Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Community Stroke
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If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Community Stroke Rehabilitation Service for a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to join our team.
This role is suitable for those with experience in working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing issues and experience working with stroke survivors and patients with neurological conditions, or who have transferable skills and knowledge such as dysphagia competencies.
The Community Stroke Rehabilitation service provides Early Supported Discharge as well as support for people who have a new therapeutic need some time after their stroke. This is in line with the integrated model for stroke services providing a needs-based service.
You will join our multidisciplinary team which consists of Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists as well as an experienced team of Associate and Assistant practitioners.
Main duties of the job
You will provide a specialist service to adults who have survived a stroke, who present with communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
Provide community-based services in North East Essex, and also provide SLT cover to stroke beds in the Community hospital at Harwich. Community work includes some home visits, necessitating some lone working and travel between places of work across North East Essex.
You will manage the work of junior staff, assistants, students and volunteers in their professional area.
You will work as part of the integrated team to deliver seven day therapy input to patients with the aim of returning them to maximum independent living, promoting self-management on all activities of daily living.
Working for our organisation
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- RCSLT recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy
- Registered member of RCSLT
- HCPC membership
- Independent Dysphagia practitioner (achieved dysphagia competencies
- Evidence of attendance at specialist courses e.g. Maggie Lee Huckabee
- Membership of regional/national specialist groups/forums
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working in various settings
- Experience of working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
- Liaising with other agencies/other staff groups
- Experience of working with stroke survivors or people with acquired neurological conditions
- Experience of independently managing own caseload, including patients with dysphagia
- Experience supervising students/ therapy assistants
- Teaching/training other staff
- Experience of working with people with voice disorders
- Experience of working in a community setting
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria- Knowledge of communication and swallowing problems in neurologically impaired patients
- Knowledge of outcome measures and evidence based practice in relation to communication and dysphagia assessment and therapy intervention
- Assessment of communication impairments by various means, including informal assessment, as well as a range of standardised assessments
- Highly developed communication/interpersonal skills
- Good administrative skills, including word processing
- Involvement in audit/clinical governance within Speech and Language Therapy
Please note that where response levels are exceptional we may close the post before the specified date, therefore early application is recommended.
Please make sure that you read the Job Description and Person Specification attached and that your statement in support reflects this as your application will be judged against these criteria.
Secondment - if you are interested in undertaking a role on a secondment basis, please ensure that you have discussed this with your current line manager prior to submitting your application. Please note if you are already an employee of ESNEFT fixed term roles will only be offered on a secondment basis.
When providing reference details please provide email addresses so references can be sought promptly to cover the last 3 years of employment.
Successful candidates may be charged for their DBS check. Please ensure you read the information found in the attached DBS Information document
The Trust is committed to its staff and their development and to equal opportunities and diversity. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.
Whilst we welcome applications from all and your application will be considered on individual merit, if you are offered a position and require a Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship we may not be able to process your application to the final stage due Home Office eligibility.
In submitting an application form, you authorise East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process should you be appointed to the post.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust; we look forward to receiving your application for employment.