Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 3 Speech and Language Therapy Assistant to join our dynamic Speech and Language Therapy team based at Broadgreen Hospital. The successful candidate will work alongside qualified Speech and Language Therapists within outpatient clinics (voice, complex dysphagia & upper airways), and on the Frailty, Gerontology and Medical wards within the hospital.

Work will include:

Assisting qualified therapy staff to carry out delegated duties on direct & indirect patient care

Independently providing treatment to patients, under guidance from qualified staff

Supporting clinicians with general housekeeping & admin tasks

Supporting clinicians with patient / family liaison & education

This job requires someone with excellent communication skills, and an ability to work both independently and with other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Previous experience of note writing, and other administrative tasks would be beneficial.

They will have regular access to supervision from Therapists in the team as well as opportunities to attend courses. Peer support from other assistants in the team is also available and encouraged.

Main duties of the job

Under the instruction of the qualified Therapist assist in carrying out care and exercise programmes with patients in a manner that respects people’s abilities, privacy, dignity and individuality.

Treat patient individually or in a group in a variety of settings with supervision from the qualified Therapist e.g. department, ward, and clinic.

To liaise regularly with the qualified Therapist regarding treatment progression and ongoing care. Reporting to Therapist any lack of progression or negative changes in patient’s ability to undertake treatment session.

To work as a member of the therapy team and multidisciplinary team, sharing information with team members.

Ensure equipment within department is clean and fit for its purpose.

To ensure effective internal and external two-way communication with patients, carers and all other health and social care professionals regarding aspects of patient care, providing and receiving complex information which requires empathy and reassurance, communicating where there may be barriers to understanding.

Maintain accurate and timely records of treatments as directed by the qualified Therapist

To supporting clinicians with patient / family liaison & education.

To assist with endoscopy, FEES, and X-ray clinics within SLT led Voice, dysphagia and respiratory clinics.

To create and maintain Speech and Language Therapy relevant resources.

To assist with data collection and audit tasks.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and personal specification for further information regarding main duties.

Person specification

Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 in diagnostics and therapeutics

Experience

• Experience in working with Speech and Language Therapy Adult Clients

Skills

• Good communication skills
• Good observational skills (H)
• Good understanding of impact of communication problems (H)
• Able to communicate at appropriate level with patients and carers (H)
• Good record keeping and organisational skills

• Able to use initiative, and be adaptable
• Word processing IT lieracy

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18^th birthday.

Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.