Band 6 Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Inpatient Rotation

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a dynamic speech and language therapist to join the Band 6 rotation within our adult inpatient services. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work as part of an interdisciplinary team in a variety of specialist services including complex neurological rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation and older adults.

Main duties of the job

There will be an opportunity to line manage and provide supervision to more junior speech and language therapists, students and support staff/assistants. Excellent communication skills and flexibility are essential to the role

Working for our organisation

• Please ensure you check your Trac account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you during the shortlisting and selection process
• lease ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal addres

Be Part of Our Team...

We deliver all of this with a commitment to integrated, personalised care that is rooted in our local communities. We have an ambition to deliver outstanding, integrated care as one of the key NHS providers in the West Midlands.

If you want to ‘Be Part of Our Team’ and work with a Foundation Trust which is continuously striving for best care and healthy communities, we want to hear from you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide SLT input across different specialities and settings: stroke, inpatient neurorehabilitation and older adults’ services.
• Manage a complex caseload of patients with including those with profound neurological impairments, cognitive impairments, and patients in a Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness (PDoC) and/or with tracheostomy. Demonstrate an awareness of and ability to seek support and advice from senior members of the team when required.
• Provide timely, thorough and robust assessment of patients’ communication and swallowing needs in a manner that is patient-centred and alongside other members of the MDT.
• Form appropriate hypotheses about the nature of a patients’ condition and make differential diagnoses to support multidisciplinary management.
• Support patients and families (where able) to set achievable and realistic goals, dealing sensitively with issues that may arise whilst doing so.
• Structure clear, patient-based therapy plans based on best practice and adapted to individual clients’ goals and priorities.
• Demonstrate awareness of, and an ability to manage, risks associated with complex dysphagia, including those dealing with issues of mortality, morbidity and involving ethical dilemma.
• Deliver a range of therapeutic interventions with an awareness of current evidence-based practice, remaining sensitive to all patients’ personal, social and cultural wishes and needs.
• Evaluate therapy outcomes independently, using specific outcome measures when appropriate.
• Work independently with clients whose behaviour may challenge, with awareness of how to manage and diffuse difficult situations.
• Plan, lead and evaluate group therapy in addition to 1:1 sessions.
• Work alongside members of the MDT in assessment and management of capacity decisions.
• Identify need for, and support referral to, specialist clinics including VFS and FEES.
• To act as keyworker for patients and families on INRU, acting as single point of contact and coordinating interdisciplinary, patient-centred rehabilitation, being mindful of the opportunities and challenges presented in this role.
• Deliver patient-specific training and education sessions to patients, families and carers.
• Be aware of relevant external services for signposting and onward referral.
• Contribute to safe, holistic and proactive discharge planning for all patients.

• Establish positive working relationships with members of the MDT across services, wards and sites.
• Record and maintain up to date clinical case notes in line with professional standards and trust, professional and departmental policies
• Follow national guidelines and processes for specific patient groups (including SSNAP, UK ROC)
• Adhere to Trust, departmental and professional policies and procedures.

• Provide cover for colleagues as required and support reallocation of caseload in the absence of any member of the team
• Use IT skills to produce customised treatment plans and materials, including low tech AAC
• Contribute to service development and audit
• Identify need for, and plan/deliver/evaluate, specific training programmes contributing to staff development
• Actively participate in team meetings, journal clubs, in-service teaching within SLT and MDT settings.
• Participate in non-managerial clinical supervision
• Participate in the appraisal system
• Act as a student supervisor / assessor under the guidance of the student coordinator and provide observation sessions for others

• Offer specialist clinical support to less experienced SLTs
• Supervise junior members of SLT staff, assistants and volunteers
• Develop and empower all members of the team to perform to high standards and innovate.
• Ensure supportive staff management arrangements are in place and carry out personal development reviews for direct reports. Ensure all staff have annual PDR’s resulting in specific objectives and effective personal development plans in line with the Knowledge and Skills Outline Framework.
• Develop staff knowledge and skills to promote equality and diversity and address inequalities both in employment and service delivery. Ensure specific equality objective are included in PDR’s.
• Develop a culture that ensure that the standards of Improving Working Lives and Investors in People are achieved and maintained for all staff and that staff’s perception about their working lives are measured and improvements made.

Person specification

HCPC registration - Speech and Language Therapist

• Has current registration

• Is awaiting Registration

Has experience of the assessment and management of complex swallowing impairments

• Has completed Dysphagia competencies and has extensive experience

• Has completed Dysphagia competencies.

Disability Confident Employer and Guaranteed Interview Scheme

We encourage applicants to submit their applications and to request any reasonable adjustments where required.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Birmingham is a fantastic place to live and we serve a wide range of people and communities. BCHC are an advocate of diversity and strive to mirror the community we serve as much possible.

We are committed to and actively promote equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals from all areas of the community who meet the specific criteria are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage/civil partnerships.

Promoting Workforce Equality

As part of this commitment and given this under-representation, the Trust guarantees an interview to any applicants from under-represented groups for positions at Band 8a and above whose application meets the essential criteria for the post as detailed on the Person Specification.

The Trust is currently under-represented in terms of people who identify as Black, Minority Ethnic (BME) and welcomes applicants from these communities. Selection will be on the basis of merit. In order to ensure the diversity of our workforce and understand the differing needs of our communities, the Trust is committed to the principles of Positive Action.

Flexible Working

This may include hybrid patterns of working to enable colleagues to request the flexibility of a mixture of home/base working.

In accordance with the NHS People Promise, the Trust is committed to facilitating a healthy work/life balance that is essential to health and wellbeing and to making BCHC a ‘Great Place to Work’. We will be happy to discuss and consider all requests relating to working patterns and hours at your interview so please do ask!

Benefits of working for us:

• Full NHS terms and conditions including extensive holidays, Agenda for Change pay with enhancements
• Attractive relocation payment if you relocate to the local area.
• Discounts for local and national retailers
• Dedicated well-being services for all employees
• Flexible working where possible