Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

North West Borough Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Sefton; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 44,000; Part time

Job summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an enthusiastic HCPC registered Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join the Community SLT Team covering the Sefton area on a part-time, 12-month fixed term basis. You will work with adults who have communication and swallowing difficulties in clinics and in patients' homes, including care homes.

You will assess, diagnose, plan and deliver evidence-based interventions, develop person-centred care plans, supervise SLT assistants, and contribute

Qualifications

• Accredited Speech and Language Therapy qualification (BSc).
• Registration with HCPC.
• Desirable: Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists membership.
• Desirable: Postgraduate qualification in Dysphagia.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy assessment and intervention in inpatient, home, care homes or outpatient clinics.
• Develop person-centred care plans with the therapy team.
• Coordinate caseload and supervise SLT assistants.
• Deliver staff training on communication strategies.
• Deputise for the clinical lead when required.
• Contribute to service improvement and teamwork.

Skills

Equality and Human Rights

Communication skills

Time management

Flexibility

Education

HCPC registration (SLT)

BSc Speech and Language Therapy

Job description

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

Using AI to support your application

AI can be a useful tool to support the preparation of your application. However, all information submitted must be accurate, truthful and reflect your own skills, experience and achievements. Applications should include personal examples demonstrating how you meet the person specification. Applications that appear mostly or fully generated by AI, without clear personal examples linked to the person specification, may be rejected. For tips and guidance, please refer to our applicant guidance.

Identity verification

Candidates attending interview will be required to provide original photographic identification where available. Where suitable photographic identification is not available, a photograph will be taken at interview for identity verification purposes. Successful candidates will also be required to complete digital identity and right to work checks via TrustID, including facial recognition and image matching technology, to verify their identity throughout the recruitment and onboarding process. Identity verification will also be undertaken on the first day of employment in line with NHS employment check requirements.

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced HCPC registered Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly Community Speech and Language Therapy Team covering the Sefton area on a part-time, 12-month fixed term basis.

Our Speech & Language Therapists work with adults who have communication and/or swallowing difficulties with the team being based at Zetland Street. You will work with patients in clinic settings and in their own homes, including nursing and residential homes, providing assessment, treatment and ongoing management for people with a wide range of Speech and Language Therapy needs. The role offers the chance to build strong multidisciplinary relationships across neighbourhood services and make a visible difference to the health and wellbeing of the local population.

You will assess, diagnose, plan and deliver treatment for patients with a range of complex needs, including people living with long-term conditions. We are therefore looking for someone with strong clinical reasoning, excellent communication skills and a compassionate, proactive approach to care. In return, you will join a service that values professional development, collaborative working and continuous improvement. We value CPD and carry out robust clinical supervision and appraisals to encourage therapists' specialist interests and innovation.

Main duties of the job

To provide evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy assessment and intervention to service users who have communication and/or eating and drinking difficulties. These occur as a consequence of physical and mental health conditions such as: Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Stroke, Dementia and Mental Illness.

The caseload may cover the whole spectrum of communication disorders, e.g. dysfluency, high level language / social use of language and voice as applicable to the service.

The role will be integrated within the therapy team and will work with the team to develop person-centred care plans.

Supervision will be provided by a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

Working for our organisation

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient, community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To participate as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with specific responsibility to assess and treat adults with complex health needs.

To be responsible for the delivery of specialist assessment, diagnosis, treatment, delivery and evaluation of evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy intervention in a variety of settings including inpatient, individuals home setting, care homes or outpatient clinics for clients with communication and swallowing disorders, such as dysphagia, dysfluency, voice, head and neck.

To act as a Care coordinator where applicable, ensuring that clients have full access to any generic services that they require.

To be responsible and accountable for their own caseload and ensure that care plans are written and reviewed regularly.

To contribute to the prioritisation of the waiting list for Speech and Language Therapy.

To complete intake assessments on behalf of the team and feedback to the multi-disciplinary team.

To work alongside and liaise with other professionals within the team, staff at day centres, residential staff and families.

To provide clinical advice to these on the communication needs of clients, resolving areas of conflict as necessary.

To provide specialist knowledge on alternative and augmentative systems of communication, where appropriate. To ensure that all relevant agencies have access to all systems.

To Identify and take responsibility for allocating work and providing supervision to Speech and Language Therapy assistants.

To provide training days to staff teams around specific individual's communication to devise strategies and management plans.

To be able to deputise on the absence of the clinical lead and ensure coordination of caseload is well managed within the team.

To be an active and enthusiastic team member by participating with service improvement activities, promoting innovation, being supportive to other team members and proactive when identifying potential issues in the service.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Accredited Speech and Language Therapy qualification (BSc)
• Registration with HCPC

Desirable criteria

• Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist (RCSLT)
• Post graduate training/qualification in Dysphagia

Skills

Essential criteria

• A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights
• Ability to convey information and skills to direct care staff
• Good time management and organizational skills
• Flexible approach skills towards service change, demands and pressure

Desirable criteria

• Experience of providing clinical supervision (to students or SaLT staff)

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• A philosophy and approach that empowers people
• Knowledge of alternative and augmentative communication and dysphagia
• A person-centred approach to service delivery
• Understanding of current NHS changes

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience with provision of supervision and delegation to junior members of staff
• Experience of use of outcome measures for clinical evaluation
• Driving License
• Basic IT Skills (Microsoft Software: Excel, World, Power Point, MS Teams)

Values

Essential criteria

• Continuous improvement - committed to making improvements to our services for the benefit of all
• Accountability - taking ownership to anticipate, develop and deliver high quality care
• Respect - how we treat others in an inclusive and supportive way
• Enthusiasm - demonstrate our passion and pride for what we do and how we do it
• Support - actively supporting others with compassion and courage