Band 6 Specialist Speech & Language Therapist | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join the Camden Community Team within the Camden Neurology and Stroke Service (CNSS). This post is an excellent opportunity for an existing Band 6 therapist, or an experienced Band 5 looking to develop their specialist skills in working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. The Camden Community Team provides assessment, rehabilitation and management for adults with a wide range of neurological conditions, including stroke, progressive neurological diseases and other acquired neurological disorders. We support service users in their own homes, community settings and clinics across Camden.

As part of CNSS, the successful candidate will work closely within a well-established multidisciplinary team and will have opportunities to develop skills across a broad range of pathways, including Palliative Care, Camden Integrated Community Healthcare, the Rapid Access Service and Virtual Ward. The role offers the opportunity to deliver person-centred care, contribute to service development and work collaboratively with colleagues across health and social care services.

JOB SUMMARY:

• To provide a specialist assessment and treatment service to adults living in the community with acquired communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
• The caseload is comprised of adults with neurological diagnoses, including stroke, and other long-term conditions and palliative presentations (e.g. COPD, dementia).
• Patients are seen in a variety of settings, including their own homes and residential care homes.
• Community visits to patients may be made on foot, public transport, motorcycle, bicycle or car.
• To independently manage (with support) a complex caseload using evidence-based clinical reasoning, critical thinking, reflection and analysis to support assessment and intervention.
• To work flexibly with all other members of the team to provide an integrated rehabilitation service to patients in accordance with the philosophy and operational policies of the team.
• To use a client-centred, goal-orientated rehabilitation and disability management approaches in line with local and national clinical guidelines.
• To be actively involved in CPD and to strive to implement high quality evidence-based practice.
• To be actively involved in clinical governance including service development and quality improvement projects.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To thoroughly assess patients through subjective questioning, objective formal and informal assessment and analysis of information gathered.
• To prioritise factors involved in a patient’s presenting condition through clinical reasoning based on knowledge of evidence-based practice, current professional opinion, the patient’s prognosis and other physical psychological and social issues.
• To ensure high standards of clinical practice using evidence-based practice and national/local clinical guidelines.
• To advise and teach the relevant carers/health workers to participate in ongoing Speech & Language Therapy rehabilitation care or disability management programmes for clients, as appropriate.
• To set goals for treatment with clients, families and carers, and ensure that care is client-centred and agreed by the client and/or their significant others.
• To devise and manage a treatment plan individual to a client’s presenting condition through, for example the use of functional rehabilitation, compensatory approaches, provision of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) and feeding equipment, education and health promotion.
• To act as an advocate on behalf of clients and carers by adopting a client-centred approach to support meaningful participation in life roles within the local communities.
• To ensure that the client and/or their carer have an understanding of treatment protocols and give informed consent to examination and treatment.
• To ensure that the patient understands the clinical reasoning process and the management plan.
• To modify the patient’s therapy treatment/management plan as appropriate following ongoing re-assessment and evaluation of progress.
• To manage a caseload of clients with complex needs with supervision and guidance as necessary from senior staff.
• To successfully monitor, evaluate and review Speech & Language Therapy treatment/interventions within a multi-disciplinary framework and to modify as necessary taking a key worker role as indicated.
• To use knowledge of other multi-disciplinary roles and external agencies to ensure effective referral management and achieve best client care.
• To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for moving and handling people in inpatient and community environments (as required for swallow assessments).
• To ensure that all documentation is accurate, contemporaneous and meets the documentation policy of the Trust.
• To prescribe, delegate and monitor the work of rehabilitation assistants as required.
• To manage clinical risk in own caseload and ensure that rehabilitation assistants and students comply e.g. manual handling, risk assessment and local policy regarding lone working.
• To contribute to the efficient, day-to-day, running of the team.
• To maintain case notes and write reports outlining recommendations for discharge, independently or jointly with other professions. These are communicated to external agencies e.g. GPs, Consultants, Social Services.

Professional:

• To keep up to date with Speech & Language Therapy professional registration and clinical practice through CPD activities and be able to demonstrate a commitment to CPD as required of the HCPC.
• To develop a specialist knowledge base in rehabilitation and disability management, assessment, clinical reasoning and management skills.
• To evaluate your practice through audit and outcome measures.
• To access library services, medical databases and the Intranet to further develop clinical practice and service initiatives.
• To develop links and communicate with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken.

Management:

• To ensure that accurate and evaluative records of patient care are maintained in accordance with the Trust/Service/Speech & Language Therapy service policies.
• To manage a clinical case load supported by senior staff.
• To participate in the Trust’s appraisal and supervision schemes and contribute to the appraisal of rehabilitation assistants and Speech & Language Therapists with support from senior staff.
• To ensure that all equipment defects, accidents, incidents and complaints are reported to the line manager immediately and that appropriate action is taken following Trust and Service policies.
• To supervise junior members of staff, rehabilitation assistants and volunteers as required. To delegate administrative and clinical tasks appropriate to their competencies.
• To comply with the Trust’s policies and procedures, and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).
• To attend and actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and case conferences.
• To manage own diary in respect of the team’s priorities e.g. case load, in-service training, supervision and meetings.
• To input and retrieve computerised information.
• To participate in the collation of accurate statistics and reports required for monitoring and evaluating the service.
• To be involved with the implementation of the team’s clinical governance plan.

Communication:

• To use a variety of highly skilled verbal and non-verbal communication and tools to ensure that the client and their carer understands the relevant individual education and advice.
• To attend and actively participate in any relevant meetings and conferences as required.
• To assist in managing conflict with support from senior colleagues reporting any incidents to the line manager.
• To communicate closely with colleagues on all matters related to client care, service organisation and delivery.
• To establish and maintain lines of communication within the Team, with service users and with acute, and community services/agencies, including voluntary services.
• To communicate sensitive information in an understandable form to patients and their carers and enable client's co-operation in treatment.
• To comply with the Trust and operational policy on all documentation.
• To produce client reports and discharge summaries for G.P.’s, social workers and referrers and to provide copies to clients following agreement.

Research and Development:

• To participate in the evaluation of clinical practice.
• To keep up-to-date in the developments in research and clinical practice, in the field of rehabilitation, neurology, chronic conditions, older people and other related areas.

Education:

• To participate actively in the in-service training and post-registration training programmes of the service.
• To act as professional practice educator for Speech & Language Therapy students.
• To participate in education programmes for client groups/staff.
• To comply with all mandatory training.

General:

• To perform such duties as may be considered necessary from time to time, appropriate to the grade.
• To work at other sites in the Trust if required. This may include rotation with our secondary partners.