University Hospitals Plymouth is looking to recruit a motivated, dedicated and dynamic Band 6 SLT (0.8wte) Speech and Language Therapist to join our friendly ICU rehabilitation team, contributing to the provision of a high-quality service to adults in the neurosurgical and general intensive care units at Derriford Hospital.
You will have excellent communication, organisation, leadership and interpersonal skills as well as having an advanced knowledge base in the assessment and management of acute hospital in-patients with dysphagia and communication impairment.
We are committed to work based learning, education and training to improve clinical and leadership skills and we actively encourage supervision, CPD and audit.
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be a senior member of the ICU rehab team and in-patient SLT team, managing primarily a neurosurgical and ICU caseload with possible supervision of more junior therapists and students. The post will work closely with the Band 7 Highly Specialist ICU Speech and Language Therapist and ICU rehab team. This post may be required to work some weekends on a 7 day working rota alongside other members of the inpatient team or ICU rehabilitation team.
Key Dimensions:
As a member of the ICU rehabilitation team and adult acute inpatient team, the post holder will be required to independently manage a caseload of in-patients with complex communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties, including tracheostomised patients.
To be responsible for training and advising patients, carers, professionals, and non-professionals how to support complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties in relation to caseload.
To clinically supervise and appraise identified junior staff.
To be line managed by and to work closely with the ICU Band 7 post holder.
To provide second opinions to less experienced SLTs in the team.
About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.
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If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process, please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. To be responsible for prioritisation, assessment, diagnosis, and development of specialised treatment programmes and discharge for personal/shared caseload for inpatients, with access to second opinions from highly specialist or Professional Lead SLT as required.
2. To independently manage personal caseload with complex speech, language, communication and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties with reference to theory, published research and evidence, and agreed best practice.
3. To prioritise and respond to medical and other referrals in line with departmental guidelines and exercising professional judgement based on extended clinical experience.
4. To assess and support patient with a tracheostomy and inform management and weaning programmes as a member of the MDT.
5. To undertake a range of formal and informal assessments, including risk analysis of swallowing, understanding and use of voice, grammar, vocabulary, speech sounds, fluency, social use of language, carer/patient interaction, and non-verbal communication and to make judgements re normal and abnormal functioning.
6. To make judgements about suitability referral of patients for videofluoroscopy (X ray) examination, taking into account the risks and benefits of the procedure. To participate in the examination with radiology colleagues and to jointly interpret results in order plan appropriate SLT treatment.
7. To understand when Fibreoptic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) may be appropriate and to refer accordingly. To participate in these examinations and their interpretation as required.
8. To participate in FEES and commence FEES training in accordance with knowledge and skills level.
9. To be responsible for ensuring patients safety with regard to eating and drinking by assessing, monitoring and updating, and communicating details of safe practice to the patient, medical and ward staff, and carers, ensuring that recommendations are clearly documented in medical notes and at the bedside.
10. To identify, collect, analyse, and interpret complex case related information and data from patients, carers and other relevant sources in order to reach an accurate diagnosis.
11. To reach differential diagnoses on the basis of assimilated evidence from formal and informal assessments including psychological factors (some of which may be conflicting) and with reference to normal and abnormal criterion and research evidence.
12. To prioritise and decide on appropriate specialised treatment/management matched to individual patient/family need including use of communication aids and to adapt and modify treatment options based on extended clinical expertise whilst ensuring patient/carers are fully involved in the decision making process.
13. To be responsible for updating medical/ward notes, departmental notes, a range of report writing including legal, and dissemination of findings to appropriate professionals and relevant others.
14. Autonomous responsibility for admission, prioritisation, management and discharge of patients in relation to complex caseload.
15. To use highly developed communication and counselling skills such as reflective listening, open questioning, empathy, and reassurance when explaining highly complex and sensitive information to the full range of levels in understanding of patients and carers, where anxiety frequently acts as a barrier and co-operation is not guaranteed.
16. To demonstrate empathy and reassurance when providing patients and carers with unwelcome information that has long-term implications for lifestyle and employment e.g. when communication skills will not be recovered and/or oral feeding is no longer an option. To provide counselling and support before onward referral for more formal consultations if judged necessary.
17. To monitor, recognise, assess and evaluate subtle changes in patients conditions and adapt assessment and treatment programmes accordingly based on extended clinical experience.
18. To assess the risk to, and vulnerability of, patients and families in relation to timing and manner of treatment and amount of information provided, i.e. where inappropriate intervention could have a negative effect e.g. inappropriate introduction of liquids when a safe swallow is not evident thereby presenting significant risk to patients safety.
