Highly Specialist SLT: Young and Thriving 0-5 Team in Walsall

Walsall Healthcare Speech and Language Therapy Service has an exciting opportunity to work within a newly formed Young and Thriving Team with direct links to the preschool speech and language therapy service. The focus will be to support vulnerable families to access services through preventative work, early identification, engagement work, coaching and timely, joined up support embedding Families First Principles.

The role will be to work with preschool children, using a whole family approach, to support families with multiple and complex needs resulting from a range of issues to avoid family breakdown and increase parental capacity to improve speech, language and communication outcomes.

You should consider applying for this post if you are a highly motivated and enthusiastic therapist committed to integrated partnership working. You will work independently to manage complex cases, and work across a range of community settings, playing a role in training the wider workforce. Excellent communication skills will be required. You will be required to travel. Travel expenses are subsidised.

The successful applicant will work closely with service managers, therapists, and other multi-agency professionals. Ongoing supervision will be provided.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be required to establish, lead and co-ordinate the speech and language therapy role within the Young and Thriving Team, reporting to the Head of the preschool Service and Young and Thriving partners in the Local Authority.
• To contribute to an integrated team for a cohort of preschool children within families with complex needs who have speech, language and communication difficulties, working in a range of settings.
• To develop personalised plans, using Family First principles.
• To provide appropriate assessment and intervention, advice and support in relation to speech, language and communication (SLC).
• To measure and evaluate outcomes of intervention with the young person, key carers and settings.
• To produce reports, reflecting highly specialist knowledge, in a format that is easily understood by the family.
• To contribute to legal documents such as Education, Health and Care Plans and court reports.
• To manage a caseload within departmental standards and integrated team standards.
• To provide advice and support to colleagues from a range of professions and deliver training.
• To develop accessible information and resources.

About us

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community.

Job responsibilities

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Communicates complex condition specific information to clients, carers and multi-disciplinary team members.
• Uses a range of interventions to support engagement to include intensive 1:1 coaching.
• Contributes to clinical teams both multi-disciplinary and uni-disciplinary working across organisations through the development of appropriate care plans.
• Provides highly specialist advice to clients, carers and multi-disciplinary team members.
• Promotes the role and understanding of the profession within the local community.
• Provides clear and concise written reports in line with departmental standards reflecting highly specialist knowledge.
• Provides advice training and support to others regarding the appropriate management and care of clients, including designated speciality and complex cases.
• May respond initially to complaints reporting to Head of Service on all occasions.
• Promotes multi-disciplinary and inter-agency liaison and collaborative practice.

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

• Leads a specialist area and/or designated project.
• Facilitates the development of others problem solving/negotiation skills within peer review/support context and through supervision.
• Leads the development of local clinical guidelines informed by evidence for clinical specialism and awareness of SEN process and statutory assessment.
• Provides mentoring and support to more junior speech and language therapists and provides second opinions to colleagues in highly specialist areas/ designated projects.
• Contributes to speech and language therapy student placements.
• Provides specialist training and presentation in area of clinical expertise.
• Initiates and undertakes research/audit particularly in area of clinical expertise and/or designated project.
• Participates and develops innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness.
• Represents team with multi-disciplinary systems of clinical governance within an organisation, in close liaison with line manager.
• Contributes to the identification of training needs within the department with specific responsibility for designated specialist clinical area.
• Directs and participates in local and national research initiatives within the specialist area.

MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages caseload within departmental standards/integrated team standards.
• Manages own time and prioritises workload within the specialist service.
• Reports to line manager on issues of concern, project progression.
• Defines and manages the work programme for a clinical area and/or designated project area.
• Co-ordinates a range of both uni and multi-disciplinary training and teaching programmes.
• Contributes to the planning and delivery of highly specialist services working with Heads of Service to co-ordinate appropriate service delivery.
• Identify areas for own personal/professional development including specific objectives relating to the clinical specialism and project area.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLIENT CARE

• Uses specialist knowledge to inform clinical judgements/decision making for the management of complex cases.
• Defines a differential diagnosis based on assessment findings using specialist clinical skills.
• Refers client on to other services as appropriate.
• Adapts management plans according to individual circumstances.
• Understands and adheres to National and Local clinical guidelines.
• Understands legislation as it relates to the highly specialist clinical area.
• Understands and adheres to Trust policies relevant to the service area.
• Assesses, develops and implements specialist SLT programmes.
• Negotiates with carers/clients around individual case management, recognising breakdown/conflict when this occurs and generate potential solutions.
• Maintains timely and accurate client records in line with the Trust and Departmental records management policy.
• Demonstrates clinical effectiveness by the use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures in relation to the specialist area.

DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contributes to the development of the Annual Service Development Plan with regard to relevant clinical specialisms and/or designated project.
• Facilitates and co-ordinates team objectives and projects as specified in the Service Development Plan.
• Understands and adheres to policies and professional standards.
• Contributes to inter-agency team building and policy development within the integrated team.
• Contributes to the development of local clinical guidelines informed by evidence for clinical specialism.
• Plans and delivers highly specialist training in area of expertise and contributes to the development of core training on a range of subjects.
• Develops policies, protocols and care pathways related to the relevant clinical specialism and/or designated project.
• Interprets and implements national and local policy relevant to the specialist area / designated project.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESOURCES

• Monitors stock levels and orders new equipment as appropriate.
• Maintains equipment, ensuring standards of safety are maintained.
• Uses resources efficiently.
• Identifies resources required within specific specialist / project area.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accountable for own professional actions.
• Recognises professional boundaries and seeks advice as appropriate.

Person Specification

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent.
• Health Professions Council - Licence to Practice.
• Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist.

Knowledge and experience

• In depth experience within specialist area.
• Advanced knowledge of compounding factors on the development of speech, language and communication development.
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses up to Masters degree or equivalent.

Skills and knowledge

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrates good organisational skills.
• Demonstrates effective negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates good presentation skills, both written and verbal.
• Demonstrates an ability to prioritise workload.
• Demonstrates effective clinical leadership and team building skills.
• Demonstrates an ability to work effectively at a multi-professional/multi-agency level.
• Understands the importance of Health and Safety at work.
• Demonstrates an understanding of how services develop within a strategic context.
• Has a positive understanding of the roles of multi-agency team roles.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Well established knowledge of a broad range assessment tools relevant to the specialist client group.
• In-depth knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the specialist client group).
• In depth knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to the client group) and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits.
• Has in depth knowledge of clinical governance/audit and how this relates to the specialist service area.
• Knowledge of legislation related to the clinical area.

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.