Children's Speech and Language Therapy Dysphagia Lead

Children's Speech and Language Therapy Dysphagia Lead

Children's Speech & Language Therapist Dysphagia Lead Band 7 - £55,524 - £62,652 inc HCAS pa pro rata Permanent - 22.5 hours per week

Due to an ever-increasing demand for our services, Bromley Healthcare's Children's SLT Service is continuing to expand our fantastic and supportive team. We are excited to be advertising this Dysphagia Lead for the service and look forward to hearing from SLTs with experience in this area keen to take their next career move.

We can offer:

• In-service training and the opportunity to apply for external courses
• Regular whole-team CPD meetings and small clinical supervision groups
• Regular line management as well as ad-hoc support from colleagues
• Access to clinical specialists for specialist opinions and support
• Opportunities for career progression
• Admin support from our Care Co-ordination Centre

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work closely with the Service Lead for Children's Speech and Language Therapy and they will join the other highly specialist speech and language therapists in coordinating care across the borough. They will be able to offer support and specialist opinion appointments for therapists in their specialism. The post holder should have excellent skills in working with babies and children with dysphagia and a range of communication difficulties.

The post holder will have excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively and creatively within the Children's SLT team, with other health professionals and Tertiary Centres. She / he will be able to lead on new service developments in their field. The post holder will carry out duties as required, as outlined in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Inter professional dysphagia framework - Specialist Dysphagia Practitioner level. External supervision from a consultant dysphagia practitioner will be arranged.

Job responsibilities

To develop and provide a specialist speech and language therapy service to babies and young children referred with communication and/or swallowing disorders, within a narrow specialist field or across a broad complex generalist field. To make a differential diagnosis including complex cases based on evidence from assessment, leading to decisions about intervention/treatment. To make specialist clinical decisions following the assessment of complex cases. To carry out specialist procedures and use of equipment as appropriate e.g. tracheostomy management and speech synthesisers. Refer for videofluroscopy assessments. To communicate complex condition related information from assessment to patients/clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professionals. To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of patients/clients and their carers in particular when imparting potentially distressing information. To initiate and provide a variety of treatment options according to patients needs, including the use of interpreters as appropriate. To negotiate and work closely with clients, carers, other professionals and families agreeing decision-making and prioritisation relevant to the plans based on best practice, for more complex cases. To use forms of alternative and augmentative communication e.g. signing, symbols, speech synthesisers as indicated from assessment, to maximise the use of communication. To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, aiming to achieve effective communication, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.

Qualifications

• Speech and Language Therapy degree
• Courses and experience to a Specialist Dysphagia Practitioner level with babies and small children (as described in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Inter professional dysphagia framework)

Professional Registration

• HCPC Registered Speech and Language Therapist
• Registered member of RCSLT

Experience

• Evidence of appropriate external and internal training up to master's level as appropriate to specialism
• Membership of relevant CEN

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including observation, listening and empathy.
• Highly developed negotiation and problem solving skills with clients, carers and other professionals.
• Excellent analytical skills with use of wide knowledge necessary for case load management, assessment and therapy relevant to client group e.g. prioritisation, ability to compare and contrast relative benefits of specialist therapeutic interventions.
• Well organised, reflective practitioner.

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.

Compensation is contingent upon NHS experience and current banding/pay point.

We provide an outstanding benefits package, which includes pension schemes, discounted gym memberships, a cycle to work scheme, access to home furnishings and electronics, access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), discounts at various high street retailers, eligibility for the Blue Light Card, the opportunity to apply for low interest personal loans, and an excellent lease car scheme. Additionally, we are continuously striving to enhance our employee benefits offerings.