Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is looking for an ambitious, enthusiastic and experienced senior Speech & Language Therapist to join our SLT service of over 40 SLTs Trust-wide, to lead the SLT Adult Acute team and service on the Charing Cross Hospital site.

The post provides essential expert clinical care and leadership to 7.3wte SLT/SLTAs to deliver an evidence based, responsive service to adults admitted with swallowing and communication difficulties across the site. This includes all admissions, critical care, medical and surgical beds, including neurology and neurosurgery, with the exception of our stroke and H& N cancer/ENT units which are managed by dedicated SLT stroke and SLT H& N/ENT teams.

You will have a clinical caseload to manage alongside the operational and team leadership responsibilities associated with the delivery of a safe, evidenced based and quality service. You will contribute to instrumental assessments including FEES (flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) and/or videofluoroscopy (xray of swallow). You will be fully engaged in SLT, therapies and wider MDT training and service improvement agendas.

The successful candidate will be a speech and language therapist with significant experience in the assessment and management of acquired swallowing and communication difficulties within the acute hospital setting, with the ability to apply expertise to site-based specialities.

Main duties of the job

• This job description is for clinical lead therapists who will lead uni or integrated therapy teams on one or more hospital sites and/or community for Medicine, Surgery & Cancer, Neurosciences, Outpatients, Nutrition & Dietetics, Speech & Language Therapy and Children's therapies.
• This post relates specifically to the Clinical Lead Specialist SLT for Adult Acute based at Charing Cross Hospital (CXH), overseeing a team of SLTs providing a service to adult patients with communication and swallowing impairments admitted to the site.
• The SLT Adult Acute team covers all admission units, critical care, medical and surgical beds, including neurology and neurosurgery (but excluding hyper-acute and acute stroke units, neuro-rehabilitation unit and H& N cancer/ENT wards as these are covered by SLT teams dedicated to these areas).
• The SLT Adult Acute team supports the site's SLT-led instrumental dysphagia assessment service to inpatients (videofluoroscopy and FEES) as well as an outpatient videofluoroscopy clinic.
• The post-holder is supported by the Clinical Service Lead for Adult SLT, and receives peer support from a number of clinical lead SLT colleagues overseeing other speciality services across the Trust, and clinical lead therapy colleagues on site. The service also receives academic support from the Clinical Academic SLT..

About us

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care. Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities. We encourage staff to have the Covid vaccination to protect themselves, patients, other colleagues as well as the wider community.

Please note it is an operational requirement to comply with infection prevention and control procedures within the Trust such as lateral flow testing, handwashing and the wearing of masks, according to the procedures in place at any time or location.

As part of our continued response to Covid19 we are still conducting the majority of our interviews virtually.

We welcome discussions about flexible working and encourage a range of flexible working opportunities wherever we can.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert

Person Specification

Education/ qualifications

Essential

• Post Graduate Diploma / Degree in Speech & Language Therapy
• Health and Care Professions Council registration.
• Evidence of experience /post graduate training and education to Masters level or equivalent and CPD relevant to speciality area
• Evidence of structured training on appraisal and supervisory skills
• Leadership/ Management training

Desirable

• Masters or PhD degree in relevant subject
• Membership of relevant professional groups relevant Specialist interest group

Skills/knowledge/ abilities

Essential

• Expert clinical reasoning skills in the appropriate application of a range of techniques and approaches to the management of the relevant clinical area.
• To lead, inspire motivate and empower teams using effective clinical leadership qualities in an integrated service
• Ability to mentor, coach and support patients, staff and colleagues.
• Effective resolution of professional ethical issues
• Good communication skills

Desirable

• Advanced computer skills.
• Evidence of presentation at national level

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience post qualification with evidenced experience at a senior level within relevant speciality (adult acute care, in particular complex dysphagia management, including instrumental assessments, with ability to apply to areas of critical care, neurology/neurosurgery, acute admissions, and general medical and surgical specialties.
• Experience of incident investigation and implementation of change of practice as a result
• Significant success in multidisciplinary/multi agency working.
• Experience of supporting a culture of research awareness

Desirable

• Experience at Band 8a level

Employer details

Employer name

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Address

Trustwide

London

W6 8RF

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

290-MIC-787