*Band 5 development post considered*

This is an exciting opportunity to be involved within a small dynamic team of community speech and language therapists caring for patients in West Essex.

Are you caring, empowering and willing to learn ?

If so this could be the job for you!

We are looking for a well-motivated, forward thinking and knowledgeable Speech and Language therapist who is looking for the opportunity to demonstrate and further their clinical skills and join our small, friendly, progressive team. The position involves general community working and includes a voice and head and neck community caseload, with some multi-disciplinary working alongside external ENT teams, with the opportunity to progress in this specialism.

You will provide communication and dysphagia support to adults with acquired difficulties, and their carers, throughout West Essex. Our varied caseload includes neurological conditions, ENT, mental health and end of life and we offer a variety of interventions including LSVT LMT and carer training.

Patients are provided with a service in a variety of settings appropriate to their needs, including care homes, patients' homes, outpatient clinics, community inpatient wards.

We can offer exceptional education, training and development opportunities.

Car driver essential

Main duties of the job

The post holder will deliver community based speech and language therapy services as a member of West Essex Community Health Service Integrated Care Teams, providing specialist speech and language therapy services to patients and carers of those with an acquired disorder of communication and/or dysphagia to support those living with long term conditions. The caseload will include community in-patient, domiciliary and clinic based activity for patients with a wide range of conditions affecting communication and swallow function such as stroke, MND, Parkinson's Disease, dementia, voice and head and neck cancer.

The post holder will initially be based at St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, but may be required to provide services across West Essex.

The post holder will assist the Lead SLTs in developing services for patients, carers and staff, including supervision, education and training programmes.

The post holder will provide clinical support to more junior colleagues working in the team

The post holder will independently manage the caseload of adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders, actively initiating and participating in the interdisciplinary decision making around patient care and developing service delivery initiatives.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. The post holder will independently manage the caseload of adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders, actively initiating and participating in the interdisciplinary decision making around patient care and developing service delivery initiatives.

2. The post holder will maintain an overview of the competing demands for speech and language therapy service, managing service delivery and keeping their line manager informed of pressures to self and service, prioritising the caseload and administrative workload to meet capacity demands.

3. The post holder will be responsible for organising the speech and language therapy service in accordance with Departmental and Trust policies and procedures

4. The post holder will apply evidence-based practice in order to manage a specific caseload of patients with complex needs under supervision.

Patient/Client Care

5. To undertake clinical work with adults with a wide range of acquired communication and swallowing difficulties to a high clinical standard.

6. The clinical work will include:

Assessing and diagnosing a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders, including diverse and multi-faceted pathologies

Planning appropriate therapy intervention, making fine judgements about type and timing of treatment negotiated with patients, carers and the MDT

Recommending and introducing low and high tech communication systems and resources

Delivering group and individual therapy as required

Providing advice and therapy programmes to carers and other health professionals

Managing patients and carers anxieties regarding intervention and prognosis

Evaluating treatment outcomes

Transferring and discharging

7. To assess, develop and implement specialist person centred programmes of intervention to meet the needs of clients on personal caseload. This requires the development of a high level of clinical competence within the field of acquired communication and swallowing disorders, reflecting on own practice and keeping abreast of significant advances in clinical care through attendance at courses, conferences, CENs and critical appraisal of journal articles.

8. To provide training and support to carers and relatives both individually and through group courses where appropriate, in order to facilitate effective communication with partners using total communication strategies

9. To maintain clinical records, and to write timely reports and correspondence for Health, Social Services and other colleagues reflecting specialist knowledge.

10. To provide specialist evidenced based advice to more junior speech and language therapists and other professionals working within the field on clinical issues in particular with regard to establishing safe practice in swallow management and developing a supportive communicative environment for those who are unable to meet their communication needs using verbal channels.

11. To identify patients requiring assessment from other MDT members and initiate referrals when appropriate.

12. To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment programmes where appropriate, participating in MD, as well as speech and language therapy goal setting and negotiate with others around case management in complex cases.

13. To work in close collaboration with the other Community Integrated Teams in order to facilitate the delivery of integrated therapy programmes including joint group therapy when appropriate.

14. To ensure that patients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of care plans wherever possible and to facilitate their meaningful involvement in planning their care with other team members. This will involve communicating complex information with skill and sensitivity, employing total communication strategies when required.

15. To work closely with patients carers and families, agreeing decision making relevant to the patients management.

16. To provide information on support networks, professional and voluntary, to patients and their families.

17. To identify the need for second opinions, referring patients to specialist therapists or centres after discussion with the line manager.

18. To initiate and take part in regular clinical review and supervision with other therapists both as a peer reviewer and supervisee

19. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme including identifying personal/professional development evidenced by CPD Portfolio and planning training needs with line manager

Person Specification

essential

Essential

• recognised speech and language therapy degree or equivalent
• evidence of post graduate training in dysphagia
• evidence of experience in aphasia,progressive neurological and mental health disorders
• good understanding of communication and swallowing disorders
• NHS experience
• advanced communication skills
• excellent interpersonal skills

Desirable

• evidence of CPD

desirable

Essential

• member of relevant clinical excellence networks
• relevant post graduate clinical experience

interest in voice and head and neck cancer with some knowledge

Desirable

• interest and some experience/awareness of voice, head and neck

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Margarets's Hospital

The Plain

Epping

CM16 6TN

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

364-A-8079