Highly Specialist SALT in Neurorehabilitation
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the SLT team at the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Centre at Queen Mary's Hospital as a job share. The postholder will work in a multidisciplinary team, treating inpatients with acquired brain injury or Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). The service provides in-depth assessment and intensive, interdisciplinary intervention to a complex caseload of patients with neurological and functional neurological conditions.
The postholder will be part of a progressive and supportive speech and language and multidisciplinary team. Great emphasis is placed on supervision and professional development.
Experience working in neurology and neurorehabilitation as part of a team is essential. Experience in working with aphasia, cognitive communication disorder, dysarthria, apraxia, and dysphagia is necessary. Experience working with FND or evidence of knowledge and skills relating to this caseload is essential.
The post is suitable for an experienced SLT who is dynamic and flexible with a commitment to new ways of working and has an innovative approach to patient-centred care and efficient service delivery.
Excellent communication skills are essential and an interest in the process as well as the outcomes of rehabilitation is desirable.
Main duties of the job
1. To manage a complex caseload independently
2. To provide leadership within appropriate specialist area(s)
3. To assess, treat and manage a caseload of adults with acquired communication and/or swallowing disorders relevant to highly specialist SLT skills. To use specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements/decision making for case management.
4. To provide appropriate specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes.
5. To monitor and evaluate own highly specialist service delivery and provide progress reports.
6. Maintain adequate records of assessment, management and treatment of patients/clients in keeping with Professional and Trust standards and reflecting highly specialist skills.
7. To manage and prioritise own caseload and workload independently.
8. To liaise with other colleagues and professional groups to refer patients/clients for further investigation and/or second opinion as required.
9. To counsel and advise others regarding the management and care of patients/clients with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
10. To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues.
11. To negotiate with others around case management in complex cases.
12. To demonstrate skills in dealing with complex issues to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management.
13. To ensure that patients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible. To negotiate with carers, clients and others around individual case management.
14. To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
15. To provide observation opportunities for students/other healthcare professionals.
16. To contribute clinically to both uni and multi-disciplinary teams by discussing SLT and other team members' input around client-centred goals. Maintaining a coordinated management and treatment approach ensuring patients/clients, carers, and families are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible.
17. To devise, implement and evaluate individualised treatment programs incorporating group treatment where appropriate.
18. To develop high-level skills in the reflective ability to determine communication disorders through auditory and visual means as well as the knowledge of neurology and muscle function. These communication disorders include: dysarthria, apraxia, aphasia, cognitive communication difficulties.
19. To set goals according to best practice.
20. To reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of clients' communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness.
21. To develop high-level skills in dysphagia assessment, treatment, and management.
22. To have a working knowledge of the use of videofluoroscopy to support assessment and management of patients with dysphagia.
23. To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate.
24. To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
25. To work independently accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre-determined intervals.
26. To demonstrate skills associated with working with people with complex disability and understanding of risk management.
27. To ensure confidentiality when sharing information with others, observing data protection guidelines.
28. To have an understanding of the principles of capacity assessment as described in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Management
1. To take delegated lead on the development of team objectives or projects in liaison with peers.
2. To develop care protocols for specific clinical issues.
3. To advise line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc.
4. To assume delegated tasks as requested by line manager, including participation in working groups, policy development groups.
5. To develop care protocols/packages relating to specialist area in liaison with Team Manager to improve patient care.
6. To contribute to interagency/multi-disciplinary team building and policy development.
7. To be aware of, adhere to and implement service and team plans and policies.
8. To use specialist knowledge to inform service/policy developments as appropriate.
Human Resources
1. To participate in the Trust Appraisal Scheme, both as appraisee and as an appraiser.
2. To attend and be an active participant in departmental staff and peer group meetings.
3. To facilitate the development of others' problem-solving/negotiation skills within peer review/support.
4. To provide mentoring, advice and support and supervision to more junior Speech and Language Therapists, assistants, and volunteers as requested.
5. To assume delegated responsibility for coordinating student placements within own section/team.
6. Provide full student placements, including assessment of the placements as appropriate.
7. To provide second opinions to more junior colleagues.
8. To coordinate support of students from other professional groups as appropriate within section/team.
9. To identify training needs within section/team.
10. To work with Clinical Lead to ensure training and development for all staff.
11. To attend specialist short courses, CENs and advanced training in clinical specialist area.
12. To identify personal/professional development evidenced by Personal Development Plan/Professional Portfolio developed within an appraisal framework, including objectives relating to clinical specialism.
13. To participate in the development of local clinical guidelines informed by evidence for clinical specialism.
This job may involve frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids including sputum, unpleasant smells and occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.
Person Specification
Qualifications, experience skills and knowledge
* Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification
* Health and Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice
* Evidence of completion of specialist CPD e.g. short courses, webinars, self-directed study
* Relevant and in-depth specialist experience post qualification in neurosciences/neurorehabilitation
* Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team and well-developed knowledge of key roles and responsibilities
* Evidence and ability to demonstrate leadership and strategic skills
* Developing and delivering education and training packages
* Supervision of others
* Well-established knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to specific client group with speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulties
* Highly developed ability to integrate and assimilate information and analyse assessments to inform diagnosis and management
* In-depth knowledge of a broad range of therapeutic and management approaches to relevant to client group and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits
* Negotiation and problem-solving skills demonstrated in complex situations
* Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills, including observation, listening and empathy skills, in complex situations
* Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
* Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills
* In-depth knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the specialist client group)
* In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit
* Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
* Experience working with patients with a Functional Neurological Disorder
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.
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Lead Speech and Language Therapist Neuro-rehab
£54,320 to £60,981 a year p.a. pro rata inclusive of HCAS (Inner)
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