Would you like to join a highly experienced, supportive and innovative Speech and Language Therapy Team providing a high profile and respected service to acute wards at Southmead Hospital, Bristol?

We are looking for a suitably experienced candidate for a fixed term role on acute wards. The exact caseload is yet to be confirmed but is likely to be across complex care (general medicine) and neurosurgery. There is a possibility of extension of this post beyond 12 months.

You will need to have strong dysphagia experience across a range of pathways, have excellent communication skills and be committed to MDT working. You will be part of a large acute team with well established videofluoroscopy and FEES services and opportunities for in house clinical development and involvement in project work.

Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) assessment, diagnosis and treatment to adults with communication and swallowing difficulties resulting from major trauma, neurosurgical, acquired neurological and medical disorders
• This post is likely to cover complex care, general medical and neurosurgery wards
• To manage an inpatient caseload as appropriate
• To liaise about patients with the multidisciplinary hospital team and relevant primary care professionals and agencies as appropriate.
• If working with patients in high dependency beds, to manage patients with tracheostomy
• To pursue and acquire ongoing knowledge and expertise for practice with adults with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties.
• To be a member of the specialist SLT team providing assessment, advice and rehabilitation services to adults with communication and swallowing difficulties as a result of stroke, acquired neurological diseases, neurosurgical procedures, medical decline and other long-term conditions.

About us

NBT Cares. It's a very simple statement one which epitomises how everybody across our organisation goes the extra mile to ensure our patients get the best possible care.

Cares stands for Caring, Ambitious, Respectful and Supportive:

• Caring - because it underpins everything we do for our patients and the way we care for one another
• Ambitious - because it signals that we always want to improve what we do on behalf of our patients and one another
• Respectful - because every individual has an important role to play
• Supportive - because we're a team and deliver together

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical:

To have responsibility and accountability for the management of own clinical caseload, including referrals, management and discharge decisions, within own level of competence and with appropriate clinical support.

To assess and analyse type, severity and impact of all conditions of speech, language and communication impairments in a wide range of adult patients, through a variety of formal and informal assessments/information gathering methods.

To record and interpret personally generated clinical observations and provide feedback for clients/carers/professionals and relevant others.

To provide differential diagnosis, clinical advice and care plans/therapy to clients with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties, which includes analysis of facts and a comparison of a range of options for appropriate intervention.

To recommend appropriate referral for specialist videofluoroscopy (VF) examinations or Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) as appropriate.

If working with patients in critical care or high dependency beds, manage patients with tracheostomies or ventilator dependence as part of an MDT

Where appropriate, to undertake training in videofluoroscopy and FEES and to carry out these assessments with support from a senior colleague

Education, Research and Development

To seek advice and support when necessary from more senior colleagues, further developing skills in the management of stroke, medical disorders, especially elderly care, neurological diseases and neurosurgical conditions

To attend regular clinical supervision sessions

To participate in multi/ inter disciplinary and interagency team building where appropriate.

To participate in the development and delivery of patient/carer education programmes, as needed.

To participate in local clinical governance/audit/research projects by providing data as required and being part of relevant working groups as appropriate.

Service Evaluation and Planning

To participate in service evaluation and development initiatives within the Acute and Outpatient Adult SLT teams

Person Specification

Education, training and qualifications

Essential

• Health Professions Council (HPC) Licence to Practise
• Completion of post-basic dysphagia training and aphasia training
• Recognised RCSLT degree level qualification

Work experience

Essential

• Relevant post qualification experience in working with adults who have communication and swallowing difficulties related to stroke, acquired neurological disease and injury, medical disorders and elderly care
• Experience of an adult acute/inpatient caseload

Desirable

• Experience of participation in clinical training, including other professionals and users
• Experience of working in critical care or a high dependency unit with patients with tracheostomies

Knowledge, skills, abilities

Essential

• Knowledge of communication and swallowing disorders in stroke, acquired neurology, medical conditions and elderly care underpinned by current evidence-based practice
• Knowledge of and skills in AAC
• Awareness of the specialist videofluoroscopy and FEES examination in relation to management of patients with swallowing disorders
• Ability to work as a member of multi / interdisciplinary teams including interdisciplinary goal setting
• Ability to identify own specialist professional development needs and portfolio within the appraisal framework and reflect on practice
• Ability to structure clear care plans based on best practice and integrating psychosocial, physical, emotional and environmental factors within a holistic patient centred approach
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of the role of SLT in critical care

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to use initiative and work independently
• Flexible and enthusiastic approach to work and colleagues

Employer details

Employer name

North Bristol NHS Trust

Address

Southmead Hospital

Westbury-on -Trym

Bristol

BS10 5NB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

339-SRD3749