Job Summary
The Adult Speech and Language Therapy Team in South Devon have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and dynamic Band 6 Therapist to join our friendly and supportive team in a permanent post within our Adult Learning Disability Team.
We are located in beautiful South Devon with easy access to Dartmoor National Park, the South West Coastal path, and some fantastic beaches offering a great quality of life. The cities of Exeter and Plymouth are also only a short hop away.
You can look forward to:
1. A well-established and experienced team of SLTs who are dedicated to supporting staff and encouraging career development.
2. A supportive clinical supervision and appraisal structure.
3. Friendly colleagues with a range of specialist knowledge and expertise, and open to new ideas or perspectives.
4. Regular opportunities for CPD.
5. Access to a dysphagia specialist SLT and to instrumental dysphagia assessments as required.
6. Involvement in clinical trials.
As a successful candidate, you will have:
* A recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree and HCPC registration.
* Excellent interpersonal skills to support the individual needs of patients and families, working together with other professionals.
* The ability to organise, plan, and prioritise your own workload, and develop appropriate strategies for caseload management.
Main Duties of the Job:
1. To work in a small team of Adult Learning Disability speech and language therapists.
2. To independently manage a caseload of clients with learning disabilities, who may have complex communication needs, and/or eating and drinking difficulties (dysphagia and choking).
3. To work as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team.
4. To provide training and support to staff teams, carers, families, and colleagues.
5. To supervise and support more junior speech and language therapists, assistants, and students.
About Us:
We work as part of an integrated care organisation, the first in the UK, serving rural and urban communities in South and West Devon. We are a small but friendly and inclusive team of SLTs within Learning Disability, who work into a large MDT team led by Devon Partnership Trust (DPT). We work within the community, covering Torbay, South and West Devon.
Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and support for our clinicians.
Job Responsibilities:
1. Maintaining high levels of evidence-based learning disability practice, contributing to and facilitating care processes and pathways.
2. Demonstrate understanding of learning disability practice underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant clinical experience and competence.
3. Display specialist knowledge of individuals' physical and mental health needs and appropriate evidence-informed interventions in learning disability practice.
4. Show awareness of national and local policies impacting on learning disability practice.
5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of health improvement methodologies and how they contribute to the delivery of improved health outcomes for people with learning disabilities across the lifespan.
6. Display skills in risk assessment, risk management, and risk enablement in liaison with MDT / SLT ALD Clinical Leads.
7. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the diverse health needs of people with learning disabilities, supporting mainstream services across all tiers in the development of relevant knowledge, skills, and clinical competencies.
8. Display a high level of awareness of own values and beliefs.
9. Comply with both DPT and TSDFT and professional codes and standards in demonstrating personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity.
10. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation and national and local policies and procedures, including the Mental Capacity Act.
11. Search, review, analyze, critically appraise, and apply relevant literature effectively to influence policy and practice development.
Core Duties involved in the care of people with LD Include:
1. Specialist assessment of clients with learning disabilities who have complex communication needs and challenging behaviour and/or mental health issues.
2. Participate in the multi-professional delivery of holistic care and intervention.
3. Structured observation of interaction of clients with carers to inform understanding of the person's communication needs and the impact of carers' communication strategies.
4. Undertake assessment and develop management plans for people with complex eating and drinking difficulties (dysphagia).
5. Contribute to development and evaluation of training in areas of communication and dysphagia.
6. Support B5 (if appropriate) & B3 speech and language therapy team members in developing their clinical skills and in delivering SLT service.
7. Have specialist expertise in distressed (challenging) behaviour and mental health issues.
8. Contribute to the delivery of research and evidenced-based CPD for the Specialist Health Community Learning Disability Teams and SLT teams.
9. Input into the development of local communication strategies and SLT initiatives.
10. Provide specialist speech and language therapy assessment, diagnosis, and treatment service to adults with learning disabilities in a range of settings.
11. Contribute to triaging and managing SLT ALD caseload and waiting lists.
12. Plan and deliver intervention jointly with relevant others (Person with learning disability, carer, Specialist Health Community Learning Disability Team colleagues and other professionals).
13. Promote the use of inclusive communication in the lives of people with learning disabilities (i.e., Total Communication and/or Intensive Interaction approaches).
14. Abide by the Terms and Conditions of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists code of Ethics and HCPC Regulations.
15. Maintain flexibility, plan and work with other disciplines to reach shared objectives, including use of technology for delivery of service.
16. MCA / DOLS supporting maximisation of communication for Capacity Assessments.
Person Specification:
Qualifications and Training (Essential):
* Degree in speech and language therapy (or equivalent).
* Current professional registration with HCPC and Registered Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists /RCSLT).
* Evidence of relevant CPD/ongoing education.
Knowledge and Experience (Essential):
* Clinical experience in a range of core areas such as learning disability, dysphagia, Intensive Interaction, autism, sensory impairment, dementia, and AAC using a person-centred approach.
* Evidence of completion of RCSLT Dysphagia Competencies at level C.
* Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary community setting.
* Ability to work alone and as an integral part of a team.
* Interest and passion to work with people with learning disabilities.
* Understanding of governance-related activities e.g., MCA, audit, CQC.
* Understanding the health needs of people with a learning disability.
* Ability to cope under pressure, be proactive, and take own initiative.
Desirable:
* Experience of working with a learning disability caseload.
* Evidence of post-grad training in specialist short courses up to Masters level or equivalent in specialist ALD clinical field.
* Experience of producing accessible information using easy words and pictures, including use of symbol software and communication Apps.
* Knowledge and experience of using assessments such as CASP, ACE, TALC, etc.
Specific Skills (Essential):
* Positive valuing approach to people with learning disabilities.
* Good organisational skills, flexibility & ability to prioritise.
* Ability to work closely with carers, support workers, and other professionals across a range of agencies.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship:
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.
Employer Details:
Employer name: Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Estuary House, Units 1 & 2 Brunel Industrial Estate, Collett Way, Newton Abbot, TQ12 4PH
Employer's website: https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk
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