Highly Specialist SLT (Community Stroke)

To work in collaboration with the Head of Adult SLT Service in planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Speech & Language Therapy provided to patients within the Trust on a day to day basis.

To provide highly specialist SLT assessment diagnosis and treatment of patients.

To ensure the delivery of highly specialist care to all patients in the Trust according to clinical priorities and as required by the Head of Service, usually in the community stroke , as part of the community and rehabilitation SLT team.

To provide highly specialist SLT in the area of community stroke, ensuring effective practice and providing support and development to SLTs and the wider MDT

To maintain close working relationships with other health professionals /referrers to ensure efficient, effective, patient centred and appropriate delivery of the service.

To supervise and educate student SLTs to a graduate standard, working with the Universities to ensure standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the degree level qualification.

To perform highly specialist assessments of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions resulting from a stroke. To provide a clinical diagnosis and develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.

Undertake the assessment and treatment of patients in community settings who have suffered a stroke. To maintain associated records as an autonomous practitioner and provide advice to medical and nursing staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding patients function/condition.

To hold responsibility for own caseload and be responsible for a defined area of the service or a particular patient type, as defined by the Head of Service, working without supervision. Access to advice and support is available as required, clinical work is not routinely evaluated. To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

Formulate, deliver and evaluate highly specialist individual SLT programmes based on a sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment.

Make rapid and appropriate amendments to treatment in response to clinical observations made during the treatment of the patient.

Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively and motivate patients, to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes.

Use appropriate resources (e.g. interpreters) to communicate effectively with patients who have English as an additional language and provide an equitable treatment programme to patients of differing cultural and social backgrounds

Provide and receive complex information relating to patients diagnosis, treatment & long-term rehabilitation outcomes to patients carers and the MDT.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as "Good" by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Experince of working within stroke rehab

Essential: - Diploma/degree or Masters level entry in Speech and Language Therapy

Desirable: - Competent in AAC at IPAACKS skill level 3 or equivalent (or evidence of working towards this and willingness to ensure this is completed)