Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist Acute Frailty & Elderly Pathway

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

The Speech and Language Therapy post is based within the Acute team at King’s College Hospital, PRUH site. The post holder will provide a highly specialist inpatient service to adults who have communication and/or swallowing disorders, working closely with the MDT to deliver optimal clinical care in the acute and post-acute phases of hospital admission.

The post holder will establish, build and maintain working relationships within Speech & Language Therapy (cross-site) and all multidisciplinary teams within the speciality of acute frailty and elderly care. They will be expected to be involved in Southeast London/London/England-wide Acute networks for Speech & Language Therapists.

Main duties of the job

• To autonomously manage and provide highly specialist intervention, which will include assessment, contribution to differential diagnosis, and highly specialist SLT management for patients with acute, acquired communication and swallowing disorders, following King's College Hospital (KCH) Speech and Language Therapy evidence-based guidelines and abiding by KCH Speech and Language Therapy service standards.
• To provide highly specialist input into policies and protocols regarding the management of patients on the Speech and Language Therapy Acute Team and wider service.
• To act as a link between all SLT’s involved in treating patients in Acute and Frailty beds to ensure the patient receives treatment from the most appropriate therapist and that knowledge and resources are shared across the service.
• To act as a link with the other therapy professions to develop the process for planning rehabilitation goals and programmes for relevant patients on these acute wards.
• To provide accurate appropriate and current information for clients and their carers to enable autonomy and choice where possible.
• To carry out instrumental assessments (VF/FEES) and assist in the training and supervision of other SLT staff in these assessments.
• To liaise effectively and work collaboratively with the relevant multidisciplinary teams to plan and facilitate appropriate management.
• To attend clinical meetings/ward rounds/case conferences where appropriate.
• To maintain an active liaison role, including SLT colleagues in the acute and community sector, members of the in-patient and community multidisciplinary teams, GPs, other members of the primary health care team, local authority services and voluntary organisations, ensuring consultation and feedback.
• To carry out joint assessments with other members of the multidisciplinary team where appropriate.
• To identify barriers to effective communication within the environment and suggest and implement solutions where feasible.
• To co-ordinate and promote communication developments e.g. mental capacity act issues, developing and delivering training on supporting communication, advising on environmental changes that support those with communication difficulties.
• To provide complex and sensitive clinical information to patients and carers in clear, accessible and empathetic format, both in written and verbal form.
• To develop and deliver training regarding communication and swallowing to carers, relatives and staff.
• To instigate referrals, when appropriate, to internal/external agencies and to liaise with other agencies to ensure appropriate follow up and care arrangements for patients.
• To assist with clinical cover in other areas as required.

Administrative Responsibilities

• To be responsible for prioritising and managing own caseload. To support the Acute SLT Clinical Lead in overseeing the organisation of the acute caseload across the SLT service, identifying shortfalls and risk.
• To maintain full, accurate and contemporaneous records within EPIC.
• To provide timely and accurate reports including transfer and discharge reports.
• To prepare for and participate in an annual job appraisal which includes a 6 monthly review with the SLT acute clinical lead.
• To attend King’s College Hospital Speech and Language Therapy team meetings.
• To provide full, accurate and timely statistical data.
• To comply with departmental procedures and policies and contribute to developments in clinical effectiveness, including risk management.

Leadership

• To jointly lead the Acute Frailty and Elderly SLT team at PRUH provide clinical support and supervision to junior therapists within the team.
• To assist in the ordering and be responsible for the accurate record keeping, safe-keeping and maintenance of therapy equipment, in line with standards and policy, including infection control.
• To assist in the co-ordination of Acute Frailty and Elderly SLT team objectives and projects.
• To attend and participate in King’s SLT and Multiprofessional team meetings as appropriate.
• To develop care protocols and standards relating to the delivery of the SLT Acute Frailty and Elderly service.

Education and Training

• To participate in nurse dysphagia screen training programme run by the SLT department.
• To take part in the clinical training for SLT students as agreed and appropriate including preparation for and participation in practical exams.
• To participate in the SLT Department in service training programme.
• To pursue an active programme of continuing professional development including feedback to the team on any courses or conferences attended.

Governance / Quality Control

• To maintain and record an active programme of continuing professional development, including feeding back to colleagues on any courses or conferences attended.
• To make recommendations on service development and governance.
• To be an active member of relevant special interest groups.
• To participate regularly in the evaluation of the effectiveness of intervention and models of service delivery, maintaining up to date knowledge of relevant clinical practice and research.
• To undertake specific departmental audit projects and contribute to departmental research where appropriate.

Research and Service Development

• To lead and participate in relevant audit activity within King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
• To participate in research initiatives in the relevant area.
• To publish and disseminate information which results from research and audit activity.

People Management and Performance

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To live and role model the King’s Values – we are a kind and respectful team.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.

Safe Guarding

The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults, familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns, and reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately.

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.

Person specificationKnowledge and Experience

• Significant experience of adult acquired neurological and medical disorders in a medical, health & ageing and acute care setting, including managing own swallowing and communication caseload and using a range of assessment and therapy techniques.
• The management of patients presenting with dementia and disorders which impact on communication, cognition / behavioural feeding.
• Experience of risk identification and management including multidisciplinary liaison and decision making.
• Experience of audit within specialism.
• Experience of specialist assessment and differential diagnosis with a complex caseload.
• Previous experience of clinical supervision of others, including supporting approaches with appropriate theoretical models of management.

Education and Qualification

• BSc or recognised post graduate MSc or diploma in speech and language therapy.
• Registration with the Health Professions Council.
• Postgraduate training in communication disorders and aphasia therapy.
• Active member of RCSLT CEN or equivalent.
• Postgraduate short courses in language, cognition and motor speech disorders and swallowing specifically to frailty assessment and management.
• Postgraduate training in management of dysphagia, including training and experience in instrumental assessment of swallowing skills (Videofluoroscopy and / or FEES).
• Member of RCSLT.
• Attended leadership & management training course(s).

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent communication skills – written and spoken.
• Highly motivated and able to demonstrate ability to lead designated clinical area.
• Clinical supervision and line management skills.
• Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to devise appropriate training and information packages.
• Ability to work at a senior level in partnership with other professionals and agencies.
• Ability to plan and implement appropriate highly specialist treatment packages.
• Excellent observational and analytical skills.
• Ability to undertake complex assessment and make differential diagnoses.
• Ability to communicate complex and emotive information, including where there are barriers to understanding.
• Ability to plan and implement treatment programmes.
• Good organisational and time management ability.
• Ability to plan and prioritise own autonomous caseload within professional guidelines and policies.
• Able to work flexibly, under pressure and to use appropriate conflict resolution skills.
• Able to demonstrate awareness of current NHS changes and professional issues.
• High level of motivation and initiative.
• Good auditory and perceptual skills.
• Excellent IT Skills including data and presentation packages.
• Evidence of professionally written and spoken public presentation skills.