Speech and Language Therapist

Job summary

Are you an established band 6 therapist or a band 5 therapist looking for their next step looking for a development role and opportunity to develop your skills working with a small caseload of children and adults with a learning disability?

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapist to join our Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS). We are a nationally recognised service, providing people with a Learning Disability that cannot be supported in mainstream services, the required support in the community with the aim at keeping people at home and avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be an invaluable member of the Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS) working with service users throughout Gloucestershire and working into our small inpatient service in Stroud. The purpose of this role is to:

  • Provide a specialist speech and language therapy service to adults and children with learning disabilities referred to LDISS.
  • To provide specialist speech & language therapy in our small learning disability inpatient service based at Berkeley House in Stroud, supporting both those residing in Berkeley House and offering outreach support into the community.

Provide specialist communication assessment and implementation of evidence-based interventions to individuals who are referred to LDISS or Berkeley House.

  • The ability to provide eating and drinking assessments and interventions to individual service users would be desirable but not essential.

Optimise the service users' ability to remain in the community and / or be cared for in the least restrictive environment.

Facilitate appropriate discharge from hospital and respond to agencies requiring assessment of service users who are being considered for hospital admission.

Be a mentor for SaLT students under the remit of the profession.

Identify, assess eligibility for, provide and support in the implementation of alternative/augmentative communication aids, including visual resources and high/low tech devices.

About us

We have in excess of 5000 staff working over 50 sites, providing a diverse range of services. We strive to support an organisational culture that is welcoming, builds and celebrates inclusivity and diversity and provides a sense of belonging and trust.

The annual NHS Staff Survey gives our people the opportunity to tell us about their experience working at the Trust. For the 2023 survey just over 2800 colleagues gave us their views (58.5%). It was great to see from the results that colleagues are saying that:

  • 89.7% believe they are making a positive difference to patients/service users;
  • 73.3% would recommend the organisation as a place to work;
  • 82.4% agree that care of patients and service users is the organisations priority;
  • 76.7% would be happy with the standard of care for a friend or relative

Our results put us as 5th nationally as a Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities NHS Employer of Choice and 1st equal amongst all NHS Provider Trusts in the South West. However, we know we have more to do and will continue to drive forward our commitment to making GHC a Great Place to Work.

Date posted

06 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

327-25-110

Job locations

Pullman Place

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL3 2JH


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To assess, develop, and implement Specialist Speech and Language Therapy treatment and intervention; ensuring that service users are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible.
  • To demonstrate a high level of clinical effectiveness, using evidence-based practice, adapting practice to meet individual service users circumstances; including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences, and by evaluating outcomes.
  • To provide specialist advice to others regarding the management and care of service users with communication difficulties.
  • To plan and prioritise workload, exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of service users with communication difficulties.
  • Contribute to observations and advise/offer a clinical impression/professional opinion on how communication difficulties may inform/explain/feed into behaviour that challenges.
  • Assessing improvement in quality of life following SaLT input through the use of appropriate and informative outcome measures.

Provide training for all staff / care providers and other outside agencies including specific learning disability/Autism training.

  • Develop and maintain clinical pathways for patients throughout a referral to LDISS in conjunction with CLDT colleagues and wider Trust resources.
  • Implement and monitor a Positive Behaviour Support ethos across LDISS and role model best practice and disseminate knowledge to wider team/care providers.
  • Design and complete audits and monitor compliance alongside agreed governance structures.

With additional training, provide supervision of junior staff.

  • Act as supervisory mentor for students (within framework of profession).
  • Provide and receive complex and sensitive information from service users, carers or other professionals and agencies, on a daily basis.
  • Collate, analyse, and present service user data to the weekly Multidisciplinary team meetings.
  • In partnership with team manager organise and chair Multidisciplinary team meetings and Service user orientated meetings.
  • Attend Trust internal meetings and have full participation in organising and presenting at Continuing Professional Development days.
  • Maintain accurate written records and statistics to ensure that service user details and details of care given are recorded in notes and on the trust database(s) in line with trust policy.

Liaise with and offer specialist assessment and advice to other agencies and professions. To participate in Multi-Agency meetings to offer advice and opinions to facilitate the ongoing treatment and care of service users.

Develop, implement and evaluate care plans in conjunction with service users, carers and other professionals which reflect individual needs.

The post holder will assume a responsibility of a shared case load.

There is a requirement to use your own vehicle to travel throughout Gloucestershire to carry out appointments.

Implement risk assessments and management plans on a daily basis.

  • To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries through interpretation of clinical/professional policies.
  • To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Job responsibilities

  • To assess, develop, and implement Specialist Speech and Language Therapy treatment and intervention; ensuring that service users are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible.
  • To demonstrate a high level of clinical effectiveness, using evidence-based practice, adapting practice to meet individual service users circumstances; including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences, and by evaluating outcomes.
  • To provide specialist advice to others regarding the management and care of service users with communication difficulties.
  • To plan and prioritise workload, exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of service users with communication difficulties.
  • Contribute to observations and advise/offer a clinical impression/professional opinion on how communication difficulties may inform/explain/feed into behaviour that challenges.
  • Assessing improvement in quality of life following SaLT input through the use of appropriate and informative outcome measures.

Provide training for all staff / care providers and other outside agencies including specific learning disability/Autism training.

  • Develop and maintain clinical pathways for patients throughout a referral to LDISS in conjunction with CLDT colleagues and wider Trust resources.
  • Implement and monitor a Positive Behaviour Support ethos across LDISS and role model best practice and disseminate knowledge to wider team/care providers.
  • Design and complete audits and monitor compliance alongside agreed governance structures.

With additional training, provide supervision of junior staff.

  • Act as supervisory mentor for students (within framework of profession).
  • Provide and receive complex and sensitive information from service users, carers or other professionals and agencies, on a daily basis.
  • Collate, analyse, and present service user data to the weekly Multidisciplinary team meetings.
  • In partnership with team manager organise and chair Multidisciplinary team meetings and Service user orientated meetings.
  • Attend Trust internal meetings and have full participation in organising and presenting at Continuing Professional Development days.
  • Maintain accurate written records and statistics to ensure that service user details and details of care given are recorded in notes and on the trust database(s) in line with trust policy.

Liaise with and offer specialist assessment and advice to other agencies and professions. To participate in Multi-Agency meetings to offer advice and opinions to facilitate the ongoing treatment and care of service users.

Develop, implement and evaluate care plans in conjunction with service users, carers and other professionals which reflect individual needs.

The post holder will assume a responsibility of a shared case load.

There is a requirement to use your own vehicle to travel throughout Gloucestershire to carry out appointments.

Implement risk assessments and management plans on a daily basis.

  • To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries through interpretation of clinical/professional policies.
  • To work within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate qualification in Speech and Language Therapy

Desirable

  • Evidence of post graduate training in Children and Adults with learning disability

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience in working with people with Learning disabilities

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multi disciplinary team

Qualifications

Essential

  • Appropriate qualification in Speech and Language Therapy

Desirable

  • Evidence of post graduate training in Children and Adults with learning disability

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience in working with people with Learning disabilities

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multi disciplinary team

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pullman Place

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL3 2JH


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pullman Place

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL3 2JH


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Team manager

Neil Calder

neil.calder@ghc.nhs.uk

03004213256

Date posted

06 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

327-25-110

Job locations

Pullman Place

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL3 2JH


Supporting documents

Please view the full job description on NHS Jobs for attached documents.

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