Chailey Communication Aid Service Manager

An exciting development opportunity has arisen within Chailey Communication Aid Service (CCAS). The post is for a motivated leader and team player with specialist Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and/or Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) knowledge and with experience in leadership or management roles. Chailey Communication Aid Service is one of 15 centres nationally commissioned by NHS England (NHSE) to provide a Specialised AAC Service. The service provides communication aid assessment and equipment to adults and children with complex disabilities in the geographical area of Sussex (including Brighton and Hove) and Surrey. Travel will be required within this area.

The successful applicant will lead a team of Speech & Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Clinical Scientists (including trainees), Therapy Assistants, Healthcare Science and Administration staff who assess, provide and maintain communication aids and associated equipment for those who meet the NHSE specification. We have a strong training and continuing professional development programme to grow and develop our own experienced team. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is keen to join us and lead the CCAS team, to develop the service and maintain the high standard of care we provide to our clients.

Main duties of the job:

• You will undertake and where relevant lead highly specialised assessments, handovers and follow-up appointments of children, young people and adults with diverse or complex communication disabilities and use specialist analysis, clinical reasoning, and listening skills to determine their requirements.
• Clinics and interventions will take place at Chailey Clinical Services and across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove as required.
• You will lead on the strategic development within the department in accordance with the Service Specification set out by NHSE, maximising human and financial resources and the delivery of key performance indicators identified.
• This will be supported by high-quality communications with all groups of staff.
• You will maintain highly developed specialist knowledge and practical experience of the working practices and theory underpinning the assessment and provision of AAC/EAT to provide expert advice both internally and externally to the service.
• You will have the opportunity to develop and maintain professional links nationally and locally appropriate to the specialist clinical field and present work undertaken in CCAS at multi-disciplinary meetings and conferences.

About us:

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays. Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing.
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex.
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement.
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities.
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton.
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks.
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust.
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast.

Our values - Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence - guide everything we do. We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment. This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities:

• This role requires you to lead multidisciplinary appointments for the assessment and provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems to the adults, young people and children eligible for the CCAS service. These appointments will be held in the community or at Chailey Clinical Services.
• You will be responsible for professional leadership demonstrating a supportive and flexible leadership approach and a proactive, responsible attitude to promote confidence in the team and the service.
• You will put the patient experience at the heart of all actions, and actively assist in the delivery of the services quality and operational metrics and key performance indicators.
• You will explore current practice, identifying areas for development and planning the appropriate change using research and experience to evaluate the outcomes, whilst ensuring a high standard of financially effective care delivery within the Chailey Communication Aid Service.
• This will include addressing waiting list issues including putting in strategies to effectively manage in both the short and long term.

Main responsibilities:

• To lead multidisciplinary appointments for the assessment and provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems to the adults, young people and children eligible for the CCAS service.
• To demonstrate advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of EAT through formal training at master's level with additional specialist training and in-depth experience in the application of their registered clinical field to EAT practice.
• To maintain highly developed specialist knowledge and practical experience of the working practices and theory underpinning the assessment and provision of AAC/EAT in order to provide expert advice.
• To contribute highly specialist clinical skills and knowledge to the assessment and recommendation of AAC (& EAT).
• To maintain an overview of the standards of care being delivered across defined clinical areas and instigate remedial action if necessary.
• To work with senior members of the team in assessing the clinical skills required to deliver a safe and high-quality service, identifying any deficits in this and developing programmes to address these issues.
• To act as a resource for junior staff.
• To guide and support developmental projects and advise on further resources inside and outside of the Trust as appropriate.
• To utilise highly specialised clinical skills to act as a coach/mentor for relevant members of staff and take a lead on complex clinical decisions when required.
• To input into the Chailey Clinical Services Senior Management Team and more widely across the portfolio.
• To assist in the resolution of any conflicts within the clinical area, resolving informal complaints locally and assisting in the investigation of and response to formal complaints as required.
• To supervise and line manage members of the CCAS team as appropriate.
• Develop agreed pathways of care and support implementation.
• In conjunction with the senior management team, support the CCAS Team, to maximise resources, ensuring that national targets and CCS priorities are met and the department is kept within the allocated budget.
• To lead and participate in the Trust audit process to improve patient care delivery, ensuring that all annual and mandatory audits are completed and reviewed, and identified improvements are implemented.
• To effectively organise and complete own workload.
• To promote the development of an evidence-based approach to clinical care.
• To take part in identifying topics for research and undertake appropriate research and development activity in line with the Chailey Clinical Service research programme.
• To develop/provide training sessions for a multidisciplinary audience as required regarding aspects of AAC and if appropriate, Electronic Assistive Technology.

Person Specification:

Qualifications and/or Professional Registration:

• Registered or eligible to register with the HCPC as a Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist or Clinical Scientist.
• 1st Degree in Speech & Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy or a relevant Engineering subject.
• MSc or equivalent knowledge through experience in relevant subject area.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Knowledge of a range of AT services.
• Ability to work as an effective team member.
• Ability to write clinical and management reports.
• Ability to meet a range of competing deadlines and priorities; ability to create action plans in line with key milestones.
• Ability to work independently taking informed decisions.
• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the role.

Experience:

• Previous experience of a leadership role and managing staff.
• Significant experience working in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) or Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT).
• Experience of working with children, young people (CYP) or adults with complex disabilities.
• Experience of working with CYP or adults with communication difficulties.
• Experience of management, including recruitment and retention of staff, performance management, and managing sickness and absence.
• Previous experience of working within a team.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.