NHS - Community Speech and Language Therapist - North Devon
Job overview
We are looking for a Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist (for 22.5 hours per week in total) to join our Speech, Language and Communication Pathway based in beautiful North Devon. We encourage applicants who would like to work full time/part time or job share.
We are developing an innovative, integrated model of children’s community services and looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our friendly and dedicated locality and county-wide professional teams.
As a large community service, you will be joining a strong, enthusiastic and supportive group of professionals who will be your peers, your phone a friend network and your inspiring colleagues.
This provides a real sense of professional collaboration at work, that will be an asset to your daily work, your career development and your support network.
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) is the place to be! #CaretojoinusTSD
Main duties of the job
To manage a caseload of children and young people with complex Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), which may include speech, language, communication, using evidenced based practice to assess, plan, formulate, implement and evaluate interventions in a variety of settings (individually and/or in groups and as part of a multidisciplinary team).- To work with the Clinical Team Manager to co-ordinate the clinic and oversee the day to day caseload management.
- Participate in the provision of student placements.
- To co-ordinate the team audit and monitoring of outcomes for interventions and report to locality lead.
- Using a strengths-based approach; ensure clinical effectiveness through the use of evidence-based interventions, goal-based, collaborative practice and routine outcome measures.
- To promote and support participation of service users across the service.
- To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of a specialist therapist working in the field of children, and maintain up to date HCPC and RCSLT registration.
Working for our organisation
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an Alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon, including;- Torbay and South Devon FT
- Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- Royal Devon and Exeter FT
- Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
- Livewell South West
CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people across physical and mental health which are provided by TSDFT and DPT. We are working closely with other organisations and providers to ensure we deliver locality and county-wide based integrated access to all of our services, based on the i-Thrive Framework, in response to consultation with our service users and communities.
CFHD works closely with our local universities of Plymouth, Exeter & the Peninsula Medical School where we support students in clinical training placements and in addition support our own staff to undertake post graduate training.
Our children and young people say…“We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way.When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure”.
Why work with us
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communicate complex condition-related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include facilitating strategies for people with communication disorders where barriers to understanding may exist- Demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to communication exist, or sensitive issues are being dealt with. Patient, carers and family will frequently have difficulty accepting the information provided
- Form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging difficulties
- Employ good presentation skills to promote multi-disciplinary and interagency liaison and collaborative practice to a broad range of audiences including other professionals and users
- Write reports reflecting knowledge of paediatrics that can be accessible to both lay and professional people
- Contribute to clinical pathways both multi and uni-professional by discussing own and others input around client’s needs, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan
- Deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible
- Demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues
- Use knowledge and experience to inform sound clinical judgement/decision making for case management
- To be responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of assistants on a daily basis
- To be responsible for the supervision of Band 5 staff on a regular basis
- To use routine outcome measures and goal-based approach, collaboratively with service users, in ways that inform treatment and clinical care
- Work closely with clients, carers, and families agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management
- Co-produce specialist clear care plans based on best practice with children, young people and their families/carers
- Ensure care plans are written in an understandable format for the child, young person and their family/carer
- Provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy interventions including 1:1 / group therapy, parent/ carer-based interventions and consultancy/coaching mentoring within a range of community settings. Outcomes to then be evaluated.
- Demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures
- Screen and triage referrals and ensure a strengths-based approach to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions to support the complex packages of care for children with additional needs in the community.
- Ensure that all documentation and records are kept safe to ensure confidentiality as per the RCSLT and HCPC standards
- Promote self-advocacy and to act as an advocate for children, young people and their families.
- To always consider safeguarding and child protection issues, following relevant policies and procedures and receiving safeguarding supervision as required
- Produce reports on children/young people, in a timely manner, that convey the key findings of assessment and formulation and treatment outcome in a way that is understandable to the recipients of the reports, including children/young people and their families and referrers
- To advise line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc.
- To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT/HCPC professional standards and local trust policies
Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice. (HCPC)
- Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
- Membership of relevant Special Interest Groups
Special Experience
Essential criteria- Relevant experience of working with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs in community / education settings
- Knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to working with children
- Well established knowledge of a broad range of appropriate therapeutic interventions to treat children
- Understanding of the principles of clinical governance /audit
- Understanding of the roles of other professionals (relevant to the client group)
You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.
If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION- We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Please apply promptly
- Please read the job description and tailor your application to reflect the role
- Correspondence will be via Trac, text and email. Please check your email and Trac account regularly.
- Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band
- If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion
- It is your responsibility to assist us in the timely receipt of appropriate references
If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.