Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Dysphagia

Job summary

This job is currently only open to people who already work for the NHS in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly. o Cornwall Foundation Trust o Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust o Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board If you do not currently work for one of these NHS organisations, your application will not be considered at this time.

We are seeking an experienced Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) to lead the development and delivery of our Dysphagia pathway within the Learning Disability Team in West Cornwall.

The post holder will drive the development of Dysphagia services and clinical practice, ensuring high-quality care and effective interventions for adults with learning disabilities. They will take responsibility for reviewing and maintaining the Dysphagia pathway, supporting colleagues across the wider SaLT service to apply it confidently and consistently.

They will provide highly specialist Dysphagia assessment and intervention, including for individuals with complex presentations. Working autonomously, they will deliver detailed diagnostic outcomes and treatment plans based on advanced clinical reasoning.

The post holder will also offer clinical supervision and/or line management across the service and provide face-to-face second opinions when required.

Working with the area team lead, they will establish and maintain a highly specialist community caseload, ensuring responsive Dysphagia care across West Cornwall.

Main duties of the job

• To be instrumental in the on-going development of Dysphagia services and practices within Learning Disability Team to provide high quality care and interventions.
• To provide a highly specialist Learning Disability dysphagia service, performing advanced assessment of patients including those with highly complex presentations and from this formulating a diagnosis and treatment plan, carried out as an autonomous practitioner. Will have acquired specialist knowledge in specialist area.
• Maintain an agreed case load within in their clinical specialism, performing advanced assessment of patients including those with highly complex presentations including Eating & Drinking with Acknowledged Risks (EDAR).
• Formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan, which is carried out as an autonomous practitioner.
• Support team management as required within defined area of responsibility ensuring that these services meet the requirements and targets agreed with the Trust, working in partnership with a range of key stakeholders in support of Learning Disability SLT Team lead and MDT.
• To assume clinical responsibility for allocated staff team and the management and provision of quality evidence based Dysphagia intervention, advice, support and care for services users and their carers within the learning disabilities service.

About us

We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increase the numbers of people who use out services.