Speech & Language Therapist

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. 1. To manage a caseload of adults with learning disabilities who have complex communication difficulties and dysphagia / eating / drinking / swallowing difficulties. 2. To promote and enable service user and carer involvement and choice in intervention options. 3. 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. 4. To undertake team Lead Practitioner role. This involves coordinating the care provided by the multidisciplinary team, organising and chairing meetings and updating clinical plans. 5. To undertake comprehensive assessment of clients referred using investigative and analytic skills, to formulate an individualised management and treatment programme. 6. To evaluate effectiveness of interventions using agreed outcome measures., 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. 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. But, as stated above, we are also able to offer the post at Band 5 with a view to progressing to Band 6. Post-graduate dysphagia training will be provided if required, as will close support and supervision from more experienced Speech and Language Therapists and support from a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant. 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.

• 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, 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
  
  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:
• Excellent supervision programmes.
• 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.