Band 8a Lead Speech and Language Therapist in Birmingham

This post leads the speech and language therapy team in Access to Communication and Technology (ACT), a specialist electronic assistive technology service at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre. The caseload is complex and mostly children, with adults too, all needing AAC, alongside clinical leadership of AAC across the West Midlands. Supervising a small SLT team, budget input and service development sit alongside the caseload, with regular regional travel. Applicants need HCPC and RCSLT registration and a full driving licence.

What the job involves

• Provide clinical leadership in AAC across the West Midlands in line with the NHS England service specification D01/S/b
• Manage a complex caseload, mainly children and some adults, including tertiary referrals and training for teams
• Supervise the SLT team day to day, including objective setting, performance monitoring, recruitment, appraisals and absence management
• Give expert second opinions to SLTs and other professionals within ACT, regionally and nationally
• Lead service improvement, research, audit and procedure development in AAC, including new ways of working with partners
• Deputise for the ACT service lead and sit on the ACT leadership team
• Support the appropriate use of the ACT budget and avoid waste on high-cost devices
• Recommend, set up and check safe use of electronic assistive technology and related equipment
• Carry out multi-disciplinary AAC assessments, including physical handling for positioning
• Manage the West Midlands telephone referral and advice line, triaging AAC and environmental control referrals
• Write complex, sensitive reports, including expert witness statements and tribunal reports
• Represent ACT on national AAC working parties and develop standard operating procedures and care pathways

What’s required

Qualifications

• Degree in speech and language therapy
• Evidence of recent relevant CPD in the specialised area

Registration & licences

• Health and Care Professions Council registration
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists registration

Experience

• Extensive postgraduate SLT experience
• Significant experience of SLT management of people using low and high tech AAC, Makaton or equivalent
• Experience of managing or supervising a small SLT team day to day
• Significant experience of managing a complex and diverse caseload independently and advising others

Skills & knowledge

• Recent relevant CPD in AAC

Checks & eligibility

• Full car driving licence, as independent travel across the region is required

Nice to have

• Masters degree in a relevant clinical area or equivalent