Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
Job overview
We have a fixed term vacancy for a speech and language therapy assistant working with therapists in the Adult team based at Cumberland infirmary in Carlisle.
This post will primarily be working With the acute team with an opportunity for community working both in person and via telemedicine . The post holder will support the therapists to deliver a high quality Speech and Language Therapy service to patients referred into the service.
The Speech and Language Therapy department is a small and friendly department with well established clinical and management supervision structures in place. The post holder will be given all the appropriate training to be able to complete the duties of this new and exciting post
Main duties of the job
To assist Speech and Language Therapists in the provision of a regular treatment service to adults. The Assistant will be required to be able to work autonomously at times, across a variety of settings.
The post holder will be required to gather appropriate information for triage following referral and will need to be confident with good communication skills. You will need to be organised and able to manage your own time and work independently.
You may also be required to use telemedicine and whilst training will be provided once in post, you will need to be confident and willing to use this software.
There will be an element of admin duties such as photocopying and sending out of letters and leaflets to patients under the guidance of the Speech and Language Therapist and you will need to be able to have the appropriate IT skills to to be able to access the systems used in the department.
This post will require some travelling to patients homes and other locations across North Cumbria so a current driving licence and the use of a car are essential.
Working for our organisation
At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.
Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of ‘safe, high quality care every time’:
- Being a clinically led organisation
- Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
- A positive patient experience every time
- A great place to work
- Managing our money well
As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.
Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.
Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL).Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed.
If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.
The essential criteria for this role includes the requirement to have a care certificate or the willingness and ability to undertake this. For further information, please see the additional information link which can be viewed under the “read this before applying” section.
- Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.
- If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.
Important Information
Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.
For candidates applying using a Hotmail account or have strict firewall settings please ensure the following:
- Junk Mail is checked regularly
Disclosure and Barring Service:
On 28 November 2020, the new Disclosure and Barring Service filtering rules will come into effect.
The changes mean that:
- youth cautions, reprimands and final warnings will no longer be subject to automatic disclosure
- the multiple conviction rule has been removed, meaning that if an individual has more than one conviction, regardless of offence type or time passed, each conviction will be considered against the remaining rules individually, rather than being automatically disclosed.
If you are unsure about whether you need to disclose certain criminal record information, free confidential advice may be sought from one of the charity bodies listed below. These bodies can advise you on what you are legally required to declare and may also be able to advise you on how you can disclose criminal record information to a prospective employer and your legal rights when doing so.
Nacro – Tel: 0300 123 1999, or email: [email protected]
Unlock – Tel: 01634 247350, email [email protected] or complete the online form on the Unlock website
The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children therefore if the post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended) the successful candidate(s) will be subject to a criminal records check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:
Standard Check: £18 + Administration cost of £3.85 = £21.85. Deducted at £6.85 from 1st month salary and £5 deducted from salary over following 3 months.
Enhanced Check: £38 + administration cost of £3.90 = £41.90. Deducted at £11.90 from 1st month salary and £10 deducted from salary over following 3 months.
As part of the one of the largest employers in the UK NCIC future employees will have also access to the following benefits.
A lease car may be available for this position; further details will be provided upon appointment if applicable.- day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
Flexible working Scheme
Excellent opportunities for development
Competitive NHS Pension scheme
Access to NHS discounts with retailers and leisure companies
EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems
These schemes are subject to availability
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Care Certificate or the willingness and ability to undertake (applicable for all non-registered support workers that provide health care)
- 3 GCSE including English at Grade C or above or equivalent.
- A recognised qualification in Speech and Language or NVQ Level 3 in Social Care or Healthcare or equivalent experience.
- ECDL or equivalent
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Experience of working in a comparable role within the caring profession.
- Knowledge of roles and experience of working alongside other professionals in Health and Social Care.
- Awareness of the role of SLT working with adults with swallowing and communication problems.
- Experience of work in the NHS/community groups/ voluntary sector/working with stroke patients.
- Knowledge of swallowing/eating difficulties, and communication difficulties.
Skills & Aptitudes
Essential criteria- Well-developed communication skills for receiving, and conveying sensitive information to clients and carers, which require tact, empathy, reassurance or persuasive skills and where there are often barriers to understanding.
- Analytical and judgement skills involving facts or situations, some of which require analysis e.g. assessment of client’s response to assessment and SLT intervention.
- Ability to plan and organise activities and programmes e.g. implement work with clients and their families/carers and other professionals, manage own time and ability to prioritise tasks
- Physical skills, including auditory and perceptual skills in order to be able to observe social, emotional, behavioural and environmental cues, to provide assessment information.
- Able to work where there is frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances e.g. client/carer concerns or emotional liability.
- Able to concentrate frequently where work patterns are unpredictable e.g. during client assessment and for the completion of written records/admin tasks where there is a need to change from one activity to another on a frequent basis.
Personal Circumstances
Essential criteria- Current driving licence required
- Access to transport and able to travel throughout Carlisle locality
Other Requirements
Essential criteria- Able to use Microsoft office software.
- Able to access/input computer programmes pertaining to the job role.
- Support equality and value diversity
- Ability to maintain concentration in a range of clinical environments and withstand interruptions and unexpected changes to work patterns.
- Data inputting skills.
- Refer to the KSF matrix for appropriate level http://cptportal.cumbria.nhs.uk/SiteDirectory/learningnetwork/Pages/KnowledgeandSkillsFramework.aspx