Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapy Assistant to join our supportive Adult SLT team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic service supporting patients with communication and swallowing difficulties across the cancer pathway, including inpatient, outpatient and palliative care settings. You will work closely with experienced Speech and Language Therapists, gaining valuable clinical experience while developing your skills in assessment, rehabilitation and patient support. The team is committed to staff development, service innovation and delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. This role would suit someone who is compassionate, proactive and keen to develop within a specialist clinical area, with opportunities to contribute to new ways of working.,

• To assist in the assessment, rehabilitation and management of patients referred to the Speech and Language Therapy service
• To carry out delegated clinical activities, including therapy programmes for patients with communication and/or swallowing difficulties
• To undertake observations, screening and information gathering to support SLT assessment and intervention
• To deliver therapy sessions (individual and group), across inpatient and outpatient settings, including supporting telehealth clinics where appropriate
• To support patients, relatives and carers to understand and carry out therapy programmes · To prepare therapy materials, resources and clinic environments to support service delivery
• To use IT systems to produce patient information and therapy resources
• To undertake a range of delegated clinical and non-clinical duties, contributing to the smooth running of the service
• To work effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team and communicate relevant information appropriate, To assist in the assessment, rehabilitation and management of patients referred to the SLT service.
• To carry out delegated clinical activities independently within agreed competencies and under the direction of a registered SLT.
• This may include:
o Implementing therapy programmes (communication and swallowing) o Supporting patients during mealtimes and therapeutic trials o Developing and using supportive communication tools o Preparing therapy materials and clinic environments
• To undertake treatment sessions with patients (individual or group), including inpatient, outpatient and telehealth settings, as delegated.
• To carry out specified observations, screening and information gathering to support SLT assessment and intervention.
• To monitor patient progress and feedback to the supervising SLT, recognising and reporting any changes or concerns promptly.
• To support delivery of digital and remote models of care where appropriate (e.g. telehealth clinics), including preparing patients and materials for virtual sessions.
Communication & MDT Working
• To communicate effectively with patients, carers, families and the multidisciplinary team (MDT).
• To participate in MDT meetings as appropriate and contribute relevant information.
• To support and train carers/relatives to carry out therapy programmes safely and effectively.
• To liaise with other services (e.g. community teams, district nurses) as directed by the SLT.
Administrative & Service Support
• To support the day-to-day running of the SLT service, including:
o Preparing clinic rooms and therapy materials o Managing stock and equipment (e.g. therapy resources, consumables) o Supporting appointment coordination and follow-up tasks (e.g. returning calls as directed)
• To use IT systems to produce patient information, therapy materials and resources.
• To contribute to data collection, audit and service evaluation activities as required.
Documentation & Information Governance
• To maintain accurate, clear and contemporaneous patient records in line with Trust and professional standards.
• To handle patient information in accordance with confidentiality and data protection policies.
Professional Responsibilities
• To work independently within clearly defined guidelines and recognise own limitations.
• To seek support and escalate concerns to a registered SLT appropriately.
• To participate in supervision, appraisal and ongoing training.
• To maintain awareness of and adhere to Trust policies including infection control, health and safety, and safeguarding.
• To demonstrate respect for diversity and provide culturally sensitive care.
• To demonstrate Trust values and take responsibility for own behaviour and conduct.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants. Application Information - If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful. Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website. Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards. These include: + Identity verification

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, providing specialist treatment, research and care to patients locally and nationally., The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK., + Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role, payment of this will be the applicants responsibility) + Professional registration and/or qualification check + Occupational health assessment + Employment history and reference validation All applicants external to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history and references. If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn. If You're Offered the Role - you will be agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer. Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website. No Smoking Policy - You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work. Additional Information - We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit. We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.