Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

We are recruiting for a Fixed term 6 month Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to work within community Speech and Language Therapy in Sefton. The successful applicant will provide high quality consultations, specialist assessment and intervention of speech, language and communication needs including provision of dysphagia assessments.

The post holder would support junior therapists to develop their clinical skills, taking the lead in case discussions and in promoting the use of the latest evidence-based practice. You may be involved in staff performance monitoring and may have difficult or sensitive conversations with those who use the service or with colleagues. This is a varied and interesting role in which leadership skills, compassionate communication skills, clinical prioritisation and time management skills are essential. They will support the development of the Speech and Language Therapy service and strive for continuous improvement.

To take a lead on and provide evidence-based Speech and Language Therapy assessment, treatment and intervention to service users who have complex needs. We value CPD and carry out robust clinical supervision and appraisals to encourage therapists' specialist interests and innovation. The team is led by a team manager and we have excellent AHP support within Mersey Care leadership. There will be some Line Management responsibility for the team as well as support to manage and prioritise caseloads within the team. The post holder will supervise other speech and language therapists and therapy assistants in the team. They will contribute to the pre and post qualification teaching of speech and language therapy.

To provide clinical leadership and training to the wider staff team with regards to speech, language and communication. To provide strategic leadership within the Service in the development of the clinical model. To support the development of effective outcome measures both for SLT and the wider team to build on the existing evidence base.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. At the heart of all we do is our commitment to perfect care - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Principal Responsibilities

• Line Management responsibility for the team.
• Some management responsibility for managing and prioritising caseload including delegation to other speech and language therapists in the team.
• Supervise other speech and language therapists and support workers in the team.
• Contribute to the pre and post qualification teaching of speech and language therapy.
• Provide clinical leadership and training to the wider staff team with regards to speech, language and communication.
• Provide strategic leadership within the Service in the development of the clinical model.
• Provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings where appropriate.
• Provide in-depth specialist speech and language therapy assessments for the more complex service users referred to the team.
• Formulate and implement support plans as part of the MDT.
• Evaluate the impact of a support plan/intervention and use outcome measures to inform future practice.
• Develop effective outcome measures both for SLT and the wider team to build on the existing evidence base.
• Provide clinical and strategic leadership across the health and social care network for the geographical area.
• Represent service both nationally and locally as appropriate.
• Utilise theory evidence-based literature and research to support practice and to contribute to the evidence base by leading and participating in research and audit.
• Advise team manager about capacity/gaps in service delivery/operational issues.
• Be involved in recruitment of other speech and language therapists or other staff within the teams.
• Provide clinical and managerial supervision to junior members of staff.
• Act as supervisor, assessor and mentor for students, Speech and Language Therapists and junior staff.
• Facilitate the education of service users, relatives and other agencies concerned with provision of learning disability services in the community.
• Be involved in the development of training/information resources for partner agencies.
• Ensure Safeguarding requirements are upheld.
• Provide statistical information as required by the Trust.
• Undertake duties as may be delegated by the Team Manager or the Clinical Lead.
• Promote health and reduce inequalities for all patients accessing the speech and language therapy service, so that they may be able to maximise their potential in terms of health education and social well-being.
• Lead on training and development programmes as appropriate to the knowledge and skills of the individual, delivering to other professionals and service users.
• Participate in the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (MCFT) PACE review process ensuring business priority objectives are met and a personal development plan is maintained and evaluated.
• Cascade the PACE process to departmental staff as appropriate.
• Be responsible for own continuing professional development and maintaining own professional registration and meet HPC registration requirements, maintain a professional portfolio and demonstrating evidence of reflective practice.
• Use highly developed skills to convey complex and sensitive clinical information, using a high level of persuasive and motivational skill to enable others to follow swallowing/therapy plans.
• Communicate clinical formulations and interventions to service users and carers in an understandable manner based on a person-centred approach, which inspires hope to the service user and carer.

Generic Responsibilities For All Staff

• Commit to the vision of supporting Mersey Care in becoming a leading organisation in the provision of community services, mental health care, addiction services and learning disability care, and in doing so fully utilise their skills and experience to support the objectives of the Trust.
• Role model the values of the Trust Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Respectfulness, Enthusiasm and Support in all activities and interactions with employees, service users and other stakeholders.
• Challenge the stigma associated with mental health and learning difficulties.
• Comply with the Duty of Candour, defined by Francis as: 'The volunteering of all relevant information to persons who have or may have been harmed by the provision of services, whether or not the information has been requested and whether or not a complaint or a report about that provision has been made.
• Work across professional and organisational boundaries to improve services for all.
• Maintain their specific knowledge base and develop new skills.
• Value the contribution of the patient/service user voice.
• Operate within any organisational codes of practice or those from a relevant professional body.
• Respect equality and diversity across all areas of working practice and communications with staff, service users and other stakeholders.
• Take responsibility for the accurate and timely collection and recording of data and ensuring all personally identifiable information is protected and used only for the purposes for which it was intended.
• Comply with all health and safety legislation and local policies and procedures.
• Adhere to all organisational policies.
• Have knowledge and understanding of technology in the workplace which is sufficient to maintain their efficiency and also how technology can empower service users in a digital environment.
• Comply with the NHS Constitution in relation to the staff responsibilities that it sets out for NHS employees.
• Attend a one day Just and Learning & Civility and Respect training workshop.
• Be an ambassador for Just & Learning and Civility & Respect following the training.
• Positively advocate the just and learning culture within your team.
• Support their team/services to create a positive environment for Just and Learning Culture.
• Participate in Just and Learning Culture events.
• Bring Just and Learning Culture updates/information to the attention of team members and other MCT colleagues they work with.
• Support and encourage the sharing of concerns about the safety and quality of care with senior leaders with the aim of improving safety and quality.
• Actively participate in creating an open culture within your team so that concerns and difficulties can be discussed safely and respectfully.
• Speak up in the event that they are exposed to incivility between colleagues in the workplace.
• Listen and understand others who have concerns and take a collaborative approach to work towards a solution to improve civility and respect.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be reviewed in light of the changing needs of the Trust in consultation with the postholder.