Job Purpose The post holder will play a key role in leading the assessment process for people identified as having Speech, Language and communication needs within the custody environment working alongside the police and Liaison and Diversion colleagues. Assessment is a core part of the role, so the post-holder should be a highly skilled practitioner in the assessment and treatment of communication difficulties with people with a wide range of different mental health difficulties. Provide ongoing education to ward staff in understanding communication difficulties and developing skills in how best to support people with communication needs The post holder will work as a senior member of the team, offering consultation, advice, and direct working where appropriate. They will liaise with a wide range of both statutory and non-statutory agencies. Required to carry out clinical sessions with clients which will require sustained concentration Duties and Responsibilities Communication and Working Relationship Skills Contribute to the teams engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including staff, service users, their carers and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies. Complex and sensitive information to: Service users and families/carers re assessment, diagnosis, onward pathways and support. Multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the provision of consistent well-coordinated care The Police and courts External agencies also involved in the provision of care e.g.: voluntary and private sector, social services, housing, employment etc. Service user/carer groups Promote the best possible communication with people with speech, Language and communication needs. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner with service users and other professionals in relation to all aspects of the post-holders work, including advisory and support services. To participate in supervision (managerial and clinical). To act according to the SLT Code of Professional Conduct, and any other relevant local or national clinical guidelines. To engage in continued professional development opportunities. To keep up to date with and contribute to developments in current SLT practice. To educate, train and share clinical expertise with other members of staff and the Trust. To communicate the outcome of assessment and therapy to a wide range of agencies as appropriate. This will include the production of formal written reports. Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service including the handling of clinical and social care enquires. Relay complex and sensitive information to people with speech, Language and communication needs with empathy and in a way that they can understand. Build and maintain local, regional and national links and networks to promote the advancement of specialist Speech and Language therapy practice. Analytical and Judgemental Skills Use clinical judgement to consider complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of a range health and social care difficulties. Skills for assessing and interpreting client conditions, appropriate diagnosis and onward pathways. Ability to reflect and critically appraise own and others performance. Problem solving skills. To undertake project management, including clinical audit and service evaluation to help develop service provision. Planning and Organisational Skills Attend management and professional meetings as directed by their line manager and professional lead. Responsible for planning and co-ordinating own day to day work load in collaboration with the needs of the service users and the wider needs of the service. Ensure that interventions are planned in an integrated and co-ordinated manner particularly where dependent on other external agencies. Participate in the planning, leading and organisation of service development project. Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy To provide a timely, specialist assessment of a persons communication needs. Referrals are accepted where a communication need is identified by screening, or where a person has a known (or queried) diagnoses where the associated clinical characteristics will impact their understanding and ability to participate e.g. autism, learning disability, head injury. To provide consultation for partner agencies through advice giving on how to communicate most effectively, or how to modify verbally delivered offender treatment programmes. To provide reasonable adjustment recommendations to police/court that describe strategies that will make understanding of/engagement with justice processes easier as well as to ensure that the communication process is as complete, coherent and accurate as possible. To help adapt the content and/or wording of existing verbal and written material, including (but not exclusive to): Police Caution Interview Questioning framework Court Orders Bail conditions Provide specialist advice to referrers/other multi-disciplinary staff in relation to the care of the service user. Participate in safeguarding children to level 3 as set out in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff. Apply specialist knowledge and skills to meet the needs of those with speech, Language and communication needs. Develop specialist programmes of treatment for individuals. To regularly review the delivery of the service, working with service managers to look at changes and new initiatives, both national and local, to ensure that the service remains needs led. Advise line managers on issues of service delivery including shortfalls, service pressures, clinical evidence base, guidelines etc. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation Proposing policy or service changes both in own specialist area of speech and language and Liaison Contribute to professional clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided. To be aware of Clinical Governance issues using the incident reporting procedure. Ensure on going professional development and maintain awareness of advances within Speech and Language Therapies, both on a local and national level. Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources Responsible for care of own equipment. To work autonomously managing their own time and work capacity. Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management To deliver external training on a quarterly basis to partner agencies (e.g. police, magistrates, probation, youth justice teams) to develop awareness and recognition to enable the development of broad strategies to support people with communication needs in everyday practice, for example autism-specific communication strategies, accessible information standards. Provide supervision and support to designated staff. Act as a Speech and Language therapy mentor and/or supervisor-planning, overseeing and assessing Speech and Language therapy students. Participate in supervision of own practice completing any agreed actions as required. Ensure efficient and effective management of time and resources. Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties Maintain up to date client records in a timely and accurate manner consistent with CareNotes standard operating procedures. Responsibility for Research and Development Undertake surveys and audits for own work. To participate in data collection, audit, service evaluation and clinical research designed to improve the understanding and effectiveness of services delivered to patients. The frequency of this will be down to the individual piece of work. Some audits are monthly whereas service evaluation would be quarterly or annually. This will be agreed with the Trust according to clinical governance guidelines and in agreement with the post-holders service and professional managers. Lead programmes of audit and research on a quarterly basis within the team and the wider service and implement the findings. Contribute to research on a quarterly basis and audit activity on a monthly basis as a means of advancing practice knowledge. Freedom to Act Has the discretion to make decisions within the service as working as an autonomous practitioner as the lead specialist in their role reporting to the service Manager. As an autonomous practitioner, the post holder will be responsible for their own work and interventions and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies. Any Other Specific Tasks Required Ensure that statutory training associated with the post is undertaken. Participate in own clinical supervision and PDR. Practice in a way that is strengths based and champions diversity. Communicate information in a way that makes it accessible and understandable for service users and carer. Work co-operatively with colleagues, key stakeholders and wider agencies. Ensure a duty of care to service users, who are entitled to receive safe and competent care. The Service User wishes, feelings, values and beliefs should be taken into consideration as well as the views of the people close to them. Take personal accountability for your own practice. Ensure that you remain professionally competent by participating in your own and others clinical supervision, and maintaining all necessary standards for your professional regulatory body.