Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Transformationunitgm; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - GBP 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Greater London seeks a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist to provide expert assessments and interventions for adults with learning disabilities. The ideal candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to service development and ensuring best practices in communication strategies. Applicants must have a relevant degree, HCPC registration, and experience with dysphagia. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives in the community.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Relocation support up to £10,000

Continuous professional development

Qualifications

• Degree in Clinical Communication Studies from an approved establishment required.
• 18 months of post-registration clinical experience working with learning disabilities.
• Skills in clinical supervision of junior SLTs and students.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized service for adults with learning disabilities.
• Conduct eligibility assessments for referrals to CLDS.
• Involvement in service development projects in the learning disability field.

Skills

Clinical skills in communication assessment

Communication skills with clients

Ability to adapt communication

Experience with dysphagia

Education

Degree or PG Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies

Current HCPC Registration

Membership of RCSLT

Tools

Electronic recording systems

Job description

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Band 6

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job overview

This Band 6 Speech and Language Therapy post is within the Community Learning Disability Service (CLDS) and the post holder will be actively involved in the wider Speech and Language Therapy network across learning disability services in ELFT.

CLDS is an integrated multidisciplinary health and social care service comprised of three care programs focused upon the primary needs of the service users – Transition; Community Health and Well-being; Mental Health and Behavioural Support. The post holder will be expected to work across the three care programs as required.

The post holder will be expected to carry a caseload, independently completing assessments and interventions, including assessment and management of complex communication needs; dysphagia(eating and drinking) difficulties and advising on inclusive communication strategies for people with learning disabilities within Tower Hamlets.

The post holder will be expected to assess eligibility of referrals made to CLDS and cover core service functions such as Duty.

The post holder will be actively involved in service development projects and will be expected to keep up to date with developments in the learning disability field, contributing to audit and research as appropriate.

Main duties of the job

• To provide expert advice and specialist speech and language therapy assessment and intervention for adults with learning disabilities and their carers/families, including assessments to determine eligibility for services.
• To ensure that speech and language therapy input within CLDS reflects current best practice and is evidence-based.
• To collate both quantitative and qualitative information regarding speech and language therapy referrals, interventions and outcomes and use this information to inform service development.
• To be actively involved in service development initiatives both within CLDS and in the wider context providing an expert speech and language therapy perspective.
• To promote integrated and collaborative working both within and across CLDS, ELFT, LBTH and with external providers.
• To work closely with other disciplines within CLDS; other Primary and Secondary health care services; social care teams and with other organisations and agencies that support people with learning disabilities in Tower Hamlets.
• To carry out eligibility assessments for adults referred to CLDS.

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.

Person specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

• Degree or PG Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies from RCSLT approved training establishment
• Current HCPC Registration and licence to practice
• Membership of RCSLT
• Clinical skills in communication assessment and therapy (including AAC, signing and symbol systems)
• Post‑basic qualification in dysphagia
• Training in student supervision

Experience

• Specialist knowledge acquired through degree, experience of working with communication impairment and specialist post graduate training. • Minimum of 18 months’ post registration clinical experience working with adults/children with learning disabilitiesree, experience of working with communication impairment and specialist post graduate training. • Minimum of 18 months’ post registration clinical experience working with adults/children with learning disabilities
• Minimum of 18 months’ post registration clinical experience working with adults/children with learning disabilities
• Evidence of experience of assessment and intervention with adults or children and young people with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
• Experience of using electronic recording systems and workflows to document interventions and extract data
• Skills in clinical supervision of junior SLT’s and students.
• • Experience of research and audit

Knowledge and Skills

• • Good clinical skills/knowledge across a wide range of dysphagia and communication difficulties
• • Demonstrate excellent communication and interactive skills with clients/carers, colleagues, management, staff in other organisations and able to communicate in emotive atmosphere using a high degree of tact and empathy
• • Ability to adapt communication to the communication needs of others including according to cognitive ability, language and culture.
• • To have highly developed communication skills including knowledge of augmentative communication systems (signing and symbol use)
• • Evidence of knowledge of current legislation and government policy and how it affects the provision of services to adults with learning disabilities
• • Evidence of knowledge of current models of treatment, care and approaches appropriate for working with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
• • Understanding of Equal Opportunities and how this affects staff and service users
• • Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of Speech and Language Therapy process relating to client centred practice
• • Ability to set own priorities, working to deadlines and under pressure
• Evidence of knowledge of current legislation and government policy and how it affects the provision of services to adults with learning disabilities

Making Things Better

Quality Improvement is a key part of our work to improve our services and refine how we do things. We have a global reputation for our quality improvement work and we don’t stand still! So we offer a fantastic opportunity for our staff to learn, lead and contribute towards improving our services.

