Job summary
Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist
We have a fantastic opportunity for an energetic and dynamic Speech and Language Therapist to become part of the experienced and friendly Speech and Language Therapy team, that provides care to adult patients at the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. The post would be split between acute and community services. You should be experienced in the management of dysphagia and communication impairment across a broad range of disorders.
Speech and Language Therapy has a high profile and we work very closely with our colleagues at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, where there will be opportunities for cross-site working.
We have a range of clinical leads and specialists who foster and support a varied learning environment. There is daily access to senior therapists for support and regular scheduled supervision.
The Speech and Language Therapy team run Videofluoroscopy and Fibreoptic Endoscopic Examination of Swallowing (FEES) services, and you will have an opportunity to gain experience in these procedures.
Further information:
Shona Tantam, Inpatient Lead, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital
Tel: 01256 313596
Email: shona.tantam@hhft.nhs.uk
Alison Webster, Outpatient SLT Lead, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Tel: 01962824928
Email: alison.webster@hhft.nhs.uk
Main duties of the job
- To provide a specialist inpatient, outpatient & telehealth Speech & Language Therapy Service to adults with acquired communication and eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS) disorders.
- To work as an autonomous practitioner, in partnership with patients, carers and other healthcare professionals, to deliver integrated specialised packages of care to adults with acquired communication and EDS difficulties
- To supervise and train Speech and Language Therapy students, other healthcare professionals and staff from other agencies, who work with adults with acquired communication and EDS difficulties.
- To provide general support and mentorship to less experienced Speech and Language Therapy colleagues working within the adult service
About us
Who We Are:
We are a friendly, dynamic and supportive Speech and Language Therapy team with range and depth of experience who provide specialist communication and dysphagia input for acquired disorders.
Our inpatient, outpatient and community services ensure we offer valuable input at all junctures of patients' journeys and are able to provide continuity of care across teams. We are an innovative team who ensure individuals have the opportunities to develop according to their specific talents and interests.
About the trust:
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) provides hospital services to around 570,000 people living in Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire, and specialist services to patients from all over the country. Our Speech and Language Service offers communication, swallow and voice assessment, management, and therapy to people over the age of 18 living within our area.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CUSTOMER CARE FOR PATIENTS AND/OR SERVICE USERS
To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable as an autonomous practitioner for all aspects of your own work, including the independent management of a wide-ranging caseload.
- To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, adhering to agreed departmental standards, national protocols/policies and the HCPC Code of Conduct.
- To use specialist clinical knowledge and experience to undertake the comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of adults with wide-ranging speech, language and communication and/or EDS difficulties, requiring the ability to make sound, and at times, complex clinical decisions.
- To formulate, evaluate and review individual specialised speech and language therapy management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning skills, knowledge of diagnosis and a wide range of treatment skills appropriate to the adult population, working at all times in partnership with the patient and their carers and the healthcare team.
- To use highly developed auditory, perceptual and analytical skills required for the assessment and management of adults with speech, language and communication impairments.
- To ensure that all patients are enabled to communicate to the best of their ability. This may include the introduction and successful use of alternative and augmentative systems of communication.
- To effectively manage a caseload of patients, including responding to urgent requests/referrals, prioritising clinical work, and balancing other patient related and professional activities in accordance with service standards and patient needs.
- To maintain accurate and comprehensive case notes and records which would stand up to legal scrutiny.
COMMUNICATION
- To contribute to the wider clinical management of patient care, by providing timely and accurate written and verbal communication.
- To work closely with patients, carers and families, so that they are engaged in the goal-setting and management plans regarding their care.
- To demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to patients, their families and carers, and other healthcare staff. This may include imparting unwelcome news and supporting patients with unconfirmed diagnoses.
- To refer onto other professional colleagues for more specialist assessment e.g. dietitians, consultant ENT surgeon etc.
- To enable other healthcare professionals to provide their care to the patient, particularly where the patient may have communication difficulties.
- To ensure that all those involved in a patients care are kept fully informed of the service provided and the progress made through the provision of regular and timely reviews.
- To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with healthcare colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service. This may include attending family meetings.
- To demonstrate empathy when dealing with potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations involving with grieving and distressed families.
- To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and/or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
- To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
- To deal with informal complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
- To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties
- To demonstrate a high standard of written communication ability in clinical noting, report-writing and the provision of information to patient and carers.
PLANNING AND ORGANISATION
- To manage a complex caseload independently.
- To monitor and evaluate own specialist service delivery and provide progress reports
- To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
- To work within defined department and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct
- To work within infection control and health and safety guidelines, especially when working with patients with EDS difficulties. This will involve adhering to local Trust and national guidelines in relation to PPE
- To be able to work in a variety of environments when required, including hospital wards and nursing homes and patients own homes, which will involve making sound clinical judgements when the necessity for on-site risk assessment and compliance with lone working guidelines exists
- To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local Trust policies
- To ensure adherence to Information Governance when sharing information
- To provide accurate and timely activity data and statistics as required
- To produce presentations using Microsoft Office Powerpoint
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk and to demonstrate the use of evidence-based treatment plans
- To ensure patient safety at all times during swallowing assessments, through thorough history taking and assessment, prior to introducing oral intake.