19. To implement the second opinions process as and when necessary, and refer on for highly specialist SLT intervention, or request multidisciplinary input.
20. To reflect on practice both individually and with peers/mentors and to identify personal strengths and development needs in order to raise clinical competence.
21. To maintain registration with the Health Professions Council.
22. To continue to develop deeper and more specialist professional expertise and clinical skills across a range of neurological and acquired speech, language and communication difficulties (SLCD) by working with highly specialist staff, attending Specific Interest Groups, specialist courses, self-directed study and maintaining personal CPD portfolio. It is the post-holders responsibility to maintain a professional development portfolio in relation to specialist clinical skills.
23. To recognise own professional and clinical boundaries and competencies and seek advice, support and training when necessary with in a clinical supervision and appraisal framework.
24. To maintain professional and service standards with adherence to local and national guidelines and clinical governance, including confidentiality.
25. To participate in the Trusts Annual Appraisal Process.
26. To follow and implement local and national policies with elements of independent professional judgement.
27. To contribute to local policy and service development through the clinical governance process.
28. To be responsible for maintaining equipment records and the safe use and security of clinical equipment. To identify and request therapy equipment to meet caseload demands (according to service guidelines).
29. To provide accurate clinical activity data (TIARA) and routine recording of CPD, travel, and other related activity, observing data protection guidelines.
30. To supervise and provide advice to less experienced speech and language therapists, assistants and volunteers.
31. To take part in research and clinical audit as directed by senior staff, undertake action research with personal caseload for advanced dysphagia course, and contribute to others research by providing data.
All Job Holders are required to: Work to the Trust values - Put patients first, Take ownership, Respect others, Be positive, Listen, learn and improve.
Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities etc. Maintain personal and professional development.
Attend statutory, essential and mandatory training. Respect the confidentiality of all matters relating to their employment and other members of staff. All members of staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. Comply with the Corporate Governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.
Comply with the codes of professional conduct set out by the professional body of which registration is required for the post.
Ensure they are familiar with the Risk Management Framework, follow policies, procedures and safe systems of work, make known any hazards or risks that they identify and take all necessary actions to reduce risk.
Ensure they attend Child Protection training at the appropriate level within the specified time frame.
Staff must comply with Safeguarding Policies and Procedures in order to promote safeguarding and prevent abuse to vulnerable people using Trust services.
Maintain the prevention and control of infection and fully comply with all current Trust Infection Control policies and procedures.
Take responsibility for any records that they create or use in the course of their duties, in line with the Public Records Act and be aware that any records created by an employee of the NHS are public records and may be subject to both legal and professional obligations.
All Managers are responsible for: Assessing risks and implementing the necessary actions to minimise these risks within their sphere of responsibility. They must also enable staff to attend the relevant statutory and essential training.
Managing attendance in accordance with the Trusts Attendance Management Policy.
Note
This job description is neither definitive nor exhaustive and is not intended to be totally comprehensive. It may be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. This job description is to be read in conjunction with all current Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust policies, procedures & guidelines.
Person Specification
Experience and aptitude
Essential
* Consolidated experience with adult/mixed caseload.
* Consolidated experience of working with dysphagia at post-basic level.
* Able to identify areas for own personal/professional development.
* CPD log demonstrating maintenance and development of competencies and knowledge base.
* Experience of teaching and training others.
* Knowledge and experience of clinical governance.
* Able to undertake and adapt wide range of formal and informal assessments to meet patient need based on extended clinical experience beyond graduate level.
* Able to identify, collect, analyse, and interpret complex case related information and to use this to inform clinical management.
* Able to make a differential diagnosis on the basis of assimilated evidence from assessments - some of which may be conflicting.
* Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate highly complex information to meet a range of levels of in understanding of clients and carers.
* Ability to negotiate and explain complex case related information about speech & language development and disorders to a range of audiences.
* Able to recognise limitations of own clinical competencies and the need for onward referral for more specialist advice.
* Ability to reflect on practice to identify own strengths and development needs.
* Able to demonstrate effective team working.
* Understanding the roles of other multi-disciplinary team members.
* Competent IT skills.
* Ability to provide clinical guidance and leadership to less experienced colleagues.
* Commitment to evidence based practice.
* Able to work without direct supervision.
* Ability to be flexible and respond to unpredictable events.
* Non-discriminatory practice.
* Good time management skills.
Desirable
* Experience of working with tracheostomy patients.
* Able to actively participate in FEES examinations with support from colleagues in MDT.
* Experience of day-to-day line management, supervision and support.
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