Clinical & Operational Service Lead SLT

We are looking for someone who is ready to specialise in dysphagia and communication in the acute setting. Our expanding inpatient service covers acute and medical wards at Royal Blackburn Hospital and step down wards at Pendle Community Hospital, Clitheroe Community Hospital and Burnley General Hospital. Our inpatient team has a strong everyday improvement focus and recognises the value of speech & language therapy services in supporting right care, right place initiatives, and enabling a seamless pathway and collaboration between hospital and community. We have established videofluoroscopy and FEES pathways and the successful applicant will have the opportunity to observe these clinics and have access to both objective and instrumental assessments for patients on their caseload., To work as part of the staff team delivering specialist Speech and Language Therapy Services to:

• Adults with acquired neurological disorders of communication and swallowing in hospital settings.
• To promote an understanding of clinical disorders and speech and language therapy services.
• To undertake Videofluoroscopy to level of competence.
• To support the Clinical Team Lead in the design and delivery of the inpatient clinical care pathway.
• Actively lead and engage in continual improvement projects within the service with a strong focus on working differently to meet the clinical demand, peripheral hospital site management and preventable and avoidable admissions in collaboration with our community team.
This service operates over six days (Mon-Sat) and bank holidays.Working for our organisation Established in 2003 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work and achievements. The SLT service has an experienced team of clinical leads - Critical Care, Dysphagia, Voice, Head & Neck, Stroke, FEES, Videofluoroscopy, Neurorehabilitation and Community (including progressive disease). Actively involved in a range of service and workforce initiatives across the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS and research including collaborations with ELHT & AHP Professor in Neurorehabilitation and Stroke. The service is well equipped and is supported by a team of administrators and Therapy Assistant Practitioners. Regular team meetings, an annual SLT Showcase of best practice, SLT, Stroke and Neuro Improvement Showcase and continual improvement is embedded in our daily work and service improvement initiatives. We are committed to continuing professional development and this is underpinned by supervision, regular line management and an annual appraisal system.


• Completion of a recognised training course awarding relevant degree/diploma approved by the RCSLT and HCPC
• Registered with the HCPC
• Member of the RCSLT
• Evidence of attendance on short courses post qualification, Individual and group treatment skills
• Post graduate clinical experience
• Experience of delivering training to colleagues in health and/ or other relevant agencies
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of undergraduate student and/or support staff supervision
• Contribution to clinical education of junior staff/students/ assistants
• Experience of contributing to quality improvement projects for safe, personal and effective care
• Involvement in audit, research and evidence-based practice, Knowledge of a range of communication and swallowing difficulties and their management relevant to the post.
• Knowledge of a range of Alternative and Augumentative systems of communication.
• Knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group.
• Knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to the client group.
• Knowledge of a range of appropriate therapeutic
• Awareness of principles of clinical governance/audit.
• Awareness of the roles of other professionals relevant to the client group.
• Awareness of standards of record keeping
• Awareness of confidentiality as relating to the NHS
• Awareness of how to critically appraisal research articles.
• Excellent interpersonal skills - including, listening and empathy skills.
• Negotiation and problem solving skills.
• Good analytical and reflection skills.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office 365, Access to private vehicle to be able to travel across ELHT sites, including to patient's usual place of residence, where required
• Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner as required in accordance with the agreed job plan, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work., The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.
We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed. The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £42.90 and for a Standard Disclosure £22.90 which includes a small handling fee.