- To ensure that the local and national clinical and professional standards of service are maintained at all times, reporting to the line-manager or SLT service manager with any concerns
BUDGETARY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
- To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate
- To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained including equipment loaned to clients
STAFF AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
To advise line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc., as relevant to their operational responsibilities.
To identify and advise healthcare professionals on staff training and development needs, to ensure that all staff are competent to support speech and language therapy treatment plans, understand the importance of communication in its widest context and are able to contribute to the safe multi-disciplinary management of patients with EDS difficulties
To generally support and act as mentor to less experienced SLT colleagues
To contribute to the identification of training needs for the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team
- To maintain own clinical professional development, by keeping abreast of new trends and developments, incorporating them into working practice where possible to ensure the continued development of professional competence/performance, and maintenance of HCPC and RCSLT registration. To be pro-active in seeking learning opportunities both internally and externally to maintain and update specialist knowledge and skills
- To participate in the Trust appraisal scheme, evaluating personal and service performance and agreeing on objectives which are in line with service and organisational goals.
TEACHING, TRAINING AND RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES
- To deliver core and specialist training on a range of subjects relating to acquired speech, language and communication and/or swallowing disorders to other agencies, the voluntary sector and healthcare colleagues
- To provide clinical supervision and training to speech and language therapy students on placement, supporting the Universities in determining fitness to practice
- To use specialist clinical knowledge and expertise to contribute to the development of service policy and provision, relating to the field of speech and language therapy for adults with acquired disorders
- To work with colleagues and other healthcare professionals in the development of service protocols and care pathways
TRUST VALUES
Our values help us in what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and use these values throughout your employment with the Trust to define and develop our culture.
The post holder will be:-
- Inclusive
- Compassionate, caring about our patients.
- Accountable and responsible, always looking to improve.
- Respectful for all and show integrity in everything.
- Encouraging and challenging each other to always do our best.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CUSTOMER CARE FOR PATIENTS AND/OR SERVICE USERS
To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable as an autonomous practitioner for all aspects of your own work, including the independent management of a wide-ranging caseload.
- To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, adhering to agreed departmental standards, national protocols/policies and the HCPC Code of Conduct.
- To use specialist clinical knowledge and experience to undertake the comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of adults with wide-ranging speech, language and communication and/or EDS difficulties, requiring the ability to make sound, and at times, complex clinical decisions.
- To formulate, evaluate and review individual specialised speech and language therapy management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning skills, knowledge of diagnosis and a wide range of treatment skills appropriate to the adult population, working at all times in partnership with the patient and their carers and the healthcare team.
- To use highly developed auditory, perceptual and analytical skills required for the assessment and management of adults with speech, language and communication impairments.
- To ensure that all patients are enabled to communicate to the best of their ability. This may include the introduction and successful use of alternative and augmentative systems of communication.
- To effectively manage a caseload of patients, including responding to urgent requests/referrals, prioritising clinical work, and balancing other patient related and professional activities in accordance with service standards and patient needs.
- To maintain accurate and comprehensive case notes and records which would stand up to legal scrutiny.
COMMUNICATION
- To contribute to the wider clinical management of patient care, by providing timely and accurate written and verbal communication.
- To work closely with patients, carers and families, so that they are engaged in the goal-setting and management plans regarding their care.
- To demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to patients, their families and carers, and other healthcare staff. This may include imparting unwelcome news and supporting patients with unconfirmed diagnoses.
- To refer onto other professional colleagues for more specialist assessment e.g. dietitians, consultant ENT surgeon etc.
- To enable other healthcare professionals to provide their care to the patient, particularly where the patient may have communication difficulties.
- To ensure that all those involved in a patients care are kept fully informed of the service provided and the progress made through the provision of regular and timely reviews.
- To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with healthcare colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service. This may include attending family meetings.
- To demonstrate empathy when dealing with potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations involving with grieving and distressed families.
- To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and/or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
- To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
- To deal with informal complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
- To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties
- To demonstrate a high standard of written communication ability in clinical noting, report-writing and the provision of information to patient and carers.
PLANNING AND ORGANISATION
- To manage a complex caseload independently.
