Job Description

Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - Adult Acute Inpatients



Band 6 Full time permanent post



We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Speech and Language Therapist to join the acute in-patient service at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. This post will join our existing team of 29.2 WTE SLTs and 1.4 WTE SLT assistants.



You will be based at St Thomas' Hospital and will be responsible for delivering high-quality care to adult inpatients with communication and/or swallowing disorders on the acute medical and surgical wards.



Suitable applicants will have experience of working at a post-graduate level, independently managing adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. Experience of instrumental assessment is essential. Teaching is a significant part of the role and you will participate in nurse/medical education and provide external talks and presentations as needed.



To take clinical responsibility as an autonomous specialist for the provision of a high-quality Speech and Language Therapy service to adult inpatients on the acute medical and surgical wards.



see full job description for detail

There is a strong ethos of clinical support, supervision and development within the team. The service is able to offer you excellent supervision and peer support, with an emphasis on team working. Quality improvement projects and research ideas are strongly encouraged, both within SLT and in the multi-professional teams. We have regular team meetings, plus opportunities for continuing professional development through in-house training, clinical excellence networks and external courses.



1. To provide independent clinical management of acute inpatients requiring assessment and rehabilitation of complex communication and swallowing disorders, with the aim of restoring optimum function or offering compensatory strategies. This will include assessing the patients' needs for alternative/augmentative communication where appropriate.



2. To regularly participate in videofluoroscopic examinations of swallow, analyse and report findings to the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) regarding implications for management and design specialised therapeutic programmes of care.



3. To be a Specialist Speech and Language Therapy resource for members of the MDT in the management of communication/swallowing disorders.



4. As a core member of the MDT, to participate in team meetings, ward rounds and family meetings. Where appropriate to propose and assist in the implementation of policy/service development.



5. To develop training programmes relevant to communication/swallowing disorders and deliver these aspects in the on-going training programme for the members of the MDT on the acute wards.



6. To contribute and take a lead as appropriate in the organisation of training for nursing staff on the acute wards.



To train staff and carers to facilitate the communication and swallowing skills of the patient including the use of alternative and augmentative communication .