Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist - Acute and Critical Care

Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist - Acute and Critical Care Job summary

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We are delighted to share a rare and exciting opportunity to join our friendly, well-established team as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist working on Critical Care and the acute wards at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Due to investment in the SLT team we have been able to recruit a highly specialist band 7 to lead on our Acute Medicine Unit, and are now looking for another band 7 to lead on Critical Care and the remaining specialist and general medical wards.

This is a very exciting time for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital SLT team, providing the opportunity to hone your leadership and service improvement skills as you collaborate with the other band 7, band 8 SLTs and other SLT team members, as well as the wider MDT, to restructure the SLT service. Our aim is to deliver the highest quality evidence-based care as effectively and efficiently as possible with the resources available.

The successful candidate will carry a caseload of patients across critical care and acute wards, including patients with and without tracheostomies, and those receiving invasive and non‑invasive ventilation. Leadership of videofluoroscopy clinics for in‑and outpatients, and delivery of the inpatient FEES service, provide ample opportunity to develop and consolidate specialist skills in instrumental assessment of dysphagia.

They will also share responsibility for leading a team of band 5 and 6 SLTs and a band 4 assistant, and will have access to CPD, supervision, peer support and internal and external training opportunities to develop and enhance their leadership skills. We strongly encourage contact from interested candidates who would like to discuss this post.

To provide a highly specialist SLT service to patients on the acute wards including critical care at Queen Elizabeth Hospital

To provide cross‑cover and support to critical care as required.

To work with other members of the multidisciplinary team to develop services and standards of patient care.

To provide training and support to SLT colleagues or to colleagues from other professions.

To assist the Head of Speech and Language Therapy with service evaluation.

PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Key Result Areas & Performance:
To use highly specialist skills to assess, differentially diagnose and manage complex patients with acquired swallowing and communication disorders on the acute wards and critical care at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. To support in the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of patients with tracheostomy who have swallowing and communication impairments, and to provide specialist input to these patients where weaning from the tracheostomy is problematic.

To work independently to fulfil the core responsibilities identified below. To ensure effective joint working with the Multi‑Disciplinary Teams in the management and discharge planning of these patients. To provide training and/or support to other professionals concerning swallowing or communication problems. To contribute to the development of clinical guidelines which are based upon sound evidence. To undertake audit and outcome projects with the supervision of the Head of SLT.

To comment on and adhere to service and team plans and policies.

Please see attached job description for further details.

• Recognised degree in Speech and Language Therapy
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist courses at a Masters degree equivalent (or an MSc if available in clinical specialism)
• Health & Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice
• Fully registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

• Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Network

• Significant specialist experience of working with adults with acquired neurological disorders, particularly Stroke, post registration
• Experience of performing and interpreting Videofluoroscopies (GGC Level
  3)
• Experience of supervising junior SLTs,…