About this role
Job summary
We're looking for an ambitious, experienced Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to join our Community Paediatric team, delivering specialist assessment and diagnostic intervention for children with complex speech, language and communication needs across Lambeth and Southwark.
Working in our SALT Schools & Adolescent Communication Team, you'll work across education, early years and community settings to help build an integrated universal, targeted and specialist offer, strengthening early identification, developing workforce capability, and supporting inclusive practice for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
You'll lead within your specialist area (Early Years Neuro-Disability, Deaf Communication, Stammering & Cluttering, Autism, or Schools/FE/YOS), providing expert advice to colleagues, shaping service and policy development, and mentoring SLTs and assistants.
Combining clinical expertise with consultation, coaching, supervision, service improvement and system leadership, you'll support Expert at Hand practitioners and the wider SLT workforce to embed new ways of working, while maintaining a small targeted-plus and specialist caseload for children with more complex needs.
You'll bring demonstrable expertise in paediatric assessment and intervention, advanced clinical reasoning, and confidence managing a busy caseload, along with strong organisational, interpersonal and communication skills as a proactive, reflective clinician.
Main duties of the job
What you'll be doing
Providing highly specialist, autonomous clinical case management for complex needs
Leading projects, training and service development within your specialist area
Providing line management, supervision and mentoring to junior colleagues and students
Advising local authorities, education staff and multi-disciplinary colleagues
Leading team-wide initiatives on service quality and effectiveness
What we're looking for
HCPC registration and substantial specialist paediatric experience
Proven leadership, negotiation and mentoring skills
Experience contributing to service and policy development
A genuine passion for raising standards and developing others
About us
Evelina London is part ofGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trustand we are responsible for providing services for women and children. With over 3,000 dedicated staff, and led by an Executive Team and Board, we have significant devolved autonomy to focus operationally and strategically upon the needs of our patients. We also benefit from being part of a large and successful NHS foundation trust, whose values we share. We have an ambitious strategic development programme, with backing from Guy's and St Thomas'.
Every year, the number of children and young people Evelina London cares for, in hospital and in the community, continues to grow. We provide comprehensive health services from pre-conception, before birth, throughout childhood and into adult life. Evelina London is here for children, young people and women from London to South East England, and provides specialist care for families around the UK and across the world.
As the only NHS Trust in London with women's and specialist children's services on one site we have unique opportunities to provide excellent, high quality, integrated care for mothers, babies and children. We operate through four clinical directorates: Neonatology and Medical Specialties, Surgical Services, Theatres and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children's Community Services and Women's Services.
Job description Job responsibilities
Professional / Clinical Responsibilities
Provide highly specialist, autonomous clinical case management, including;
o Highly specialist assessments
o Highly specialist therapy
o Adapting practice based on individual client and setting needs to overcoming barriers to understanding.
Assess, develop and implement highly specialist SLT intervention programmes, adapting practice to individual clients' or families' circumstances, including cultural and linguistic differences.
Develop bespoke information and resources for clients, families and relevant others about speech, language and communication and/or feeding and swallowing needs.
Provide advice to others on the management and care of clients with communication, interaction and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
Write comprehensive reports to be shared with families and a range of professionals, reflecting specialist knowledge, in line with department guidance.
Work alongside the Senior Leadership Team to support colleagues in producing high-quality, evidence-based reports that meet professional and service standards.
Keep up to date with new techniques and developments to promote and maintain good practice.
Demonstrate good negotiation skills in dealing with a range of complex issues and generate appropriate strategies for caseload management.
Develop, implement and review care pathways and recommend changes in practice as appropriate.
Identify and make appropriate onward referrals to other agencies.
Demonstrate clinical effectiveness through careful analysis and interpretation of complex situations, utilising and guiding evidence-based practice and outcome measurement.
Ensure service users can express their views and are involved in planning and prioritising their care plans.
Raise local awareness of the importance of developing communication skills within the service area.
Identify training needs and develop, provide and evaluate specialist training for parents, carers, volunteers, educators and practitioners.
Plan, guide and support the work of parents, carers and educators implementing strategies and programmes in support of therapy goals.
Actively lead and participate in projects, activities and events, including team meetings.
Establish appropriate partnerships with agencies and disciplines promoting social and educational inclusion for children with speech, language and communication difficulties.
Receive and communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, carers, families and other professionals, including those under stress or with severely challenging communication difficulties.
Management and Leadership
Take a role or lead, as requested by the SLT Senior Leadership team, in working groups, policy development groups, specific projects and events.
Use highly specialist knowledge to inform the line manager on issues of service delivery/policy development, including access and equity shortfalls and service pressures.
Provide Line Management and Supervision to junior colleagues. Support other Band 7 therapists to manage the local cluster.
Develop care protocols/packages relating to specialist area in liaison with the Team Leader to improve client care.
Contribute to interagency/multi-disciplinary working and team building.
Negotiate with health, education and social care professionals to achieve seamless services for children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs.
Use highly specialist knowledge to inform service/policy developments.
Propose ideas for improving services to the highly specialist area/whole service and contribute to service development.
Financial and Physical Resources
Monitor stock levels in own service area, requesting and purchasing new equipment as appropriate.
Develop resources of interest to the specialist client group.
Follow procedures to ensure the security, care and maintenance of equipment, taking responsibility for infection control and safety standards, including assessment resources and equipment loaned to clients.
1.4 Education and Professional Development
Engage in reflective practice with peers through participation in peer review, peer mentoring and supervision as appropriate.
