Job Description

An excellent opportunity has arisen to provide a 12 months fellowship in Cleft Speech and Language Therapy , following an exciting collaboration between The South West Cleft Services, The Cleft Collective and Craniofacial Australia.



The South West Cleft Services , based at the University Hospital North Bristol and Weston NHS Trust in Bristol, is one of the 9 national cleft centres that caters for patients with cleft lip and palate from the South West of England. We are accredited to provide the whole spectrum of care for patients with cleft lip and palate, including surgery, psychology, speech therapy, dental and orthodontic care and specialist cleft nurse support. The hub unit at Bristol accepts referrals from the South West of England. Outreach Clinics take place throughout the year. We treat 70+ new babies per annum and also have a significant caseload of children and adults with non-cleft related VPD (velopharyngeal dysfunction). specifically



Craniofacial Australia , based in Adelaide, Australia, is a foundation that has a well proven track record supporting research and clinical excellence at the Australian Craniofacial Unit over the last 40 years.

Aim of the Cleft Fellowship:

The aim of the fellowship is to provide senior trainee or therapist in the early part of their career with all the required training and research facilities to enable them to take up posts, either nationally or internationally, as cleft lip and palate speech and language therapist.



The fellowship is designed for senior speech and language therapy trainees, or speech therapists in the early parts of their career. The trainees will have demonstrated a clinical and an academic commitment to the management of patients with cleft lip and palate . This is a 12 months programme that is geared to provide the Fellow with the required knowledge, skills and attitude to start independent practice as a speech and language therapist within a multidisciplinary cleft team. Overseas candidates should have similar experience and have passed the relevant examinations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Cleft clinics



Research Responsibilities



Teaching



University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.



Qualifications and Training



Primary degree in speech and language therapy

Registration with the Health care Professional Council

Registration with Royal College of Speech and language Therapist

Knowledge and Experience:

Appropriate level of clinical knowledge

Shows knowledge of evidence-informed practice

Shows awareness of own limitations

Demonstrates breadth of experience and awareness in and outside specialty

Information Technology skills

Attendance at non obligatory training courses

Demonstrated experience in speech therapy in patients with cleft lip and palate above standard training level



Skills and Abilities



Experience of clinical risk management

Competent to work without direct supervision where appropriate

Clear, logical thinking showing an analytical/scientific approach

Experience and ability to work in multi professional teams

Attendance at relevant courses

Additional and Aptitudes:

Ability to prioritise clinical need



Ability to organise oneself and own work



Active involvement in audit



Research experience, presentations, publications, prizes and honours



Paper / presentation at a national or international meeting or published in a peer review journal



Evidence of teaching experience



Enthusiasm for teaching; exposure to different groups / teaching methods