About this role
Job summary
HIGHLY SPECIALISED SLT WITH A FOCUS ON EMERGENCY CARE
Southport Hospital has a Speech and Language Therapy post which will offer a stimulating and challenging role in the assessment and management of inpatients with communication needs and/ or dysphagia, especially for those who are admitted across the emergency care pathway.
The successful candidate will join a growing, supportive, and innovative team of Speech and Language Therapists with a diverse set of skills, who take pride in offering the very best care for our patients. The SLT team is comprised of a consultant SLT, Highly Specialised SLTs, Specialised SLTs, Newly Qualified SLTs and SLT assistants.
Main duties of the job
While being part of the General Medical and Surgical SLT team, the successful applicant will take a lead role in introducing speech and language therapy provision within the emergency care pathway. This will include a focus on developing and delivering a highly specialised SLT service offering assessment and interventions to patients in A&E, the Same Day Emergency Care Unit and the Acute Medical Unit.
You will develop, organise, and deliver an inpatient SLT service which aims to help prevent unnecessary admission to hospital, supports timely discharge and patient recovery, and provides prompt input, especially for those patients in the emergency care pathway who require specialist dysphagia and communication assessment and management. This will be particularly important for those approaching the end of life. You will have your own clinical caseload to manage, as well as leading on the development and introduction of a new SLT service, offering the chance to advance your leadership skills, while developing your specialist clinical practise.
You will be an integral member of the wider multidisciplinary team, which includes medical, nursing and therapy staff. You will also work as an essential and valued member of the Acute Medical and Surgical SLT Team. The successful applicant will be managed by the Clinical Therapy manager within General Medical and Surgical Therapies team but will receive clinical support and supervision from the wider SLT service.
About us
The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:
CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate SAFETY that is of the highest standards COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients Our achievements include:
Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits
Job description Job responsibilities
You will be an integral member of the wider multidisciplinary team, which includes medical, nursing and therapy staff. You will also work as an essential and valued member of the Acute Medical and Surgical SLT Team. The successful applicant will be managed by the Therapy manager within General Medical and Surgical Therapies team but will receive clinical support and supervision from the wider SLT service.
This position presents an excellent opportunity to cultivate your clinical, service development and supervisory skills. The successful applicant will lead on the development and implementation of care pathways, departmental policies, and protocols, and provide training, direct, and indirect support to other professionals relating to communication and swallowing disorders. They will supervise and manage clinical practice as required, including SLTs, SLT students and other staff working in their clinical area.
At Southport Hospital we hold regular Videofluoroscopy clinics and are implementing the MBSImP protocol. We also have an established FEES service. For the right candidate there is potential for development opportunities in this area. Continuing Professional Development is essential and actively encouraged, and there are multiple opportunities to develop and acquire new skills, such as:
Regular clinical supervision Regular in-service training Regular SLT team meetings Relevant external training Attendance at relevant CENs Access/ exposure to FEES and VF
See attached job description and personal specification.
We would welcome informal discussions and visits to further discuss this newly created post and the opportunities we can offer as a team. Please contact Heather Woodcock (Lead for Acute Medical and Surgical SLT Team) on 01704 704361 for more information.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Diploma/Degree Speech & Language Therapy or equivalent Current HCPC registered Masters level clinical courses/or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Extensive clinical post-graduation experience in specialist area Experience of working with multi professional groups involved in the care of patients Operational management, development and supervision of junior staff, students and therapy assistants
Desirable
Experience of working with Videofluoroscopy and/or MBSImP qualified. Experience of developing services. Experience working with tracheostomy/ mechanical ventilation. FEES trained or working towards competency - as per RCSLT. Member of relevant clinical excellence networks.
Skills & Abilities Essential
Able to work well with others and pass on skills and knowledge Initiate evidence based practice within the clinical setting and develop local care pathways Committed to personal and departmental development
Desirable
Experience in research/ audit/ quality improvement initiatives.
Working conditions Essential
To manage working in a highly pressured work environment that is busy and maintain excellent working relationships with the MDT
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 Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Southport Hospital
Town Lane Kew
Southport
PR8 6PN
Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)