The Adult Speech and Language Therapy Team in South Devon have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and dynamic Band 5 Therapist to join our friendly and supportive team in a full time, permanent post with the opportunity to rotate across our Acute, Community and Stroke Teams.

We are located in beautiful South Devon with easy access to Dartmoor National Park , the South West Coastal path and some fantastic beaches offering a great quality of life. The cities of Exeter and Plymouth are also only a short hop away.

You can look forward to:

A well-established and experienced team of SLTs who are dedicated to supporting staff and encouraging career development.

A supportive clinical supervision and appraisal structure.

Friendly colleagues with a range of specialist knowledge and expertise, and open to new ideas or perspectives.

Regular opportunities for CPD.

Access to FEES clinics which run weekly

Access to Videofluoroscopy clinics and in-house training for competencies and MBSImp.

Involvement in clinical trials such as PHEAST.

As a successful candidate, you will have a recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree and HCPC registration.

You will demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to support the individual needs of patients and families, working together with other professionals.

With support, you will organise, plan and prioritise your own workload, and develop appropriate strategies for caseload management.

Main duties of the job

The provision of a speech and language therapy service to adults with speech, language and communication needs and to adults with acquired dysphagia (with access to advice from more experienced and specialist speech & language therapists) in an inpatient and/or community setting

To be responsible for assessment, diagnosis and development and implementation of treatment programmes for personal/shared caseload with access to clinical supervision and advice from senior colleagues and relevant others

Assist in the setting up and running of training courses for hospital staff, other professionals, patients and carers

To be responsible for own case notes, writing in the medical and ward notes, and report writing for a range of purposes and contributing to the multidisciplinary goal planning process

To be responsible for the supervision and support of SLT assistants and volunteers

Enabling people to make their own choices about what matters to them

This post involves no budgetary responsibility

About us

Why Work With Us

We are a small, friendly team working across the acute, adult learning disability and community settings. We are an innovative and motivated team with a supportive and collaborative environment which offers:

• the opportunity to work with a varied caseload including dementia, stroke, Parkinson's and MND
• Joint working and second opinions with our clinical specialists
• the opportunity to work in different settings to develop/ extend your range of experience at band 5 level.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Maintain close collaboration with other members of the multidisciplinary team through joint working and effective communication regarding treatment aims, progress and discharge planning (providing written reports and referrals as appropriate) under the supervision of more experienced specialist speech & language therapists

Provide appropriate and timely information to all relevant members of the healthcare team regarding patients rehabilitative requirements and changes in progress and communicate condition-related information to clients, carers, families and members of the MDT in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include the use of facilitative strategies for people with communication and/or cognitive disorders and other barriers to understanding

To be responsible for updating notes within the patients care setting, departmental notes, and a range of report writing for dissemination of findings to appropriate professionals and relevant others

To contribute to clinical teams, both multi and uni-disciplinary, by discussing and negotiating own and others input around patients needs, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan and pathway. To ensure patients and families are aware of voluntary and support agencies

Analytical and judgemental skills

To identify, collect, analyse, and interpret complex case related information and data from medical notes, patients, carers and other relevant sources to reach an accurate diagnosis with access to support from more experienced specialist Speech & Language therapists

To undertake a range of formal and informal assessments, including analysis of swallowing, understanding and use of voice, grammar, vocabulary, speech sounds, fluency, social use of language, patient/carer interaction and non-verbal communication, and make judgements from these concerning prioritisation and future management

To reach differential diagnoses based on assimilated evidence from formal and informal assessments including psychological and social factors (some of which may be conflicting) and with reference to normal and abnormal functioning and research evidence

To seek second opinions and support from more experienced colleagues as and when necessary, and be aware of the need to refer on for further medical investigations

To have autonomy for prioritisation, management and discharge of patients in relation to complex caseload

Responsibility for patient/client care, treatment and therapy

To be responsible for ensuring patients safety about eating and drinking and communication by assessing, monitoring and updating, and communicating details of safe practice to the patient, medical and ward staff, and carers, ensuring that recommendations are clearly documented

To participate in the triage process with access to supervision from more experienced SLT colleagues

To be aware of extended assessment techniques i.e. video fluoroscopy (X ray) examination/FEES and to seek support from more experienced specialist SLTs in determining the appropriacy of these investigations to appropriate SLT treatment

To decide on appropriate treatment programmes for individuals or groups, matched to individual patient/family need and to adapt and modify management options based on developing clinical expertise and discussion with more experienced specialist colleagues, ensuring that patient/carers/multi-disciplinary team are fully involved in the decision-making process

To assess the need for alternative and augmentative means of communication and to create personalised low- tech communication systems such as communication booklets and charts, and train and support patients and carers in their effective use

To be aware of high -tech electronic communication systems with developing knowledge of when these are required to meet patient needs. To provide training of patients, carers, other members of MDT in the effective use of the highly complex equipment under the supervision of the AAC specialist to use highly developed communication skills and reassurance when explaining complex and sensitive information to the full range of levels in understanding of patients and carers

Policy and Service Responsibility

Contribute to the development of care guidelines, protocols and evidence-base in order to inform practice

Participate in team and department audit activity and peer review to ensure best practice

Provide supervision and support to SLT assistants and volunteers

Please see full job description

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

Essential

• oDegree or equivalent in speech and language therapy

Qualifications and training

Essential

• oHCPC Registration
• oEvidence of on-going education and professional development
• oRCSLT Level C dysphagia competencies (completed)

Desirable

• oRCSLT accredited post-graduate dysphagia training

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• oDemonstrate excellent knowledge of SLCD differential diagnosis in adult neuro client group
• oDemonstrate an understanding of multidisciplinary team working and individual roles
• oCommitment to evidence-based practice

Desirable

• oEvidence of special knowledge/interest in aphasia and/or motor speech disorders

Specific skills

Essential

• oAutonomous practitioner with experience of managing patients independently
• oExperience in dysphagia management
• oEvidence of CPD

Desirable

• oExperience of working with Long term conditions

Employer details

Employer name

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Torbay Hospital

Lowes Bridge

Torquay

TQ2 7AA

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

388-6516873-AHP