Speech and Language Therapist

Transformationunitgm; Horsham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job description

We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.

At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.

We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.

We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.

We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.

Job overview

Do you want to advocate for people with a learning disability to communicate and live well?

As a Speech and Language Therapist in the Community Learning Disability Team, you will use your clinical expertise and experience to support people with the most complex needs to live well with their learning disability. You will provide specialist communication and dysphagia assessments and interventions for people referred to the service as well as being an integral member of a very friendly and supportive team of SaLTs and wider multi-disciplinary team. You will have the autonomy to manage your own diary, and opportunities for hybrid working. This post is a fulltime post.

Please contact either the Team Leader or the Principal Speech and Language Therapist if you would like to discuss the role further.

Main duties of the job

Contributing to the management of a team caseload of individuals with complex needs, you will assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, which will be delivered in a variety of community settings. The team encourages multi-disciplinary working wherever possible and you will convene, facilitate, and contribute to meetings to develop a holistic understanding of the person and their needs.

• To manage a caseload of adults with learning disabilities who have complex communication difficulties and dysphagia / eating / drinking / swallowing difficulties.
• To promote and enable service user and carer involvement and choice in intervention options.
• To understand a clients’ learning capacity and to approach gaining informed consent in ways which demonstrate good practice and conform to Trust consent policies. To ensure that consent is approached within the legal framework for clients who may be deemed to lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To undertake team Lead Practitioner role. This involves coordinating the care provided by the multidisciplinary team, organising and chairing meetings and updating clinical plans.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of clients referred using investigative and analytic skills, to formulate an individualised management and treatment programme.
• To evaluate effectiveness of interventions using agreed outcome measures.

Please refer to the Job Description for more detail.

Working for our organisation

As a mental health trust Sussex Partnership places a huge focus on the wellbeing of our staff, as well as ensuring our reward packages reflect the immensely important work they do.

You can expect:

• Flexible working opportunities
• Access to a host of discount schemes (including gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Excellent NHS Pension Scheme
• The trust also offers a wide range of training specifically targeted towards AHPs and promotes ongoing learning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a specialist Speech & Language Therapy post in the Community Team for People with a Learning Disability suited to a Speech & Language Therapist with a minimum of 2 years postgraduate Speech & Language Therapy experience. The Speech & Language Therapist will be based within the West Sussex CTPLD, in the Northern Team (office base in Horsham) and will hold responsibility for managing a caseload in Northern West Sussex.

The clinical role will be to provide Speech & Language Therapy assessment, diagnosis and intervention to clients referred to the service using established models of Speech & Language Therapy ensuring practice is evidence based. The postholder will work as a core member of the CTPLD.

Please refer to the Job Description for more detail.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Recognised Speech & Language Therapy Degree or Masters qualification or equivalent
• Health Professions Council – licence to practice
• Registered member of Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
• Evidence of completion of specialist short courses related to learning disabilities
• Post-basic qualification in dysphagia

Experience/Knowledge

• Post graduate experience as a Speech & Language Therapist working in learning disabilities
• Experience of training other professionals
• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group
• Knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (relevant to client group).
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance/audit.
• Knowledge of record keeping standards
• Ability to adapt written and verbal communication to suit the needs of people with communication and learning disabilities. This may include Makaton signing, symbols and pictures etc

SPFT is committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from disabled candidates, as these groups are currently underrepresented.

Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced.

SPFT takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk very seriously. We expect all staff and bank workers to share this commitment and complete the relevant safeguarding training for their role.

If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. However, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed as we know how much time and care goes into applying for a role.

In the event of a high number of applications, we may close this vacancy early.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.