Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Key duties within this role include

• o Take an active role within the clinical team, contributing to the delivery of a comprehensive, highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service.
• Provide skilled dysphagia and communication assessments and treatments to the general adult community population of Hertfordshire.
• To be proficient in managing a complex caseload of a variety of long-term conditions including dementia.
• Work in line with professional standards and clinical guidelines, supporting best practice across the service.
• Carry out all aspects of clinical care, including assessment, treatment planning, and maintaining accurate, timely clinical records. You will work independently with your caseload, with appropriate support from the wider team.
• To share responsibility for delegated operational management for a defined aspect of the service.
• To provide effective leadership, management and be responsible for the career and personal development for a defined number within the service workforce.
• To deliver a high performing service with effective demand management systems.
• To provide evidence based advanced SLT clinical care and/or education programmes to patients and their relatives and carers within a defined patient cohort across the SLT service.

Essential

• An appropriate qualification to practise as a Speech and Language Therapist.
• Health and Care Professions Council licence to practise.
• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
• Dysphagia-trained to an advanced level.
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses and/or relevant experience up to Master's degree equivalent.
• Membership/attendance at relevant Special Interest Groups

Essential

• Highly specialist experience of the management of dysphagia in multiple settings.
• In depth knowledge of a broad range of assessment tools relevant to the adult client group including dysphagia/dysarthria/dyspraxia/dysphonia/dysfluency/ dysgraphia/dyslexia/dementia.
• In depth knowledge of appropriate therapeutic interventions and an ability to analyse comparative benefits for clients (as above).
• In depth knowledge of the management of people with neurological conditions in multiple settings.
• Experience in the provision of training to a wide range of groups/people.
• In depth knowledge of the range and applications of communication aids.
• Well-established knowledge of RCSLT standards of practice including record keeping.
• A good understanding of the roles of other professionals.
• In depth knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to adults.
• In depth knowledge of research and audit systems relevant to profession and ability to apply to practice/service.
• In depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Knowledge of and experience in the application and protocol for use of videofluoroscopy.

Essential

• Able to demonstrate the application of in depth, new and ongoing learning and experience to clinical practice.
• Excellent presentation skills in both verbal and written form.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Highly developed negotiating and influencing skills.
• Excellent ability to independently integrate complex information to manage individual patients.
• Excellent ability to prioritise and organise own workload and that of others.
• Highly developed hearing, auditory discrimination, concentration and perceptual skills.
• Highly developed skills in transcribing and analysing speech phonetically.
• Highly developed skills in delivering training to others.
• Excellent analytical and reflection skills to problem solve and develop own performance and that of others.
• Excellent ability to demonstrate the application of in depth, new and ongoing learning and experience to clinical practice.
• Proven ability to be an effective team member and assume leadership responsibilities.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills including observation, listening, empathy and sensitivity.
• Proven ability to manage the emotional consequences of working with patients with distressing conditions.
• Proven ability to self-monitor and seek support/advice as appropriate.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work clinically, professionally and within the organisation.
• Proven ability to demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and tact.

Essential

• Demonstrates an ability to be an effective team member.
• High level of interpersonal communication skills including observation, listening, empathy and sensitivity.
• Ability to manage the emotional consequences of working with patients with distressing conditions.
• Ability to analyse, reflect on and develop own performance.
• Ability to seek support/advice as appropriate.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work clinically, professionally and within the organisation.

Desirable

• As this is a community-based role, with travel between patient homes, there is a requirement to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).