This new post offers the right candidate an exciting opportunity to scope and develop an innovative service model for patients experiencing swallowing and/or communication difficulties associated with acute mental health. Working closely with colleagues in Dietetics and the Mental Health MDT, the post holder will develop appropriate training resources to support safer eating and drinking principles and effective communication strategies for this setting. He/she will provide specialist clinical intervention as required. The therapist will direct the work of a Dietetics/SLT Assistant and establish an integrated model of good practice in this setting which may be more widely replicated across acute services. The successful candidate will be well supported by SLT colleagues and the wider MDT, particularly around the delivery of project milestones and outcome evaluation.

This post is fixed term/secondment for 8 months to meet the needs of the service. If you are interested in applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be the Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist working on the acute inpatient mental health wards in Hafan y Coed in Cardiff & Vale University Health Board. He/she will have specific responsibility for scoping the swallowing and communication needs of this cohort, and will manage a highly specialist caseload of patients in this setting who present with a wide range of highly complex communication/swallowing problems. He/she will have a specific remit for the development and implementation of training packages for other professionals in the field of communication and dysphagia, and will provide highly specialist advice and second opinions to the MDT. The post holder will ensure the establishment of the speech and language therapy role and the development of collaborative practices as part of the multidisciplinary teams, liaising with different agencies and disciplines, and clinically managing the caseload and the clinical team in their area of responsibility. He/she will undertake best practice projects, complex audits and research initiatives, provide training/supervision of SLT students, undertake teaching/training of qualified professionals including speech and language therapists in the specialist area, and provide clinical supervision and mentoring for more junior speech and language therapists and assistants. In liaison with the Dietetians, the therapist will develop and line manage the role of Dietetic/SLT Assistant in this setting.

About us

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together, and our vision is that every person's chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Speech & Language Therapy professional qualification.
• HCPC Registration.
• Post Graduate training in dysphagia.

Esperience

Essential

• Significant experience of working with a range of communication/swallowing problems.
• Multidisciplinary team working.
• Teaching/training of speech & language therapists and others.

Desirable

• Service improvement

Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skill
• Excellent time management
• Using negotiating skills in a variety of situations

Desirable

• Project management
• Ability to speak Welsh

Personal qualities

Essential

• Motivated & enthusiastic
• Team player
• Holistic approach
• Able to use own initiative

Employer details

Employer name

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Address

Hafen y Coed, University Hospital of Llandough

Penlan Road

Penarth

CF64 2XX

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

001-AHP127-0724