Job responsibilities

Core Responsibilities:

• To adhere to National and local standards and guidelines relating to Professional Practice (CQ3 and HCPC)
• To be aware of and adhere to current legislation and employer procedures relating to the post
• To demonstrate commitment to personal development and acquisition of further skills and knowledge
• To keep abreast of research in the fields of dysphagia and communication disorders
• To be responsible for collecting own work statistics in accordance with ECCH policy
• To be responsible for managing own time appropriately
• To be responsible for managing defined caseloads
• To supervise work with junior colleagues, volunteers and assistants where appropriate
• To inform clients /carers/ other professionals of strategies which enable individuals to achieve optimal communication and swallowing potential.
• To be responsible for student observation
• To be able to support student placements when required
• To be able to work as a Practice Educator
• To be responsible for assessment, differential diagnosis, goal setting, formulation of treatment plans, writing assessment and reports, providing appropriate intervention, including self-management plans and evaluating the treatment outcomes for each individual patient.
• To screen, prioritise, assess, review, discharge individual patients as part of caseload management
• To review and discharge individual patients
• To seek second opinions when necessary
• To make onward referrals when necessary
• To accept support from designated colleagues
• Offer clinical support to junior colleagues
• To offer advice and education to carers and significant others about individual patients, and demonstrates practical procedures when appropriate
• To attend and contribute to staff and team meetings.
• To contribute to local and national audit and quality measures
• To highlight and request equipment necessary for caseload management

Indicative Features:

Teaching Training and Clinical Supervision

• Regular access to department supervision system for clinical support
• Attend and participate in a programme of in-service training and provide training to junior colleagues, volunteers, assistants, professionals/carers, as part of the adult SLT training programme. Educate SLT students and other professional students by offering example-setting and by observation and explanation.
• Support junior colleagues in the planning & delivery of training.

Clinical Advice and Interpretation or Action

• Recognises own professional boundaries and seeks advice and support
• Provides advice and information to patients and their carers, health service professionals, and staff working with the client e.g. Social worker.
• Identifies need for onward referrals eg to ENT, Gastroenterology, Videofluoroscopy

Specialist Experience

• On full practise register (HCPC)
• Supported by experienced staff to develop skills in all areas when support is required
• Access second opinions.
• To provide support to junior colleagues

Complexity

• On-going professional support in all areas when required
• Manages own caseload and increased complexity of cases
• May work in more than one location, which may include home visits, clinics and community hospitals.

Resource Management, Planning and Policy Making

• Manages own time efficiently
• Responsible and accountable for own clinic equipment.
• Contributes to discussion on service planning and policy as a member of his/her team

Research, Evaluation and Development

• Keeps professionally up to date in the field/s in which working.
• Ensures own practice is safe and appropriate.
• Evaluates own performance through outcome measures.
• May provide data for others' research.
• Participates in clinical audit activities.

Staff Management and Leadership

• May direct junior colleagues, SLT assistants or volunteers
• To be aware of content of the HR policies and how this applies to their area of responsibility

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role.

Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word 'CARE'. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised qualification in Speech & Language Therapy
• Registered member of HCPC
• Dysphagia Trained

Desirable

• A broad and varied range of clinical experience including communication, dysphagia, acute and community settings
• Experience of working in an acute and/or community setting

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a community setting

Additional Criteria

Essential

• SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
• Highly developed auditory & perceptual skills for use in all areas of practice
• Ability to identify and describe use of appropriate assessments for all client groups
• Keep abreast of Adult Speech and Language Therapy research related to likely patient medical presentation and how it can impact on swallowing and/or communication
• Up to date knowledge and willingness to maintain in acquired neurological conditions and their impact
• Ability to plan treatment packages for clients with communication difficulties
• Dysphagia trained
• Ability to apply knowledge Band 6 clinical issues/developments to clinical practice
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients with communication impairment
• Ability to identify own strengths and needs in relation to post
• Ability to form relationships with clients and parents/carers/family
• Ability to work well within a team
• Good knowledge of legal requirements/government initiatives which may influence practice
• Awareness of the importance and usefulness of measuring the impact of therapy
• Ability to support acquisition of AAC with external agencies
• PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
• Punctual and reliable
• Able to begin to organise work load and manage time
• Able to maintain intense concentration in all aspects of patient management
• Able to identify when to seek support
• Able to convey complex condition related information clearly to clients and other professionals in written and verbal form.
• Friendly and approachable
• Able to appreciate and use good humour appropriately within work
• Able to manage emotional consequences of working with patients with a range of conditions/needs
• Resilient and has an awareness of the biological and psycho social influences which may impact on work with clients, and may also have an impact on the way the multi-disciplinary team functions
• Accepts and follows advice and guidance
• Understands the importance of self-awareness and reflection
• Willing to support colleagues and work collaboratively
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.
• Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours:
• (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together)

Desirable

• Qualified practice educator
• Has basic counselling skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).