Provide line management, supervision, mentoring, advice and support to more junior SLTs, assistants, students and volunteers.
Facilitate the development of others' problem-solving/negotiation skills within peer review/support.
Plan, monitor and support the work of assistants, students, administration staff and volunteers.
Resolve verbal complaints about the SLT service in liaison with the SLT Leadership team.
Generate appropriate strategies for the management of own workload.
Take on organisational responsibilities within, and contribute to, team meetings.
Develop and review induction packages and provide induction for colleagues, including more junior members of staff.
Develop and provide regular specialist training on a range of topics.
Provide second opinions linked to clinical specialism.
Explain the role of SLTs to parents, visitors, students, other professionals and volunteers.
Provide full student placements, including assessment of placements as appropriate.
Support students from other professional groups as appropriate.
Contribute to identifying and meeting training needs within the team.
Information Management
Maintain up-to-date and accurate case notes in line with HCPC/RCSLT professional standards and local Trust policies.
Share information with carers, school staff and other professionals, observing data protection guidelines and client confidentiality.
Gather and update activity data accurately and regularly, ensuring information is provided promptly within local Trust guidelines.
Participate in areas of risk management, quality standards and clinical effectiveness.
Lead team-wide initiatives seeking the views of children, parents and partner organisations on service quality and effectiveness.
Participate in departmental research and Clinical Governance/Audit projects, including collection and provision of research data as required.
Work across borough boundaries, accessing and recording information using mobile devices, and attending offices for meetings or specific events.
Freedom to Act
Provide leadership within the specialist area and team(s).
Manage a complex caseload independently.
Be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate.
Work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies, professional code of conduct and the Trust's value-based behaviours.
Work independently, accessing line management, supervision and performance development reviews (appraisal) at pre-determined intervals.
Person Specification
Qualifications/ Education Essential
Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent Evidence of Masters or equivalent level of specialist training/short courses/specific training Willingness to undertake post qualification study Continued Professional Development Portfolio including evidence of reflective practice, in-service training, courses attended and experience gained in clinical specialism
Desirable
Membership of relevant Clinical Excellence Networks
Professional/ Statutory Registration Essential
Health and Care Professions Council - Licence to Practice
Desirable
Registered Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
Previous Experience Essential
Works closely with team members and external partners to review client care and make recommendations for improvements
Desirable
Experience in contributing to policy planning and service development
Skills/Knowledge/Ability Essential
Highly Specialist knowledge of assessment tools and therapeutic interventions relevant to client groups and settings and an ability to compare and contrast relative benefits underpinned by evidence-based practice Knowledge of EYFS and National Curriculum and understanding of curriculum differentiation and environmental adaptations. A working knowledge of relevant procedures and legal frameworks and to demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge to clinical practice, including Safeguarding Children, Code of Practice, Information Governance and other legal frameworks Knowledge of national and local professional and clinical guidelines Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance, including reflective practice, audit and research methodologies Knowledge of methods of involving users in improving client care Knowledge of the roles of other professionals and the principles of partnership working with key professionals in health, education, voluntary and social services Knowledge of stress management strategies and skill to manage own stress effectively. Knowledge of wide range of conditions relevant to client group and how they impact on clients' everyday functional independence and abilities, and the skill to apply this knowledge. Knowledge and experience of clinical supervision and the ability to engage others in reflective practice Highly skilled in differential diagnoses based on evidence from assessment, seeking advice as appropriate. This includes supporting colleagues with their clinical decision-making in specialist area. Ability to co-ordinate clinical teams, both uni-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary, by discussing own and others' input around clients' needs and service delivery Ability to use knowledge to inform sound clinical judgements and decision-making for complex cases
Desirable
Knowledge of early intervention Able to use interpreters appropriately, ensuring equity of service provision to a multi-cultural population
Physical Requirements Essential
Hand-eye co-ordination, dexterity, manipulation and keyboard accuracy Ability to work in other than ideal conditions
Desirable
Access to car/bike
Previous Experience Essential
Extensive experience of working as a Speech and Language Therapist with a paediatric caseload. Experience of clinical assessment with children and young people Experience in the management of children with complex conditions. Experience of planning and delivering training to a range of audiences Understanding of the impact of local social, cultural, and linguistic factors on service delivery. Problem solving skills in complex situations including local resolution of complaints where possible Knowledge of time management skills and proven ability of meeting conflicting demands, targets and deadlines, including case management Responsive to the changing demands of the service.
Skills/Knowledge/Ability Essential
Ability to engage and negotiate with carers, clients and others around individual case management Proficient in the use of IT including MS Word, Excel, email and Internet. Advanced communication skills, including effective negotiating and influencing skills, and the ability to apply them to service users, carers and a wide range of representatives from other health and social care providers on an individual and group basis. Ability to communicate complex, sensitive condition related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions. This may include those who are under stress and/or have severely challenging communication difficulties Ability to communicate local service policies, procedures and guidelines relevant to clinical area to a range of audiences Recognises potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs and generates potential solutions Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal Specialist clinical/technical skills for interpretative assessment techniques and interventions Excellent interpersonal skills; including observation, listening and empathy sensitivity tact and diplomacy, team-working. Able to adapt to new systems and flexible working patterns
Physical Requirements Essential
Ability to deliver services in a range of settings, independently planning own travel
Physical Requirements Essential
Well-developed concentration skills
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Address Sunshine House
Peckham, London
SE5 8UH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)