Due to new investment in the team, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join our Learning Disability Service in Northamptonshire. (Band 5 developmental may be considered) This is a full-time substantive post (37.5 hours a week) but flexible working will be considered. You will work as part of the Community Team for People with Learning Disability which has bases in Northampton and Kettering.

Main duties of the job

As part of the specialist multidisciplinary team, you will assess and provide support and intervention to people with a learning disability who have communication difficulties and / or eating and drinking needs. You will work in collaboration with the person, their circle of support and other relevant professionals and services to enhance, optimise and maintain the person's quality of life, addressing barriers to communication and health inequalities.

You will need to be passionate about working with people who have a learning disability and have experience of working as an effective and responsible member of a multi-disciplinary team. Experience of working with people with learning disabilities is essential as is experience of AAC. You will also need to be dysphagia trained or committed to undertake training in dysphagia.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact:

Georgia Frith (Speech and Language Therapy Lead North) on 07885 977058, or

About us

We can offer you a friendly and dynamic team environment, with a commitment to continuing professional development. You will be part of an established Speech and Language Therapy team within community learning disability services across Northamptonshire, who will provide regular clinical supervision and peer support.

The Northamptonshire Community Team for People with Learning Disability delivers specialist multi-disciplinary healthcare to adults who have a learning disability presenting with physical health needs, a mental illness and / or challenging behaviour. The service provided is person centred and tailored to the individual and their environment, taking into account their ethnic and cultural backgrounds and needs. We provide this through direct support, joint working with other services and / or through offering consultancy to other professionals involved.

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Job description Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification Qualifications and training Essential

• Recognised SALT qualification (degree or postgraduate diploma)
• HCPC registered RCSLT member
• Successful completion of RCSLT newly qualified practitioner competencies

Desirable

• Completion of specialist short courses in AAC
• Completion of specialist short courses in challenging behaviour/positive behaviour support
• Successful completion of dysphagia competencies -specialist short course/ in-house training and log of supervised hours

Experience Essential

• Working with people with learning disabilities
• Working with people with eating and drinking difficulties
• Working with AAC
• Working as part of MDT
• Planning, delivery and evaluation of training

Desirable

• Supervision of assistants/ volunteers/ junior therapists or other supervision experience

Skills, knowledge and abilities Essential

• Able to carry out a specialist assessment, formulate a diagnosis and use therapy approaches appropriate to clients with complex needs
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ability to make reasonable adjustments as required
• Able to drive and has access to a car for work

Desirable

• Knowledge of national policies affecting people with learning disabilities/challenging behaviour

Behaviours and values Essential

• Passion for / interest in working with people with learning disabilities

Desirable

• Positivity and strength based approach and person centred values
• Evidence of maintaining knowledge of latest evidence and best practice in Speech and Language Therapy and learning disabilities

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

270-TD474-MH-B