Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in London

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

This Band 6 Speech and Language Therapy post is within the Community Learning Disability Service (CLDS) and the post holder will be actively involved in the wider Speech and Language Therapy network across learning disability services in ELFT. CLDS is an integrated multidisciplinary health and social care service comprised of three care programs focused upon the primary needs of the service users – Transition; Community Health and Well-being; Mental Health and Behavioural Support. The post holder will be expected to work across the three care programs as required.

The post holder will be expected to carry a caseload, independently completing assessments and interventions, including assessment and management of complex communication needs; dysphagia (eating and drinking) difficulties and advising on inclusive communication strategies for people with learning disabilities within Tower Hamlets. The post holder will be expected to assess eligibility of referrals made to CLDS and cover core service functions such as Duty. The post holder will be actively involved in service development projects and will be expected to keep up to date with developments in the learning disability field, contributing to audit and research as appropriate.

• To provide expert advice and specialist speech and language therapy assessment and intervention for adults with learning disabilities and their carers/families, including assessments to determine eligibility for services.
• To ensure that speech and language therapy input within CLDS reflects current best practice and is evidence-based.
• To collate both quantitative and qualitative information regarding speech and language therapy referrals, interventions and outcomes and use this information to inform service development.
• To be actively involved in service development initiatives both within CLDS and in the wider context providing an expert speech and language therapy perspective.
• To promote integrated and collaborative working both within and across CLDS, ELFT, LBTH and with external providers.
• To work closely with other disciplines within CLDS; other Primary and Secondary health care services; social care teams and with other organisations and agencies that support people with learning disabilities in Tower Hamlets.
• To carry out eligibility assessments for adults referred to CLDS.

Education/ Qualification/ Training:

• Degree or PG Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies from RCSLT approved training establishment.
• Current HCPC Registration and licence to practice.
• Membership of RCSLT.
• Clinical skills in communication assessment and therapy (including AAC, signing and symbol systems).
• Post-basic qualification in dysphagia.
• Training in student supervision.

Experience:

• Specialist knowledge acquired through degree, experience of working with communication impairment and specialist post graduate training.
• Minimum of 18 months' post registration clinical experience working with adults/children with learning disabilities.
• Evidence of experience of assessment and intervention with adults or children and young people with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems.
• Experience of using electronic recording systems and workflows to document interventions and extract data.
• Skills in clinical supervision of junior SLTs and students.
• Experience of research and audit.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Good clinical skills/knowledge across a wide range of dysphagia and communication difficulties.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and interactive skills with clients/carers, colleagues, management, staff in other organisations and able to communicate in emotive atmosphere using a high degree of tact and empathy.
• Ability to adapt communication to the communication needs of others including according to cognitive ability, language and culture.
• To have highly developed communication skills including knowledge of augmentative communication systems (signing and symbol use).
• Evidence of knowledge of current legislation and government policy and how it affects the provision of services to adults with learning disabilities.
• Evidence of knowledge of current models of treatment, care and approaches appropriate for working with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems.
• Understanding of Equal Opportunities and how this affects staff and service users.
• Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of Speech and Language Therapy process relating to client centred practice.
• Ability to set own priorities, working to deadlines and under pressure.

Quality Improvement is a key part of our work to improve our services and refine how we do things. We have a global reputation for our quality improvement work and we don’t stand still! So we offer a fantastic opportunity for our staff to learn, lead and contribute towards improving our services.

We launched our Five Year Strategy in April 2018, which identified four main strategic outcomes to improve: population health outcomes, experience of care, staff experience and improve value. This complements the NHS Long Term Strategy and sets out our direction of travel.

We provide a wide range of community health and mental health inpatient services to children, young people, adults of working age, and older adults in The City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton. We also provide psychological therapy services to the London Borough of Richmond, and provide Forensic services to the whole of North East London. We provide services in urban and rural settings, sometimes in our inpatient units, but mostly in the community close to where people live. Integrated care is key in making the best use of resources and providing effective care.

We were rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC in 2016, were proud to be rated 'Outstanding' again in 2018 and continue to be rated 'Outstanding' in 2021. We were named in the HSJ's Top 10 best places to work in healthcare and were voted Provider Trust of the Year in 2018.

We strive to ensure that staff feel valued by the Trust and as they are truly pivotal in delivering better outcomes for our patients and service users. Our aspiration is to help to make ELFT the best place to work. This Trust is clinician-led and provides the highest possible level of clinical expertise throughout its services. We pride ourselves on our service user involvement.

ELFT Is committed to being a diverse organisation and our workforce is reflective of the population and communities we serve. We believe that having colleagues with a range of backgrounds and life experiences enriches and adds value to the outcomes we have set out to achieve.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern.