South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
We are seeking a confident, motivated, and enthusiastic B7 highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist to provide specialist communication and eating, drinking, and swallowing assessment and intervention to adults with a learning disability.
You would be based within our Advanced Learning Disability Specialist (ALDS) Team in Wakefield, working to support SLT colleagues manage caseloads across the Trust's 4 community LD health teams: Wakefield, Barnsley, Kirklees, and Calderdale.
In this post, you will work clinically in various health, social care, and community settings, closely collaborating with other health professions from our LD health teams, social care, and independent providers.
We are passionate about providing a high-quality service delivering positive outcomes for people with learning disabilities. To enable our staff to achieve this, you will be supported to progress and achieve your potential through clinical and leadership CPD opportunities, alongside robust management and clinical supervision and regular team meetings. We also support and encourage research.
We are open to either part-time or full-time working and are committed to prioritising work-life balance and well-being, offering a Flexible Working policy.
At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK, depending on contractual hours agreed.
Main duties of the job
You will be a highly motivated and conscientious individual, who has the desire to work creatively with people with learning disabilities. We are looking for a dynamic person to join our current ALDS team to provide the highest standards of safe and compassionate planned care to clients to maximise their independence and unlock their full potential.
The post holder will be a senior therapist within the ALDS team and will provide senior support to Speech and Language therapists in all localities, offering support and advice and, where required, direct input into complex and high-risk cases.
You will also provide specialist speech and language therapy assessment and treatment for service users in receipt of care from community services, enabling them to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. You will be actively involved in promoting Speech and Language therapy within the service area.
The post holder will be required to work flexibly across all four localities and will contribute to the leadership and development of the Specialist Learning Disability Health Team in accordance with local and national guidance. The post holder will be a source of expertise around communication and dysphagia and provide support and advice to others.
About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health, and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees, and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.
Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families, and carers.
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
Being a foundation Trust means we're accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we're run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.
Join us, and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical, and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.
Job responsibilities
The post holder will be a senior therapist within the community multi-disciplinary team, based in the identified locality. They will also provide senior support to Speech and Language therapists in other localities, providing support and advice and, where required, direct input into complex and high-risk cases.
You will also provide specialist speech and language therapy assessment and treatment for service users in receipt of care from community services, enabling service users to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. You will be actively involved in promoting Speech and Language therapy within the service area. The post holder will be required to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and the client group.
The post holder will contribute to the leadership and development of the Specialist Learning Disability Health Team in accordance with local and national guidance.
The post holder will be a source of expertise around communication and dysphagia and provide support and advice to others.
KEY RESULT AREAS:
Clinical
The post-holder independently assesses, diagnoses, and manages the communication and/or swallowing needs of clients, particularly those with the most complex difficulties, to maximise appropriate health and social benefits. It will also include the management of clients for whom English is not the first spoken language.
The post holder will formulate and deliver individual treatment programmes based on specialist knowledge for differential diagnosis for communication and dysphagia, using evidence-based practice, national and local guidelines, and profession-specific clinical skills and techniques (e.g., standardised assessments, AAC, group and individual work).
The post-holder provides both direct and indirect intervention, consultation, advice, and support informed by evidence-based practice working within a multi-disciplinary model to ensure that the inter-agency needs of clients are met.
The post-holder undertakes advisory work, second opinions, and provides peer review and advice within their area of expertise to support and develop the clinical skills of other staff.
In conjunction with other band 7 SLTs, the post-holder provides clinical supervision for other SLT posts working across localities, including where appropriate providing direct input into complex cases.
The post-holder liaises both orally and in writing with any significant others involved in the management of the client, within and outside the NHS, to ensure the clients' needs are met effectively and efficiently.
The post-holder contributes to discussions in a multi-disciplinary forum where speech and language therapy recommendations may conflict with medical/other opinions to facilitate quality of life and best interest decisions.
The post-holder is responsible for managing their own caseload, including clinical administration and appointments, to meet access criteria and ensure a cost-effective, quality service.
The post-holder has autonomous responsibility for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous (within 24 hours) client records, ensuring compliance with departmental, professional, and legal requirements.
The post-holder is expected to work occasionally with clients with challenging behaviour independently and work alone in the community conducting the appropriate risk assessments as required.
Service Development
The post-holder is aware of current local and national priorities that may impact service delivery and contributes to the development of strategies for meeting needs.
The post-holder takes part in clinical research opportunities and/or leads or collaborates on writing articles and publications relevant to their specialist field.
Clinical Governance
The post-holder adheres to the standards in place within the BDU under the pillars of clinical governance, including audit, evaluation, and the identification and management of risk in any environment (clinical and non-clinical).
The post-holder is subject to annual appraisal and regular supervision.
The post-holder is expected to provide clinical supervision for a range of less experienced staff, including assistants, newly qualified therapists, and others as appropriate.
All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.
We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over-reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged, and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.
For the full job description, please see attached supporting documents.
Person Specification
Physical Attributes
* Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
* A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Experience
* Management and leadership experience.
* Significant experience as a Band 6/7 therapist in a Learning Disabilities or related clinical field.
* Significant experience of multidisciplinary working, including the development of effective networks/partnerships.
* Active participation in audit, service evaluation, and research in the relevant clinical field.
* Experience of practice in a range of relevant Adult Learning Disabilities settings.
* Supervision of clinicians undertaking post-graduation dysphagia training supervised experience.
* Experience of supervision, appraisal, and development of therapy staff and students.
Special Knowledge and Skills
* Evidence of a high standard of performance in a range of clinical skills, promoting clinical excellence.
* Commitment to improving the experience of service users and their carers.
* Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
* Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
* Specialist knowledge and application of current best practice in speech and language therapy for adults with learning disabilities.
* Up-to-date knowledge of NHS modernisation issues and implications for speech and language therapy and wider services.
* Knowledge and understanding of cultural and diversity issues.
Personal Attributes
* Good timekeeper.
* Maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
* Show creativity in working to meet the needs of people with a learning disability.
* A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
Qualifications
* Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or relevant equivalent overseas qualification.
* HCPC registration.
* Post-basic dysphagia training.
* Postgraduate qualification relevant to the post or relevant level clinical experience.
* Postgraduate qualification to Master's Level or equivalent in a field related to Speech and Language Therapy and Learning Disabilities.
* Leadership training.
* Advanced level dysphagia training (master's level).
* RCSLT License to Practice.
Training
* Willingness to undertake postgraduate training to further skills, knowledge, and expertise.
* Documented evidence of continuing practice and professional development.
* Evidence of self-directed learning.
* Leadership training.
* Advanced level dysphagia training (master's level).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and as such, it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
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