Job summary

Barts Health NHS Trust has an exciting opportunity for a Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist interested in working across Acute Medicine, Stroke Services and Waltham Forest Community settings to join our friendly and supportive SLT team at Whipps Cross Hospital. The Adult SLT services at Barts Health NHS Trust consists of 5 hospital sites and 3 community services across culturally diverse and lively East London.

This post holder will develop knowledge and skills in the assessment, management and rehabilitation of patients with acquired communication and/ or swallowing difficulties, as a result of stroke and/ or acquired medical conditions, across the acute inpatient wards, designated Stroke unit and community settings.

This post will provide a newly qualified SLT with regular 1:1 supervision, joint clinical sessions, in-house training and peer supervision. There are also excellent CPD opportunities within the SLT service, and as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team, within the UK's largest NHS Trust.

This post provides an excellent opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic Band 5 SLT to achieve key competencies in the assessment and management of acquired swallowing and/or communication difficulties across a range of aetiologies, with a view to becoming a confident, highly- skilled independent practitioner.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as a member of the Speech & Language Therapy (SLT) Department at Whipps Cross Hospital providing a service to adults with acquired communication, swallowing and cognitive impairment associated with a variety of acute and chronic disorders (neurological, respiratory, and other medical conditions) across acute inpatient wards, on the inpatient stroke unit, and in Waltham Forest Community settings.

The post holder will receive regular supervision by a senior Speech & Language Therapist and will be supported to develop their skills in assessment, treatment and management of swallowing and communication disorders both in hospital and community settings.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key result areas

• To assess, differentially diagnose and manage adults referred with acquired communication and/or swallowing problems under the support and supervision of senior SLT as appropriate across acute inpatient, stroke inpatient and community settings
• To liaise with patients, and carers including them in assessment, education and treatment as appropriate
• To liaise effectively with multi-disciplinary colleagues within and outside the Trust regarding patient management and service issues as required
• To carry out administrative tasks as required, in line with departmental and national guidelines
• To participate in departmental projects, audits and meetings
• To participate in the provision of clinical placements to SLT students within the department if one year post qualified.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health & Care Professions Council - License to Practice

Desirable

• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. This can be from placement, however examples of development of core skills in this area must be demonstrated.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

• Experience working with clients from multicultural/lingual backgrounds and working with interpreters
• SLT post graduate experience of working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders.
• Experience working in the community
• Experience working with SLT assistants & students

Skills

Essential

• Adapts communication level to the needs of the listener e.g. patient/ consultant/family member
• Excellent interpersonal skills; including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Good negotiation and Problem solving Skills
• Demonstrates strengths in building rapport with key stake holders within the SLT team and wider MDT
• Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills
• Well-developed concentration skills
• Good presentation skills, both written and verbal
• Good organisational skills
• Basic computer literacy skills
• Ability to work independently and to take initiative
• Ability to acknowledge the need for, and to seek support (when required)
• Ability to prioritise workload demands
• A commitment to professional development with awareness of developmental needs
• A willingness to update skills regularly

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and demonstration of assessment tools and therapeutic interventions relevant to acquired communication/swallowing disorders in adults including aphasia, cognitive-communication disorder, apraxia, dysarthria and dysphagia.
• Knowledge of national policies, procedures and current research relevant to adult neurology, stroke, frailty, respiratory, and other long term health conditions.
• Knowledge of cultural and linguistic issues in working with a multi-cultural caseload
• Awareness of the principles of clinical governance /audit
• Awareness of the role of other professionals
• Awareness of standards of record keeping

Desirable

• Experience of Quality Improvement and service development projects

Other

Essential

• Demonstrates ability to be a good team member
• Ability to contribute to student placements

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

259-5312163WXH