Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Head and Neck)

The Speech and Language Therapy Head and Neck Integrated team (HANIT) at Aintree Hospital LUHFT and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre work together to support patients who are undergoing Surgery and/or Oncology treatments for Head and Neck Cancer. The team work across both Trusts and across the community of Liverpool, South Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton to deliver seamless care across the pathway We are looking for individuals with significant experience of working with Head and Neck patients across the whole pathway from diagnosis, inpatients through to community follow up and working in an integrated team with other clinicians and assistants. We are also looking for a positive outlook and problem solving approach in developing the integrated system across Cheshire and Merseyside. -- Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist responsible for providing a specialist service with Head and Neck Cancer patients from diagnosis, surgery, oncology and community. Provide expert knowledge, education, advice and support to patients with a diagnosis of HNC deliver a high standard of care to patients with swallowing/ and or communication difficulties as a result of the cancer diagnosis. Provide expert knowledge , education, advice and support to healthcare professionals in relation to speech and Language Therapy as part of the management of people with cancer. Take the lead in audit and research and contribute to standards development Participate in the delivery of SLT services to patients receiving treatment at Aintree/ CCC-L inpatient, outpatient, and in the community areas served by the HN integrated team., Advanced communication skills to assess, treat and educate patients to provide highly sensitive and complex information. Interpret highly complex information to provide appropriate treatment options and expert opinion on complex cases. Responsible for providing flexibility within the service to meet the patients needs Responsible for managing time and workload independently and unsupervised in highly specialised area of work Excellent auditory discrimination and perceptual skills to assess communication and voice disorders Regular involvement in local and national R+D activity within the Trust

Highly specialist skills in diagnostic assessment, treatment and rehabilitation with patients diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer,

• Degree in Speech and Language therapy
• Postgraduate qualification/equivalent
• HCPC registered SLT
• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), Experience of supervising and mentoring qualified staff and students
• Experience of communicating and working effectively with service users, carers, other agencies and professionals
• Experience of establishing and maintaining good standards of professional practice to ensure the delivery of an effective, quality service, Postgraduate training in acquired dysphagia
• Postgraduate training in complex dysphagia
• High level of knowledge in assessment and treatment of complex acquired communication and swallowing disorders
• High level of knowledge in assessment and treatment of complex acquired communication and swallowing disorders
• Excellent understanding of clinical governance issue
• Computer literacy and ability to use a variety of electronic systems
Desirable criteria
• Postgraduate training in Videofluoroscopy
• Postgraduate training in FEES, Ability to manage and prioritise own workload
• Excellent presentation and communication skills including ability to deal with distressed patients and carers
• Excellent communication skills required to be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Able to contribute to operational service delivery
Desirable criteria
• Able to carry out FEES
• Skills in use and interpretation of Videofluoroscopy studies
• Ability to work independently with a tracheostomy caseload, Willingness to work flexibly and at other sites when required
• Ability and willingness to undertake further training as necessary, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience. The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.

The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and achieve fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment. Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working. The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24. Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing the successful applicant/s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £18+£5 (standard disclosure) or £38+£5 (enhanced disclosure) will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment. From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years. Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa. This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults' policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures. Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation. All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action. As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence. If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post. Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band. For agenda for change banded roles; salary payments will reflect the 2023/24 pay scales. The 2024/25 pay scales will be paid in October 2024 including any backpay due. Therefore should the successful applicant start in post prior to October, the salary will initially reflect the 2023/24 pay scales.