Job summary
Band 8a Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist 0.8WTE - 5 months fixed term until October 2024.
We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced therapist who will be an expert clinician with the skills and commitment to support and further develop the team within our NICU services at our PRUH and Denmark Hill sites.
The therapist will join our well established Children's Therapy Multidisciplinary Team and join the senior Child Health therapy MDT and SLT Band 8 teams who strategically lead and grow the wider service across all King's sites.
King's College Hospital has a large Therapy department with over 400 therapists from Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy. Each service is organised under a Head of Profession with a Chief of Therapies heading up the service and representing Therapies across the Trust as well as externally. The department has a well-established provision of education and training, supervision and appraisal, ensuring that all staff have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and to reach their full potential.
For more information about this post please contact: Justine Vella - Head of Speech & Language Therapy: justinevella@nhs.net /07528977404
Main duties of the job
A Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist who delivers expert standards of practice and clinical care. Working across both our acute hospital sites, the post holder will lead the acute neonatal SLT team and participate in the outpatient neuro-developmental clinics across both sites with the other MDT clinical leads.
They will also provide clinical support & management to other areas of DH paediatric therapy as required.
About us
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.
King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reachis our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King's to another level.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities:
- To work at an advanced level in the field of neonatal speech and language therapy by receiving referrals and independently assessing and treating own caseload of patients, ensuring evaluation and progression of treatment programmes to a high standard, and in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways where they exist.
- In conjunction with the Neonatologists, Clinical Lead Therapists, and Outpatient Team, organise and manage specialist outpatient clinics for infants referred to the neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic service.
- To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical practice for patients under your management and to support more junior staff to do likewise.
- To have clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with highly complex and diverse conditions, and prioritise that work efficiently taking into account clinical and service priorities.
- To use advanced clinical assessment and reasoning skills and evidence based knowledge to assess patients with highly complex conditions, and to formulate prognoses and recommendations for the best form of intervention including e.g. Videofluoroscopy, ENT assessment.
- To formulate and deliver individual speech and language therapy treatment programmes based on advanced clinical knowledge of current practice, evidence based practice and treatment options.
- To analyse and interpret clinical and non-clinical facts which may be conflicting, and to provide expert advice and second opinion to the MDT, including peers and Consultants, and external organisations
- With appropriate training, to request and use the results of specialist investigations (e.g. endoscopy, VF) to assist with patient assessment and to plan the most appropriate patient management approach
- To recognise boundaries of own extended practice as it develops and to manage associated clinical risk at all times.
- To make appropriate referrals to other services and clinicians based on assessment and investigation findings, and by having an in-depth understanding of the role of others in the multidisciplinary team.
- To ensure effective discharge planning as part of a patients management, liaising with referrers and other members of the MDT as appropriate.
- To use advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to advise, guide and teach less experienced speech and language therapists, assistants and students in the assessment and management of patients and other aspects of clinical care, including record keeping.
- To liaise with Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Paediatricians, ENT consultants, Radiologists, GPs, Clinical Lead Therapists to formulate protocols/care pathways for the assessment and management of patients attending the specialist clinics.
- To manage clinical risk within own clinical caseload, and provide expert advice to contribute to the effective management of clinical risk within the speech a
- The post requires a flexible approach to working and a 7-day working pattern may be required, also cover of statutory and public holidays, maintaining the competency required to work as the sole speech and Language therapist within this clinical area.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities:
- To work at an advanced level in the field of neonatal speech and language therapy by receiving referrals and independently assessing and treating own caseload of patients, ensuring evaluation and progression of treatment programmes to a high standard, and in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways where they exist.
- In conjunction with the Neonatologists, Clinical Lead Therapists, and Outpatient Team, organise and manage specialist outpatient clinics for infants referred to the neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic service.
- To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical practice for patients under your management and to support more junior staff to do likewise.
- To have clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with highly complex and diverse conditions, and prioritise that work efficiently taking into account clinical and service priorities.
- To use advanced clinical assessment and reasoning skills and evidence based knowledge to assess patients with highly complex conditions, and to formulate prognoses and recommendations for the best form of intervention including e.g. Videofluoroscopy, ENT assessment.
- To formulate and deliver individual speech and language therapy treatment programmes based on advanced clinical knowledge of current practice, evidence based practice and treatment options.
- To analyse and interpret clinical and non-clinical facts which may be conflicting, and to provide expert advice and second opinion to the MDT, including peers and Consultants, and external organisations
- With appropriate training, to request and use the results of specialist investigations (e.g. endoscopy, VF) to assist with patient assessment and to plan the most appropriate patient management approach
- To recognise boundaries of own extended practice as it develops and to manage associated clinical risk at all times.
- To make appropriate referrals to other services and clinicians based on assessment and investigation findings, and by having an in-depth understanding of the role of others in the multidisciplinary team.
- To ensure effective discharge planning as part of a patients management, liaising with referrers and other members of the MDT as appropriate.
- To use advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to advise, guide and teach less experienced speech and language therapists, assistants and students in the assessment and management of patients and other aspects of clinical care, including record keeping.
- To liaise with Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Paediatricians, ENT consultants, Radiologists, GPs, Clinical Lead Therapists to formulate protocols/care pathways for the assessment and management of patients attending the specialist clinics.
- To manage clinical risk within own clinical caseload, and provide expert advice to contribute to the effective management of clinical risk within the speech a
- The post requires a flexible approach to working and a 7-day working pattern may be required, also cover of statutory and public holidays, maintaining the competency required to work as the sole speech and Language therapist within this clinical area.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working at senior level in acute paediatrics
- Experience of managing complex dysphagia
- Experience of managing videofluoroscopy
- Managed children presenting with acquired language disorders
Communication
Essential
- Demonstrate good spoken communication
- Demonstrate good written communication
Education and Qualification
Essential
- HCPC recognised Diploma, Batchelor's or Masters qualification in Speech & Language Therapy
- Registration with the HCPC as a Speech & Language Therapist
- Post graduate education in the assessment, treatment & management of patients with neurological disorders
- Active member of relevant clinical excellence network(s)
Desirable
- Post-HCPC registration research-focused MSc/MPhil/MRes
- Member of RCSLT
- Formal qualification in leadership and management
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working at senior level in acute paediatrics
- Experience of managing complex dysphagia
- Experience of managing videofluoroscopy
- Managed children presenting with acquired language disorders
Communication
Essential
- Demonstrate good spoken communication
- Demonstrate good written communication
Education and Qualification
Essential
- HCPC recognised Diploma, Batchelor's or Masters qualification in Speech & Language Therapy
- Registration with the HCPC as a Speech & Language Therapist
- Post graduate education in the assessment, treatment & management of patients with neurological disorders
- Active member of relevant clinical excellence network(s)
Desirable
- Post-HCPC registration research-focused MSc/MPhil/MRes
- Member of RCSLT
- Formal qualification in leadership and management
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
