Specialist Speech and Language Therapist | Community Health and Care NHS Trust

We have an excellent opportunity for an experienced Speech & Language Therapist to join Specialist Stroke Services for a permanent contract of 37.5 hours a week. This opportunity would enable the successful candidate to develop their rehabilitation skills working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team with patients with speech, language and swallowing needs after stroke. The successful candidate will work across inpatient stroke rehabilitation and in patient’s homes as part of the Early Supported Discharge and will need to be flexible and adaptive depending on the needs of the service.

This post is offered as a Band 5-6 development role and would suit a qualified Speech and Language Therapist wishing to develop within Stroke services.

• To provide Specialist Speech and Language Therapy, in-depth assessments, differential diagnosis and treatment and intervention for adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders after stroke within the Trust, in the inpatient rehabilitation ward and in their homes. Interventions may include dysphagia management, speech and language rehabilitation and assistive technology incorporating low and high tech alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) input.
• To provide specialist education, training and advice to other professionals, patients, carers, families, voluntary organisations, work places, education settings and patients place of residence.
• To provide specialist written information in the form of reports, or guidelines or advice or personalised information to patients, their families and other organisations as needed.
• To adapt clinical practice to the individual needs of patients.

• To carry out the assessment, implementation of clearly planned interventions, and evaluation of evidence based specialist treatment programs for patients following a stroke, who may have a range of impairments and complex health needs. This must be in line with RCSLT clinical guidelines, evidence based practice and relevant national frameworks for patients with a communication and swallowing disorders following a stroke.
• To be professionally and legally accountable for all clinical decisions and professional actions and to ensure that work is within professional standards, clinical guidelines and in line with evidence based practice.
• To devise, monitor, supervise and evaluate the implementation of communication and swallowing intervention programmes carried out by others.
• To sensitively negotiate patient‑led goals with patients, families, carers and the interdisciplinary team, to enable patients to engage in treatment, and to ensure that patients are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans where possible.
• To develop targeted therapy programmes to be carried out by Speech and Language Therapists and Rehabilitation Assistants / Assistant Practitioners.
• To participate in team meetings working to enhance patients’ functional abilities.
• To adapt assessment and intervention techniques to the needs of the individual patients on an ongoing basis, including use of augmentative and alternative communication systems as appropriate.
• To demonstrate skills in dealing with complex cases, cultural and linguistic differences, and to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management in the stroke population.
• To identify the need for second opinions, referring to senior colleagues as appropriate.
• To participate in investigative assessments as client need dictates (e.g. participation in Modified Barium Swallow, led by the Speech and Language Therapy team based at the local acute hospital, or Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow, supporting the Trust Speech and Language Therapists).
• To contribute to assessment and information‑gathering re: patients’ mental capacity and ability to give informed consent, with support from senior colleagues, and to assist patients to maximise their independence in decision‑making and communicating their wishes.
• To work closely with all appropriate agencies and MDT colleagues to ensure comprehensive management of patients’ SLT needs, providing written and verbal reports as appropriate,…