B5 Speech & Language Therapist- IST South Staffs (B5/B6 Development)

NHS AfC: Band 5

Job overview

SPECIALIST LEARNING DISABILTIES

Band 5 – Speech & Language Therapist – Intensive Support Team (South Staffordshire)

(Band 5 Development pathway to Band 6)

37.5 hours per week across South Staffordshire

We are seeking a highly motivated and dedicated Speech & Language Therapist to join our South Staffordshire based Intensive Support Team in Stafford. This is an ideal opportunity for a newly qualified Speech & Language Therapist to gain a Band 5 to 6 development opportunity to be equipped by senior specialist clinicians with the skills to practice within the IST pathway. 

The role requires someone who is enthusiastic, dynamic and able to demonstrate excellent inter-personal communication skills and a value base for person-centered, multi-disciplinary working. This post offers the opportunity to work in an intensive and supportive way with people with a learning disability who may present with complex challenging behaviours and/or mental health needs. 

The aim of the Intensive Support Team (IST) is to provide specialist and intensive multi-disciplinary support in the community for people who have a learning disability; there is a core functional role within the team in addition to clinicians’ individual specialist roles.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Main duties of the job

You will also preferably have experience of working with people with a learning disability, who have complex needs, for example those associated with mental and physical ill health, autism, and behaviours that challenge.

The ideal candidate will be somebody who is passionate about service delivery to and for people with learning disabilities, can work creatively and innovatively with multi professional team members to secure good outcomes, and embrace new ways of working within a Positive Behavioural Support Framework.

You will along side your IST colleagues, together supporting a small, shared caseload of adults who may be at risk of placement breakdown, including individuals in transition from children’s services, specialist inpatient services or moving between community placements. You will be using flexible, creative, multidisciplinary approaches and make a significant contribution to the continued development of high-quality local services for people who have learning disabilities in South Staffordshire.

For an informal discussion please contact:

Foteini Papaioannou – Advanced Speech & Language Therapist IST – [email protected]
Gary Worrall – Clinical Services Manager - [email protected]

Working for our organisation

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping  your communities and in return for this, we will support you by; 

• Supporting your career development and progression
• Excellent NHS Pension scheme
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
• If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
• Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
• Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
• Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
• Free car parking at all trust sites
• Free flu vaccinations every year
• Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Your role will include providing person-centered assessment, advice and interventions related to communication and behavioural support. On occasion this may involve planned out of hours work, with access to on-call support and supervision, if the needs of an individual require it.

You will work collaboratively alongside the Specialist Community Learning Disability Teams, in-patient services, and statutory / independent sector provider services. You can expect specialist clinical training and updates, regular support, supervision, and professional leadership.

Duties:
1. Risk assess, screen, assess, diagnose and manage the identified communication needs of adults with learning disability with complex health and behavioural needs who are eligible for support from the Staffordshire Intensive Support Team (IST).
2. Undertake a Speech and Language assessment resulting in an individualised care plan in relation to communication, as part of a positive behaviour support plan.
Work closely with the person with learning disability to help them to understand Speech and Language Therapy input and to support decision making in relation to consent to SLT in line with the Mental Capacity Act - 2005.
3. Advise and support the person, their family/carers in their understanding of any communication needs identified and the decisions made relating to options that are offered.
4. Work closely with the IST Advanced Speech and Language Therapist, and IST Clinical Lead in planning and delivering a service to meet the identified needs of those referred to the service.
5. Work with relevant medical, nursing, AHP, Psychology, social, educational professionals and carers; either directly or indirectly, to ensure that they understand a person’s communication profile and the best way to support them is identified and agreed.
6. Provide written programmes of work and both SLT specific and MDT reports for those on the IST shared caseload. 
7. To represent the service by attending meetings in relation to individuals on the case load.
8. Attend relevant in-service training courses and Trust statutory mandatory training as well as relevant and agreed external training and other CPD opportunities to develop the specialist skills, knowledge, techniques and strategies relevant to supporting this population and in particular for communication and positive behavioural support.
9. Attend Speech and Language Therapy and AHP Meetings, Team Meetings, Clinical Excellence Groups, MDT meetings with individuals with learning disability as appropriate...

Please see the attached Job description & Person Specification for further details.

Person specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria

• Qualified SLT, registered with HPC.
• Evidence of experience related to the communication needs of adults with learning disabilities.
• Registered with RCSLT.

Desirable criteria

• Attendance at relevant regional Clinical Excellence Networks and clinical Support Groups.
• Attendance at courses related to working with adults with learning disability and behaviours that may challenge.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Assessment and management of complex communication problems of adults with learning disabilities.
• Risk assessment, clinical reasoning and risk management related to communication needs.
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable criteria

• Working in a range of settings including community residential, day services and domiciliary settings.
• Post-graduate experience related to working with adults with learning disability and behaviours that may challenge.
• Experience in delivering training and support in relation to SLT and communication.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of a range of informal and formal language and communication assessments suitable for those with a learning disability.
• Up to date and relevant knowledge of evidence based practice in communication with adults with a learning disability.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Positive Behaviour Support.