Job Description

We are looking for a Speech and Language Therapist who is passionate about improving the lives of autistic young people and adults to join our innovative Transforming Care Autism Team (TCAT). The multi-disciplinary team is Sussex wide and provides specialist assessment and consultation to colleagues in SPFT working with adults and young people aged 14 upwards who have a diagnosis of autism and who are at risk of a mental health hospital admission. The team focus on avoiding admissions to or supporting discharge from inpatient services by fostering an understanding the individual's needs in relation to their neurodiversity. The multi-disciplinary team works with individuals, their families, care providers, other SPFT teams and agencies across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The successful candidate will have experience in working with autistic people with presentations of risk and liaising with a range of different agencies This is a great opportunity to join a supportive MDT. We are focused on achieving great outcomes for individuals and are contributing to the development of neuro-affirming practice across the Trust. Supervision, training and peer support are at the heart of team



This post would be considered as a Band 6-7 development post with an agreed set of competencies to be met practice.



To provide a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy service to autistic people who are on the Transforming Care Risk Register as part of TCAT to support discharge or avoid admission. To provide highly specialist supervision to other Speech and Language Therapists or Speech and Language Therapy Assistants within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, as necessary. Work in collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues and other agencies. Liaise and consult with other Speech and Language Therapists and/or other professions within mainstream primary and secondary provider services. To work within the MDT to undertake risk assessment, formulation, and management for individual clients with complex presentations and to provide advice to other professions on aspects of risk assessment, formulation, and management in relation to communication need To prioritise, organise and manage a complex caseload as part of the MDT. To provide highly specialist evidence-based interventions and to evaluate effectiveness of interventions using agreed outcome measures To undertake comprehensive assessment of those referred to using investigative and analytical skills and to formulate individualized interventions based on advanced clinical reasoning and partnership working. To inform and counsel service users, relatives and carers and significant others to present complex information clearly and comprehensively to optimise communication. To encourage and enable service users and carers involvement and choice in all intervention options and decisions regarding their care plans / goals wherever possible. To negotiate with clients, relatives and carers and relevant others around care plans and complex case management to motivate and engage them in the therapeutic process. To provide specialist Speech & Language Therapy services for those referred based on national best practice. To be responsible for clinical administration and record keeping related to the specialist caseload according to Trust policy.

To be aware of and adhere to, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy clinical guidelines, Health Professions Council standards of proficiency, conduct, performance and ethics, and policies and guidelines relating to specialism.



This is a specialist SLT post based in the Transforming Care autism team (TCAT). The post holder will play a core role in the MDT team consisting of OTs, clinical psychologists, therapy assistants and peer support workers who work with autistic adults and young people from 14 years old who do not have a learning disability. The team criteria are to provide specialist assessment and consultation regarding people who are on the Dynamic support register, and who are therefore inpatients or at imminent risk of requiring inpatient admission. The SLT will assess, formulate, and make recommendations regarding how a shared understanding of the person's communication needs will contribute to understanding and reducing the presenting risk. The SLT will offer advice and support to enable the person and their support system to live well with their neurodivergence and reduce the risk of future hospital admission. If the person has dysphagia the role will be to identify this and signpost to the appropriate SLT team. The SLT will be working very closely with inpatient and community mental health services, including the SLT inpatient team and the Transitions and Pathways Team (TAP)SLTs. The post holder will work in partnership with clients, carers, multi-disciplinary team members and other agencies in the network to inform assessments of individual needs, make recommendations for placement, intervention, and support needs. They will also work to develop the skills of local community services to deliver recommended care plans.