About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity to join the small and friendly Speech and Language Therapy Herat Team at The Royal Brompton Hospital. The post holder will cover Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery, VF clinic and work closely with Dietetics, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy in a multiprofessional team.
The post holder will be entitled to 10 days of study leave, regualr in-service training and access to QI development opportunities.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be a member of the SLT service working at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. They will have advanced skills in the multidisciplinary management of adults with acute communication and swallowing problems related to complex cardiothoracic surgery and respiratory disease. This will include advanced skills in providing rehabilitation to patients in the intensive care unit with tracheostomy and ventilator dependence. They will provide highly specialist assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment and management of speech, voice, language, cognitive-communication, airway and swallowing disorders, as well as education and advice to patients and those caring for them.
Completion of competency-based learning and demonstrable experience performing instrumental dysphagia assessments including videofluoroscopy and FEES is required. They will receive regular clinical supervision from the Clinical Lead SLT and support to continually developing their skills. They will manage a shared caseload and liaise closely with SLT colleagues at the Harefield and Royal Brompton sites. They will be involved in discharge planning to ensure a seamless transfer of care to other hospital, outpatient and community services.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation. We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy's and St Thomas' in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex conditions, offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.
We are working in partnership with King's Health Partners, to deliver our vision of creating a new centre of excellence, which will be the global leader in the research into and treatment of heart and lung disease, in patients from pre-birth to old age.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main tasks and responsibilities
Communication
1.1 To provide highly specialist advice and input for patients with communication and swallowing needs at Royal Brompton Hospital.
1.2 To liaise with SLTs, AHPs, medical and nursing teams, and other members of the MDT regarding prioritisation, case management and risk management of patients with communication and swallowing disorders.
1.3 To demonstrate interpersonal skills that grow and maintain positive working relationships with all healthcare professionals involved in patient care.
1.4 To communicate sensitive and complex information and sometimes unwelcome news tactfully and diplomatically to patients, parents and carers, acknowledging this may trigger a range of emotions, and to provide ongoing counselling and support.
1.5 To promote and contribute to multi-professional team building and collaborative practices, e.g. knowledge and skills sharing, joint working.
Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)
2.1 To provide specialist assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment and management for adults with acute and chronic disorders of communication and swallowing problems including tracheostomy and ventilator-dependence.
2.2 To accept responsibility for a caseload of patients and to independently organise work and time so that clinical priorities are met efficiently and effectively.
2.3 To carry out clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner,
2.4 To demonstrate highly specialist knowledge of dysphagia related to respiratory conditions, ensuring a high standard of care for patients.
2.5 To provide comprehensive evaluation of swallowing using the instrumental techniques of Videofluoroscopy and Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), including nasendoscopy, according to agreed competency levels
2.6 To be flexible and balance the fluctuating and competing needs of the caseload according to clinical, team, workforce and organisational demands.
2.7 To develop and maintain good working relationships with all healthcare professionals involved in patient care through multidisciplinary team working.
2.8 To attend and contribute to ward / board rounds, multidisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, family meetings, network meetings, etc, advocating and negotiating for the required levels of care and input for patients with communication and swallowing needs.
Please review job description document for main responsibilities.
Person Specification
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Able to work as an autonomous practitioner demonstrating problem-solving and solution-focused skills, seeking guidance and support when necessary
- Delivering high-quality supervision, teaching and training to others
Desirable
- Completion of Practice Educator training and delivery of student placements
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- In-depth knowledge and experience in assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders in adults
- VF clinical
- 2a FEES assessor or equivelant
- ocompetence in performing flexible nasendoscopy
- ocompletion of RCSLT tracheostomy competencies including the critical care subsection
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of managing vocal fold movement impairment following surgical procedures
- Experience of working with patients following cardiothoracic surgery, ECMO, ARDS and ICU-AW
- Completion of Lead VF competencies
- Level 2b FEES assessor
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised degree accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
- HCPC registration
- Post-graduate dysphagia training or equivalent supervised experience
- Completion of post-qualification education (e.g. short courses)
Desirable
- Registration with RCSLT
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
Royal Brompton Hospital
Sydney Street
London
SW3 6NP
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)