Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist - Autism Diagnostic

Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist who enjoys working with children and young people? Do you want to be involved in an excellent example of collaborative working? Then we have the perfect role for you!

As a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) you will be responsible for the provision of a qualified SALT Autism assessment service for children aged 0-16 referred to the Community Paediatric team at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

You will work collaboratively with the Community Paediatricians and the Diagnostic pathway navigators to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to ASC diagnosis. Our team currently completed standardised assessments to contribute directly to the diagnosis of ASC, and work directly with the community paediatricians in MDT meetings to discuss cases & meet NICE guidance. This element of the Paediatric SALT service has been operational for 2 years now, but we have recently had further investment to boost capacity in the team.

You will be employed by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and receive peer support from our excellent Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Team in CCICP. Our existing therapists will provide excellent peer support, and offer a significant amount of experience in this area, and so personal and professional development will be provided., 1. To provide a high standard of SALT assessment and diagnostic service for children with social communication difficulties/autistic spectrum disorders .

2. To contribute to the development of appropriate diagnostic SALT assessment protocols for the ASD service.

3. Experience in using the ADOS or other play based assessments as part of multidisciplinary diagnosis is desirable.

4. To work autonomously as a highly specialist SLT providing specialist speech and language assessments for children with diverse needs and varying presentations.

5. To independently manage and make differential diagnoses for clients with delays and disorders of social communication and autistic spectrum disorders.

6. To make appropriate and evidence-based recommendations for children and their families.

7. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

8. To provide comprehensive feedback to children, families, and professionals.

9. To prepare comprehensive SALT assessment reports detailing formulation, recommendations and diagnostic evidence that would contribute to the multiagency assessment process.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT) provides good quality, safe and effective healthcare to the people of Cheshire and beyond. The Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford, was established as an NHS Trust in April 1991 and became a Foundation Trust in April 2008.

We employ almost 5,000 members of staff, provide around 540 hospital beds, with a range of services including accident and emergency, maternity, outpatients, therapies, and children's health.

The Trust is also part of Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP), a unique local health partnership that provides a range of community services for people across South Cheshire and Vale Royal.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trust was recognised nationally for its 'Be Safe Be EquiPPEd' campaign, which aimed to make the Trust as safe as possible for staff and patients, through supporting the correct use of PPE.

The results in the 2020 national NHS Staff Survey showed improvements in all elements of the safety culture theme, with 92% of respondents feeling their role made a difference to our patients. We were also recognised nationally for our workforce health and wellbeing initiatives.

At Mid Cheshire, we value our staff and appreciate that in order to give our patients the best quality, compassionate care, we also need to look after our colleagues.