Highly Specialised Speech and Language Therapist

Overview

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people\\\’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county. We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking \\\”what matters to you\\\”. We are passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and we are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality teams in all areas of the Trust.

Role context: The post holder will be an invaluable member of the Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS) working with service users throughout Gloucestershire and supporting our small inpatient service in Stroud. The service focuses on providing high-quality specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) to adults and children with learning disabilities referred to LDISS, including a small inpatient service based at Berkeley House in Stroud.

Responsibilities

• Provide a highly specialist speech and language therapy service to adults and children with learning disabilities referred to LDISS.
• Provide a highly specialist SLT service to the small learning disability inpatient service at Berkeley House, Stroud.
• Work as a key member of a specialist multidisciplinary team.
• Provide eating and drinking assessments and interventions (desirable but not essential).
• Optimise service users\\\’ ability to remain in the community and/or be cared for in the least restrictive environment.
• Facilitate discharge from hospital and respond to agencies requiring assessment of service users being considered for hospital admission.
• Support the development and implementation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans as part of LDISS intervention.
• Identify, assess eligibility for, and support in the implementation of alternative/augmentative communication aids, including visual resources and high/low tech devices.
• Maintain accurate records and participate in data collection in line with Trust policies.
• Liaise with other agencies and professions; participate in multi-agency meetings to support ongoing treatment and care.
• Provide and receive complex information from service users, carers or professionals on a daily basis and manage a shared caseload.
• Professional responsibilities: accountability for own actions, adhere to policies and professional codes, participate in Trust meetings and CPD days, develop and evaluate care plans, and employ excellent communication skills.
• Travel across Gloucestershire using a own vehicle to carry out appointments.
• Research, develop and share current best practice to optimise service users\\\’ engagement and inclusion.

Qualifications and requirements

• The qualification, training and experience requirements for the role are outlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.
• To assess, develop and implement highly specialist SLT treatment and intervention with involvement of service users in care planning where possible.
• Demonstrate high clinical effectiveness using evidence-based practice, with attention to cultural and linguistic differences and outcome evaluation.
• Provide highly specialist advice on management and care of service users with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
• Plan and prioritise workload with autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, treatment and discharge.
• Contribute to observations and provide clinical impressions on how communication difficulties relate to behaviour that challenges.
• Assess improvements in quality of life following SLT input using outcome measures.
• Ensure service users are central to goal setting and treatment formulation, in consultation with others as appropriate.
• Apply a range of alternative communication strategies for service users with significant communication difficulties.
• Provide SLT, learning disability/Autism training for staff and external providers.
• Implement and monitor a PBS ethos across LDISS and disseminate knowledge to the wider team.
• Maintain records and contribute to audits, governance, and data reporting; coordinate multidisciplinary meetings and service user-oriented meetings.

About the Trust and benefits

• The Trust is a large, diverse employer with opportunities across 55 sites and in people\\\’s homes; supports a welcoming culture, civility, inclusivity and diversity.
• Staff engagement opportunities include annual staff surveys and Pulse surveys; recent results highlight high staff engagement in certain areas and a focus on becoming a Great Place to Work.
• We offer visa sponsorship information and guidance; see gov.uk guidance for work visas.
• Benefits include: Free parking at many sites; 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (rising to 33 with long service); training and development opportunities (including apprenticeships up to Level 7); preceptorship programmes; NHS pension and enhanced pay for unsocial hours; flexible working; recognition and long service awards; fast track physiotherapy; wellbeing line; discounts and salary sacrifice schemes.

Applicants are advised to apply early. If a large number of applications are received, the vacancy may close before the advertised date.