Children's Speech and Language Therapist - Paediatric Dysphagia
To assess and analyse complex information related to childrens eating, drinking and swallowing skills using specialist knowledge to select appropriate methods of assessment of the childs needs and abilities. To formulate a diagnosis based upon assessment, case history information and information from family and other professionals.
To evaluate and make decisions about therapy options taking into account the childs medical status, learning style and developmental level. To formulate a detailed individual management plan based upon relevant research and best practice. To agree options in collaboration with all those involved in order to implement the individual management plan ,which may include any combination of the following: Therapeutic intervention with children individually or in groups (in school or clinic) Programmes jointly planned and implemented with family, health and educational staff Supporting others to implement programmes according to individual needs Providing advice on individualised feeding plans in educational settings Providing advice on specific strategies to employ in the educational setting and / or at home.
Advising referral to other professionals where indicated To provide demonstration / training on how to maximise opportunities for the individual to develop their eating and drinking skills. To provide individualised packages of care for children with a range of complex needs To plan and deliver high quality training to enable settings to provide the optimum environment for achieving their potential with the development of their eating and drinking skills.To manage childrens behaviour and motivate them to achieve positive therapy outcomes including those who have severe/complex difficulties or who may be challenging. To recognise potential conflict or breakdown in the above process and use negotiation and problem solving skills to reach agreement.
To communicate complex and specialist information to others by way of written reports and face-to-face discussions, adapting own communication style and content to the needs of the situation. To form productive relationships with families, recognising the need for and ensuring sensitivity and care where: There may be emotional stress Difficult or potentially distressing news to be given There are potential barriers to communication To contribute to Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) including providing: Assessment and support at the Targeted and Specialist level as set out in the Warwickshire SEND Provision Matrix Specified and quantified advice for Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) as required by the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and Children & Families Act (2014) To attend Annual Reviews and termly reviews of targets as required To liaise with other professionals and teams in a consultative capacity in relation to management of individual children and attend and contribute to meetings involving parents and other professionals (e.g. case conferences, Annual Review of EHCP, etc) To supervise and support SLTAs in undertaking programmes for individual children on caseload.
To work with other members of the local and countywide teams and members of other teams to achieve seamless, co-ordinated service provision. To support the team in the development and provision of training / teaching packages. To work collaboratively with a range of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency professionals to provide high quality SLT services for children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.To provide an information and advisory service both in relation to individualchildren and more generally in relation to eating and drinking issues relatedto children with special needs as required. To liaise with SLT colleagues holding specialist caseloads.
To request advice / support and second opinions from more experienced /specialist colleagues if required To provide advice to other SLT colleagues related to this specialized clinicalfield To contribute to the development evaluation and monitoring of the teamsoperational policies including caseload prioritising decisions To promote the role of SLT to visitors, students and volunteers To support students from other professional groups as appropriate byproviding discussion and observation experience To act as clinical tutor for SLT students To support recently qualified SLT colleagues in the role of mentor andinformal clinical supervisor.
To utilise theory, evidence based literature and research to support evidencebased practice. To provide statistical information on own caseload, including activity,prioritisation and clinical outcome measures To actively participate in regular user survey and feedback activities.To participate in audit activities in the team and participate in audit in the widerspeech and language therapy service, and within multi-disciplinary teams. To participate in research in SLT team, SLT department or multidisciplinaryteams, if required.
To maintain clinical and non-clinical standards and work within the policyframeworks laid down (e.g. N.H.S., Trust, Royal College of Speech andLanguage Therapists, Health Professionals Council) through activeparticipation in internal and external CPD training and developmentprogrammes.
To demonstrate ability to reflect on own practice, identify strengths anddevelopment needs and achieve goals set for personal and professionaldevelopment. To participate in the development of innovative clinical practice throughmembership of working teams To keep abreast of national and local Education policies in order to contributeto team service development planning.
To disseminate newly acquired information to other team members. To undertake specialised relevant training and extend postgraduateexperience and knowledge to maintain and develop the skills and knowledgerequired of SLT working with children with eating, drinking and swallowingissues.
To be accountable for own professional action and recognise ownprofessional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate. To participate in clinical supervision in line with Department and Trust policy. To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
To be flexible to the demands of environments including unpredictable workpatterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions To be aware of and adhere to multi-disciplinary / multi-agency strategicplanning and policy. To contribute to SLT Department strategic planning and implementdepartment policies, strategy and guidelines.
To advise managers on any aspects of service organisation that needaddressing. To be aware of Health and Safety Standards and implement policies whichare relevant to the working environment. To maintain highest standards of clinical records including up to date andaccurate case notes, electronic data entry, recording and report writing in linewith professional and Trust guidelines.
To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment asappropriate. To be responsible for the security, care and transporting of equipmentensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained includingequipment loaned to clients.
To organise accommodation in clinics/schools To organise and transport assessment and treatment equipment required towork in locations. These may be unwieldy / heavy / bulky. To work within a wide range of locations requiring careful calculation of drivingtime according to traffic and weather conditions in planning efficient workschedules Sitting in restricted positions while delivering therapy.
Occasionalmanoeuvring of clients. To work in frequent unpleasant conditions and occasionally highly unpleasantconditions e.g. Infectious illnesses, poor hygiene levels, body fluids, verbalaggression. To work in frequent distressing or emotional circumstances.
To work within a wide range of environments with differing demands andexpectation requiring the ability to modify personal and social approaches asrequired by environment. To negotiate accommodation that is acceptable for carrying out clinical workand to maintain the intense concentration required despite distractions.