Speech and Language Therapist

We invite you to apply for this exciting Community Speech and Language Therapy post based in Rugby and South Warwickshire (Leamington). We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, confident and autonomous Speech and Language Therapist who would like to develop their skills in the area of adult acquired neurology.
Applicants will have the opportunity to use their skills in the management of dysphagia alongside providing communication intervention for people with a wide range of needs including Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and Primary Progressive Aphasia.
Flexibility will be essential when undertaking visits which may be in nursing/residential and domiciliary locations plus community clinics across Rugby and South Warwickshire depending upon service demand., The post holder works as an independent practitioner to provide speech and language therapy to patients who have acquired communication or swallowing problems within the community including nursing and residential homes. The postholder will take a lead in providing communication and swallowing training to nursing homes countywide., + To provide specialist speech and language therapy assessments for clients referred based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including standardised assessment, self-report measures, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client's care. This involves a high level of preparation, concentration and analytical skills.
+ To assess and ascribe a level of risk for dysphagic clients.
+ To formulate and implement management plans for the treatment and/or management of a client's speech and swallowing disorders, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's difficulties, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
+ To assess and ascribe a level of risk using adjuncts to the bedside assessment, which require technical skill e.g. cervical auscultation, pulse oximetry etc.
+ To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, and intervention for clients under their care to both multidisciplinary teams and other, non-professional carers. This will encompass written documentation (SLT notes, med notes, specialist reports etc).
+ To agree options in collaboration with all those involved, in order to implement the individual's management plan which may include any combination of the following:
+ Therapeutic intervention with adults either individually or in groups.
+ Therapeutic intervention with carers either individually or in groups.
+ Directly supporting others in carrying out individual programmes.
+ Providing advice on specific strategies to employ in the home and other settings.
+ Negotiation with client or carer in order to identify and monitor SMART goals.
+ To identify and refer on to other specialists as appropriate (eg. ENT, videofluoroscopy etc).
+ To use negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations. To negotiate various roles to be taken in order to execute intervention plans effectively.
+ To maintain sensitivity at all times to emotional needs of client/carer when imparting distressing information.
+ To use skills in motivating clients and/or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
+ To frequently demonstrate empathy sensitivity and understanding with clients, carers and families. To treat them with respect and dignity at all times.
+ To provide specialist communication assessment and intervention in order to identify and support a client's ability to manage their own affairs, with an acquired communication difficulty. To work with the multidisciplinary team in order to achieve this.
+ To regularly communicate highly complex and specialised information to others through written reports and face to face discussion matching communication style and content to the needs of the receiver.
+ To be involved in the planning for, and the delivery of education programmes for other professionals.
+ To be aware of Government papers and initiatives relating to Stroke (e.g. RCP Stroke guidelines 2nd Ed, NSF for Older people).
+ To adapt assessment and intervention to meet individual client's circumstances, with regards to cultural and linguistic differences. To support and advise the multidisciplinary team in this area.
+ To interact daily with families and clients who have recently experienced extremely traumatic events and who face an uncertain future.
+ To engage in regular conversation with clients addressing highly emotive issues, necessitating use of counselling skills to facilitate psychological adjustment to a dramatic change in their self-perception and quality of life.
+ To provide statistical information on own caseload, including activity and clinical effectiveness measures.
+ To participate in audit activities in the team, including SSNAP for stroke patients, and participate in audit both in the wider speech and language therapy service, and within multidisciplinary teams.
+ To participate in research in SLT team, SLT department or multidisciplinary teams.
+ To utilise theory, evidence -based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
+ To provide advice, consultation and training packages for staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and setting, where appropriate.
+ To provide advice, consultation and support for carers, and other non-professionals.
+ To assist in the support of students from other professional groups as appropriate.
+ To provide observation sessions for prospective SLT students.
+ To participate in clinical training for SLT students, and act as a mentor for Band 5 therapists as required., Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don't want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.
The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).
Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.
We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.
Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it's a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.
The Trust is part of a 'Foundation Group' through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.
We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 5900 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don't need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Probationary Period
All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual - we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.
Agile and Flexible Working
All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.
The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.
Staff Benefits
The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.
Car Parking
The Trust have recently completed the construction of a multi-storey car park at our Warwick Hospital site which has allowed us to reduce waiting times for car parking passes.
To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust)., Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4^th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.