speech & Language Therapist who is passionate about using their skills to contribute to the assessment and therapeutic care of children in Community Paediatrics on the ND pathway.

The post-holder will have experience in working with children of all ages who are experiencing difficulties in any aspect of communication and/or associated swallowing problems.

A recognised qualification in Speech & Language Therapy and HCPC registration are required, along with membership of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Main duties of the job
• Utilise communication and motivation skills to engage in therapeutic process.
• To organise and carry out specialist Speech & Language Therapy in various settings.
• To ensure timely and comprehensive documentation.
• To maintain clinical professional development
• Utilise dysphagia skills to assess patients working closely with the MDT.
• Manage complex dysphagia caseload with support.
• Work closely with the multi-disciplinary team for the management of patients with communication and swallowing difficulties.

Working for our organisation

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as "competent and caring staff" by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.

We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral's only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.

We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.

The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• As a skilled clinician, assess, plan and deliver individualised programme of intervention evaluating the effectiveness for patients presenting with diverse and complex problems. Giving advice to patients and their carers when required.
• Prioritise and plan own caseload according to needs of the patient and resources available. Gain advice and support from a Senior Speech and Language Therapist
  when required, clinical work is not routinely monitored by others.
• Working with the Team Leader proactively contribute to the discussions on service.
  and policy development and implement in the workplace as directed.
• Be responsible for the effective manual and computer recording of patient interventions accurately and appropriately, following Service/ Trust Policy.
• Be responsible for the collection/input of clinical information and statistics for patients.
• Be responsible for producing timely, accurate and informative clinical reports for other agencies as required.
• Identify the current and potential future needs of the patient and be responsible for initiating appropriate referrals to a variety of internal and external agencies.
• Undertake evidence based audit projects making recommendations and where appropriate implement agreed, specific changes to practice within the team.
• Responsible for own competency to practice through CPD maintaining a professional portfolio, including reflective practice and participating in the supervision and appraisal process.
• Deputise for senior staff in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the team, allocating and organising the work of junior and support staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis and to be responsible for the clinical work of the Team leader in their absence when appropriate.

Please see attached Job Description for further information about the Senior Speech and Language Therapist position available at WUTH.

Person specification

Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training

Essential criteria

• Recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy
• Current HCPC registration
• Registered member of the College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Recognised study at post graduate level
• Appropriate level of Speech and Language therapy experience, in a range of relevant specialities
• Managing own caseload with minimum direction/ support
• Experience of a variety of assessment techniques suitable for adults
• Has experience of working with complex cases alongside or with supervision from a highly specialist therapist

Desirable criteria

• Experience in evidence based practice or audit.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Completion of dysphagia competencies
• IT literate
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Knowledge of current trends in the management of communication and / or swallowing
• Knowledge of Total Communication

Desirable criteria

• Good level of understanding of patient needs and customer care
• Knowledge of key NHS initiatives and goals
• Knowledge and experience of clinical governance/audit
• Knowledge of relevant national policies and procedures

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria

• Able to work in difficult, distracting environments, with challenging clients and where intense levels of concentration are required

Desirable criteria

• Ability to work as an integral member of an MDT

Other Requirements

Desirable criteria

• Membership of an appropriate clinical excellence network

Personal Attributes

Desirable criteria

• Professional appearance and attitude
• Can convey ideas and information in a confident and easily understood manner, both written and verbal

Other Requirements

Desirable criteria

• Ability to be flexible and meet the needs of the service.

General Information

You are required to apply for this role via apps.trac.jobs and this is where you will be able to track the progress of your application. This will ensure we deal with your application quickly and efficiently.

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application throughout the process.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust viewing and managing the information contained in the application.

Please note; that if you are offered a position, your personal details will automatically be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR).

The Trust reserves the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum amount of applications from which to make a shortlist. To prevent this happening please complete and submit your application without delay.

DBS Information

Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing a DBS application is met by the successful applicant/s. DBS costs are recovered via salary deduction following starting in post.

If the post you are applying for requires a DBS - Inline with Trust policy the cost of submitting and processing a DBS for successful applications would be met by the individual themselves. The amount would vary depending on the level required: Standard Disclosure £21.50+£6.50 or Enhanced Disclosure £49.50+£6.50 (please be aware the additional sum is an administration fee and may increase due to inflation). This will be deducted from your salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment.

The Trust would encourage all post holders who require a DBS for their role to registered with the DBS Update Service. You can find out more information and guidance on how to do this at DBS Update Service - GOV.UK

Apprenticeship Eligibility

Please note that it is the responsibility of applicants to assess their own eligibility for apprenticeship opportunities in relation to the role they are applying for. Eligibility is determined by specific residency requirements set by government funding rules and is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Our organisation cannot guarantee eligibility for all applicants.

UK nationals or individuals with the right of abode typically meet the residency requirement if they have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the British Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for at least three years prior to the start date of the apprenticeship.

For further information and to assess your individual circumstances, please refer to the UK Government's guidance on apprenticeship funding rules: Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK

Right to Work/Sponsorship Eligibility

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified during the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have the right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for visa sponsorship. Please note that it is the responsibility of applicants to assess their own eligibility for visa sponsorship in relation to the role they are applying for. Our organisation cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles, and eligibility is determined by the UK Home Office's points-based immigration system on a case-by-case basis. For further information please see: Skilled Worker Visa Eligible Occupations and Codes.

For details regarding salary requirements of a skilled worker, please refer to the Skilled Worker Visa Immigration Salary List.

This information does not constitute legal advice, and we strongly recommend seeking independent legal guidance tailored to your individual circumstances.

For further details on skilled worker sponsorship, please consult the UK Home Office guidance: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK. Additionally, the New guidance for overseas applicants | NHS Employers provides helpful information on the recruitment process for candidates applying for roles in the UK.

Safeguarding

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all unborn babies, children and adults and is signed up to both the Wirral Safeguarding Childrens Partnership and the Wirral Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board associated policies and procedures. All Trust staff must be familiar with, and adhere to these procedures. It is the post holders responsibility to attended the Trusts mandatory training Protecting Vulnerable People training, and to follow the relevant Trusts polices and practice guidance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description & Person Specification (PDF, 377.5KB)
• OH Assessment Band 6 SALT (PDF, 154.9KB)
• Guidance Notes for Applicants (PDF, 734.3KB)
• Vision Values Behaviours (PDF, 515.6KB)
• WUTH GDPR Privacy Notice for applicants DBS - May 2022 (PDF, 290.4KB)