The NELFT Children's Feeding and Dietetic service includes the feeding team. The team comprises a range of different professions - Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, and Specialist Children's Nursing, along with both team assistant and administrator support.
Due to staff relocation, the feeding team is seeking to recruit a part-time, experienced dysphagia speech therapist to join the team and support children (0-19) with physical feeding difficulties.
There are opportunities for remote/flexible working within NELFT's commitment to staff wellbeing and agile working. All team members are co-located in the same office, which supports successful collaborative team working.
While the service hopes to recruit a therapist experienced in managing both over and under one's, we recognize that many experienced therapists may not have completed their under 1 competencies. Support and training can be offered to help develop under 1 skills for the right applicant.
Main duties of the job
The feeding team is community-based (Wickford, Essex) and supports children living in Basildon, Brentwood, and Thurrock within the larger Mid and South Essex ICS. The feeding team has strong links to both the local acute, surrounding community, and tertiary teams.
We offer families support at home, in educational settings, or in community clinics (face-to-face/virtually) and target our resources to meet the needs of the individual.
Job responsibilities
Assessment:
* Assessment of swallowing function for solids and liquids
* Identify swallowing impairment and potential impact
* Assessment of oral skills whilst eating and drinking
* Assessment of parent-child interaction and child response to feeding
* Supporting and recommending onward referrals for instrumental assessment and/or services (i.e., ENT or Tertiary SLT for VFSS)
Intervention:
* Manage eating risk by texture modification
* Manage drinking risk by fluid consistency modification
* Strategies to develop safe eating and drinking skills
* Management of Risk Feeding.
* Interpretation of Video fluoroscopy reports.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent, fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body (HCPC).
* Registration and membership with the appropriate professional and regulatory body
* Postgraduate training in dysphagia (Paediatrics)
* Competencies in working with patients with neurological conditions
Experience
Essential
* Significant relevant experience at undergraduate/postgraduate level
* Experience of clinically supervising and managing less experienced colleagues
* Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary team
* Experience of storing and maintaining electronic records
* Working in an NHS environment
Desirable
* Planning and delivery of training to other professionals
Knowledge
Essential
* An awareness of NHS priorities
* Maintaining efficient administrative systems
* Clinical knowledge of paediatric feeding and swallowing difficulties associated with medical conditions and developmental needs
* Knowledge of assessment tools, treatment techniques, and therapeutic interventions
* Awareness of the roles of other professionals and working as a multidisciplinary team
* In-depth knowledge of safeguarding children and looked after children.
Desirable
* Awareness of Government policy and legislation and how this may affect service delivery
Skills
Essential
* Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
* Ability to apply continued professional development to practice
* Able to construct clear care plans for complex cases based on analysis of information from assessment, theoretical knowledge, and clinical benchmarking to make highly specialist clinical decisions
* Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening, and empathy ensuring that effective communication is achieved
* Negotiation, problem-solving, concentration, analytical, and reflection skills
Desirable
* Written and verbal presentation skills
Other
Essential
* To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
Employer details
Employer name
NELFT North East London Foundation Trust
Address
Franklins Way Surgery
2 Franklins Way
Wickford
SS11 8AU
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