Advanced Practitioner - Speech and Language Therapist in Wakefield

Hello, my name is Catherine Eaves and I am the General Manager of the Forensic In-patient Services at Fieldhead Hospital. We also have a range of Medium and Low secure wards at Cheswold Park Hospital (CPH). We have an excellent reputation for providing a high-quality service to mentally disordered offenders across the Yorkshire and Humberside area. The units have beds, covering Male Learning Disabilities/ASD, Female Mental Illness, and Female Mental Illness wards.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) to work within our in-patient forensic mental health and learning disability services. This established role will be pivotal in establishing a high-quality physiotherapy offer providing specialist SLT assessments and interventions to patients currently receiving care in our low and medium secure forensic services based.

You will have experience of working with individuals with a range of mental health conditions and either experience of, or transferrable skills to work with individuals with learning disabilities. You will have the ability and motivation to develop and shape the direction of the SLT provision, ensuring it is evidence based and meets the individuals needs. You would work as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside partner agencies to keep people well and safe, promoting the health and independence of our service users.

Main duties of the job:

• The role will also involve providing day to day support and clinical leadership to SLT staff working within Wakefield in-patient mental health services, based at the same site.
• The post holder would provide a highly specialist SLT service, using expert skills to assess, advise and provide appropriate intervention to ensure individuals holistic health needs are met and maximising function, and promoting quality of life.
• The post holder will be required to liaise effectively with all relevant professionals, carers and family members to ensure the needs of the individual are met.

We are looking for a flexible, confident, enthusiastic and proactive SLT with established or developing leadership skills. Effective communication, organisational and IT skills are essential. The successful candidate will be passionate for improving the lives of vulnerable adults and have a strong understanding of local and national drivers and legal frameworks relating to forensic mental health services.

You will have access to operational and professional support, clinical supervision, and strong professional networks and a range of profession specific training and career progression opportunities.

About Us:

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative. Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time.

We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers. We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities. Being a foundation Trust means we're accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we're run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust. Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.