Professional, Clinical and Operational Lead SLT

To work as part of the staff team delivering specialist Speech and Language Therapy Services to the SLT Stroke pathway (Acute Stroke Unit):

• Adults with acquired disorders of communication and swallowing, predominantly in the hospital settings.
• To lead relevant projects for the SLT service.
• To promote an understanding of clinical disorders and speech and language therapy services.
• To undertake instrumental and objective dysphagia assessment to level of competence and within the existing VFL and FEES workforce structure.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required together with good organizational and time management skills. Flexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service is essential - duties may be required to flex across sites at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Pendle Community Hospital. There may be opportunity for the successful applicant to join the B6 established stroke rotation to benefit from experience across the acute and community stroke pathways . You will be able to work under pressure and be self directed, recognising your own limits. You will be a car driver/owner or be able to travel between community visits in a timely manner. You will be part of the seven day/bank holiday rota. Take a look at our services, our team and our vision and values on Twitter @ELHT_SLTWorking 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 & UCLan's AHP Professor in Neurorehabilitation and Stroke. The service is well equipped and is supported by a team of administrators, SLT Assistants 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

An opportunity has been created for an experienced band 5 or an existing band 6 speech and language therapist (SLT) to work as a band 6 specialist SLT in Stroke and neurorehabilitation. This post will be based on the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) at Royal Blackburn Hospital and at Rakehead Rehabilitation Centre on the Burnley General Hospital site as part of the neurorehabilitation service. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of two interdisciplinary therapy teams: an established and consistently high achieving stroke team, and Consultant and ACP led neurorehabilitation team. The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to work with the Lancashire & South Cumbria neurorehabilitation online service (NROL). A capability and competency development plan will be built in where this is required. You will be a qualified and HCPC registered SLT with good knowledge and competence in up-to-date assessment and treatment procedures for the stroke and neurorehabilitation caseload (dysphagia and communication, including digital approaches).,
• Experience treating a variety of patients relevant to the post including independent dysphagia competencies
• Organising and managing everyday clinic routines, 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 interventions relevant to the client group.
• Awareness of principles of clinical governance/audit.
• Awareness of the roles of other professionals relevant to the client group
• Awareness of confidentiality as relating to the NHS
Desirable criteria
• Use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
• Presentation skills, Registered with the HCPC, 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 £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.