An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the trusts Team of the Year 2022 Herefordshire Community Learning Disability Team.

The Speech and Language Team across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are innovative in our service delivery using a mix of face-to-face visits, remote working, and social media to support service users. Check out our Facebook page or Website, just search LDSLT! We meet remotely each week to offer peer support and look at clinical/service issues, developing resources and regular CPD through journal club, training sessions and face to face away days.

The Trust offer mobile and flexible working and full equipment provided for home working. Due to the rural landscape of the county, you must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role but there also are good public transport links to the main base.

The Trust support its staff with a range of benefits including car leasing, health and wellbeing support, carer passports and staff networks e.g LGBTQ+. You will be joining a small but committed team and will receive regular individual and group supervision, training, and support within this role to help transfer your skills and develop competencies in this specialist field.

Main duties of the job

You will provide assessment, diagnosis and develop bespoke therapy plans for those presenting with communication difficulties and/ or dysphagia arising from a range of conditions related to a learning disability. Work with families, carers, and provider services in a variety of settings as needed to enable good outcomes. This may be creating communication passports, AAC both low and high tech and promoting Inclusive and Total Communication, Intensive Interaction, or dysphagia mealtime plan.

The post specifically requires specialist knowledge for the clinical specialities of long- term conditions, genetic and neurological conditions related to learning disabilities and dysphagia.

About us

We are community hospitals, neighbourhood teams and community health services across Worcestershire and the provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. We work in partnership with other organisations to keep our community well at home for as long as possible.

We provide services for people of all ages, across a range of settings, experiencing both physical and/or mental health conditions.

We have an open and supportive culture, recognised by the CQC and other external regulators. We want you to thrive, offering you every opportunity to develop. We will support you help you fulfil your ambitions with a varied and flexible training programme and empower you to make positive changes within your team or service. We endeavour to offer an attractive work-life balance, with flexibility in our approach to help you get the most out of your career.

We provide our staff with direct access to a wealth of resources to support their wellbeing including wellbeing festivals and access to free online exercise classes.

At the core of our values, we are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights. We take every opportunity to strengthen our approach to equality and diversity in delivering best patient care and the employment of our staff.

We would encourage you to visit the Trusts Recruitment Microsite, click the Employer Website link.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Be responsible for more than one client group across a range of outpatient and community settings.
• Assess, develop, and implement specialist Speech and Language Therapy treatment.
• Make a differential diagnosis based on evidence from assessment, seeking advice as appropriate.
• Use specialist knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements/decision-making for case management.
• Provide advice to others regarding the management and care of patients with communication disorder and/or with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).
• Possess advanced level professional qualification in dysphagia management or a comparable level of competence.
• Demonstrate effectiveness by the use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
• Communicate in suitable accessible format to patients, carers, and members of multi-professional teams.
• Ensure that patients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible.
• Write reports reflecting specialist knowledge.
• Employ counselling skills with patients/carers with highly complex needs.
• Negotiate with patients, carers, staff and others around individual case management.
• Demonstrate ability to adapt practice to meet individual circumstances
• Demonstrate ability to reflect on practice and facilitate this ability in others
• Identify personal/professional development evidenced by Personal Development Plan developed within the appraisal framework, when required, including objectives relating to clinical specialisms.
• Maintain up to date HCPC registration and RCSLT membership.

For full details of the duties and criteria for the role please refer to the job description and person specification attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Attainment of degree or equivalent, giving eligibility to practice as a Speech & Language Therapist
• Evidence of recent CPD relevant to this post
• Attainment of formal dysphagia competencies allowing independent assessment, treatment and full case management with this client group
• Attainment of RCSLT NQP Competencies Framework allowing full membership of RCSLT
• Current HCPC Registration
• Current RCSLT Membership
• I understand that I will be asked to provide original certificates to verify my qualifications at point of offer

Experience

Essential

• Experience of assessment, diagnosis and full case management of adults with a learning disability with communication disorders and dysphagia, in a range of settings
• Recent clinical experience in the areas of specialist knowledge relevant for this post
• Experience of delivering related training to other professionals

Desirable

• Sign along
• AAC knowledge
• Intensive Interaction
• Easy Read understanding

Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrable current knowledge of assessment, treatment and case management for adult clients with complex speech and language disorders and dysphagia.
• Good working knowledge of current national and local NHS and RCSLT requirements and initiatives relating to the remit of this post.
• Knowledge of the professional standards of documentation.
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and audit.
• A clear understanding of the confidential nature of the work.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• A flexible approach to working across sites across the County.
• Willingness to undertake relevant training and updating.
• Able to meet the travel requirements of the role.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Ability to challenge poor behaviour.
• Role modelling good behaviour.
• A positive attitude and able to act on feedback.
• Ability to praise and be supportive to others.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English and both verbal and written formats.
• Ability to work well as part of a team but also able to use own initiative.
• Ability to prioritise workload appropriately.
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent analytical and reflective skills
• Good negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Practical I.T. skills
• Good presentation skills (written and verbal)
• Good time management
• Good organisational ability and well-developed concentration skills

Employer details

Employer name

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Address

Liverpool Court

Commercial Road

Hereford

HR1 2BG

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

C9798-5265