Band 7 Stroke/Neuro Speech and Language Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

Patient / Customer Care

1. To determine and carry out appropriate assessments for complex clients and to evaluate theinformation gained to make appropriate clinical decisions based on highly specialist clinicalknowledge and including a differential diagnosis.

2. To maintain comprehensive and accurate assessment and treatment records for clients inline with the professional standards and local Trust policies.

3. Within a complex caseload to determine and structure appropriate care plans for interventionincluding treatment, advice, review, discharge, information exchange and communicationwith client, team members and carers following assessment.

4. To determine where a clients needs are best met by individual and/or group therapy, and toestablish/provide/refer on to a group as appropriate.

5. To fully consult and negotiate with the client with regard to all aspects of intervention andwith due regard for their goals, cultural and linguistic background and where appropriate toinclude carers and/or families.

6. To recognise potential breakdown and conflict in the clinical setting and where it occurs toemploy negotiating skills to generate solutions.

7. To use advanced skills to adapt highly specialist care plans to the changing needs of theclient, integrating the clients goals, changing circumstances and any further assessmentinformation.

8. To communicate highly complex condition-related information from assessment results,differential diagnosis and care plans to the client, carers, families, multi-disciplinary teammembers and/or other professionals as appropriate both verbally and in writing and to ensureit is understood.

9. To deal sensitively and with empathy with clients who have high levels of anxiety and/oraggression caused by pain/illness/communication difficulty and/or dementia.

10. To be responsible for the delivery of effective care plans with reference to good practice including highly specialist programmes of care using a wide range of therapy approaches, evidence-based practice and outcome measures.

11. To employ counselling skills with clients and carers where appropriate.

12. To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and/or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.

13. To ensure that where a client is being seen by a multi-disciplinary team/other professionals that the appropriate Speech and Language Therapy interventions are clearly communicated and integrated with all aspects of the clients care.14. To identify and manage suitable transfer of intervention for clients leaving inpatient settings by ensuring prompt and comprehensive communication with appropriate teams including the community, other rehabilitation settings and/or specialist units.

15. To contribute to individual or team discharge planning in discussion with the client and carer/s and to communicate the outcome of intervention to relevant people.

16. To lead (be key worker) and to support staff in co-ordinating delivery of care including discharge planning where individual clients needs are best met by a Speech and Language Therapist.

17. To initiate and develop links with volunteers, voluntary agencies and charities where this might enhance the provision of an individual care plan and to participate in inter-agency team building in Hertfordshire.

18. To use advanced skills in demonstrating practical procedures to individual clients and other relevant people.

19. To assess needs, identify appropriate software and equipment (including high and low tech communication aids), coordinate trials/purchase of software/equipment, introduceaugmentative communication equipment to the clients and carers and to monitor changingneeds for appropriate clients.

20. To demonstrate advanced skills in dealing with complex issues, generating and implementing appropriate strategies for prioritisation of own time in order to carry outclinically related administrative duties, relevant to the caseload and operation of thedepartment.

See Job description and person specification for the full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

• An appropriate qualification to practise as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
• Dysphagia-trained to an advanced level.
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses and/or relevant experience up to Master's degree equivalent
• Membership/attendance at relevant Special Interest Groups.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in the area of adult work.
• Knowledge and experience in videofluoroscopy.
• Health and Care Professions Council licence to practise.
• Valid UK driving licence and ability to drive for work purposes

Desirable

• Attainment of Videofluroscopy competencies

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Address

Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital

School Lane

Welwyn

AL6 9PW

Employer's website

https://www.hct.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)