- To monitor and evaluate own specialist service delivery and provide progress reports
- To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
- To work within defined department and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct
- To work within infection control and health and safety guidelines, especially when working with patients with EDS difficulties. This will involve adhering to local Trust and national guidelines in relation to PPE
- To be able to work in a variety of environments when required, including hospital wards and nursing homes and patients own homes, which will involve making sound clinical judgements when the necessity for on-site risk assessment and compliance with lone working guidelines exists
- To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local Trust policies
- To ensure adherence to Information Governance when sharing information
- To provide accurate and timely activity data and statistics as required
- To produce presentations using Microsoft Office Powerpoint
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk and to demonstrate the use of evidence-based treatment plans
- To ensure patient safety at all times during swallowing assessments, through thorough history taking and assessment, prior to introducing oral intake.
- To ensure that the local and national clinical and professional standards of service are maintained at all times, reporting to the line-manager or SLT service manager with any concerns
BUDGETARY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
- To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate
- To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained including equipment loaned to clients
STAFF AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
To advise line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc., as relevant to their operational responsibilities.
To identify and advise healthcare professionals on staff training and development needs, to ensure that all staff are competent to support speech and language therapy treatment plans, understand the importance of communication in its widest context and are able to contribute to the safe multi-disciplinary management of patients with EDS difficulties
To generally support and act as mentor to less experienced SLT colleagues
To contribute to the identification of training needs for the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team
- To maintain own clinical professional development, by keeping abreast of new trends and developments, incorporating them into working practice where possible to ensure the continued development of professional competence/performance, and maintenance of HCPC and RCSLT registration. To be pro-active in seeking learning opportunities both internally and externally to maintain and update specialist knowledge and skills
- To participate in the Trust appraisal scheme, evaluating personal and service performance and agreeing on objectives which are in line with service and organisational goals.
TEACHING, TRAINING AND RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES
- To deliver core and specialist training on a range of subjects relating to acquired speech, language and communication and/or swallowing disorders to other agencies, the voluntary sector and healthcare colleagues
- To provide clinical supervision and training to speech and language therapy students on placement, supporting the Universities in determining fitness to practice
- To use specialist clinical knowledge and expertise to contribute to the development of service policy and provision, relating to the field of speech and language therapy for adults with acquired disorders
- To work with colleagues and other healthcare professionals in the development of service protocols and care pathways
TRUST VALUES
Our values help us in what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and use these values throughout your employment with the Trust to define and develop our culture.
The post holder will be:-
- Inclusive
- Compassionate, caring about our patients.
- Accountable and responsible, always looking to improve.
- Respectful for all and show integrity in everything.
- Encouraging and challenging each other to always do our best.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree level qualification or equivalent
- Registered member of the Health Care Professions Council
- Registered Member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
Desirable
- Evidence of attendance of relevant specialist short courses and maintenance of CPD within the field of adult acquired communication/swallowing disorders
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to assess and manage classical cases of swallowing disorder with minimal support
- Experience of working with a range of adult speech and language therapy-related disorders
Desirable
- Experience of clinical supervision of students and others
- Experience of delivering training to others
- Experience of service delivery in a wider range of clinical settings
Skills & Ability
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills
- Ability to reflect on practice both individually and with peers/mentors
- Highly developed non-verbal communication skills
- Highly developed analytical and interpretive skills
- Highly developed auditory and perceptual skills
- Ability to transcribe speech phonetically
- Ability to maintain intense concentration for prolonged periods, simultaneously analysing auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of a patient's communication as required on a daily basis, as an integral part of assessment and treatment
- Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- Prioritisation skills
- Good time management skills
- Highly literate and numerate
- Competent in the use of IT, including microsoft packages
Desirable
- Understanding of national and local strategies, policies and procedures across Health and Social Care and their local implementation or application
Other Specific Requirements
Essential
- To be flexible in the demands of the workload including unpredicatable work patterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions
Desirable
- Car driver with access to own vehicle
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised Speech & Language Therapy degree level qualification or equivalent
- Registered member of the Health Care Professions Council
- Registered Member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
Desirable
- Evidence of attendance of relevant specialist short courses and maintenance of CPD within the field of adult acquired communication/swallowing disorders
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to assess and manage classical cases of swallowing disorder with minimal support
- Experience of working with a range of adult speech and language therapy-related disorders
Desirable
- Experience of clinical supervision of students and others
- Experience of delivering training to others
- Experience of service delivery in a wider range of clinical settings
Skills & Ability
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills
- Ability to reflect on practice both individually and with peers/mentors
- Highly developed non-verbal communication skills
- Highly developed analytical and interpretive skills
- Highly developed auditory and perceptual skills
- Ability to transcribe speech phonetically
- Ability to maintain intense concentration for prolonged periods, simultaneously analysing auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of a patient's communication as required on a daily basis, as an integral part of assessment and treatment
- Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- Prioritisation skills
- Good time management skills
- Highly literate and numerate
- Competent in the use of IT, including microsoft packages
Desirable
- Understanding of national and local strategies, policies and procedures across Health and Social Care and their local implementation or application
Other Specific Requirements
Essential
- To be flexible in the demands of the workload including unpredicatable work patterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions
Desirable
- Car driver with access to own vehicle
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