We launched our Five Year Strategy in April 2018, which identified four main strategic outcomes to improve: population health outcomes, experience of care, staff experience and improve value. This complements the NHS Long Term Strategy and sets out our direction of travel.

Our Community

We provide a wide range of community health and mental health inpatient services to children, young people, adults of working age, and older adults in The City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton. We also provide psychological therapy services to the London Borough of Richmond, and provide Forensic services to the whole of North East London. We provide services in urban and rural settings, sometimes in our inpatient units, but mostly in the community close to where people live. Integrated care is key in making the best use of resources and providing effective care.

Aiming High

We were rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC in 2016, were proud to be rated ‘Outstanding’ again in 2018 and continue to be rated 'Outstanding' in 2021. We were named in the HSJ’s Top 10 best places to work in healthcare and were voted Provider Trust of the Year in 2018.

Staff and Service Users United

We strive to ensure that staff feel valued by the Trust and as they are truly pivotal in delivering better outcomes for our patients and service users. Our aspiration is to help to make ELFT the best place to work. This Trust is clinician‑led and provides the highest possible level of clinical expertise throughout its services. We pride ourselves on our service user involvement. A service user will be on your assessment centre and interview panel if you are invited to meet us.

We especially welcome people with lived experience of health difficulties, with insight and understanding of different backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles in our population as we believe that this will equip staff to deliver a high standard of care to our service users and patients.

Diversity

ELFT Is committed to being a diverse organisation and our workforce is reflective of the population and communities we serve. We believe that having colleagues with a range of backgrounds and life experiences enriches and adds value to the outcomes we have set out to achieve. Having partnered and endorsed by organisations who are representative and experts in various areas of equality and diversity, we can ensure we are meeting the pre‑set standards all the way from recruitment stage throughout the career journey of our employees by being accessible, having fair inclusive practices and a host of staff networks to support, nurture and celebrate our valued staff in the workplace.

Other reasons to apply

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern.

As part of the relocation scheme we presently have, the Trust could support you with offering up to £10,000 for removal and associated expenses. This is subject to change and terms and conditions apply.

AI in applications

If you use AI or other tools to assist in writing your job application, make sure you add your own personal touch— especially in the supporting information section. AI can make writing easier, but it doesn’t fully understand the position you’re applying for and might generate false or misleading information. Applications written only by AI often sound generic and may not show your real skills, knowledge, or experience. It’s important to write your supporting statement in your own words. East London NHS Foundation Trust does not recommend relying only on AI, as it could negatively impact on your chance of success in the application process.

We carefully check applications to make sure no one has an unfair advantage, and we verify all references. At the interview, you’ll be asked about your experience, so be honest and ensure everything in your application is accurate. Please remember that using AI during the interview is not allowed.

What Next?

If you like the sound of ELFT, don’t waste a moment. We sometimes close adverts early if there is a high response, so apply now!

As part of our recruitment process we may be required to share information you provide on the application form with NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and/or other organisations for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of fraud or any other unlawful activity affecting the NHS. We also use third party providers to check and verify your qualifications who may be contacting you on our behalf to verify the same.

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please consider that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. You must provide professional email addresses for all referees as we will contact them as soon as an offer has been made. Please note we do not request references prior to interviews. All applications made through NHS Jobs account will be processed by TRAC System. Please note that some emails may go to your spam/junk mailbox so make sure you check this regularly.

Find us online at www.elft.nhs.uk | Find us on Facebook | Follow us on @NHS_ELFT

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.

Name Bianca Gavranich Job title Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 079 2023 2601

Additional information:

CLDS Office - 020 7771 5500