Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist- Critical Care

Due to new funding, we have a rare opportunity for a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist to join our Critical Care team at QEHB. This is fixed term for 12 months - 30 hours per week with a view to become substantive if KPIs are met. This role will be predominantly clinical with a focus on quality improvement and clinical expertise. The successful candidate will be working alongside a Band 7 Team lead SLT, Band 8a Clinical Specialist and several peer highly specialist SLTs. This cohort of patients has swallowing, voice, airway and communication difficulties within the Critical Care setting, including tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation. This caseload includes major trauma, neurology/neurosurgery, transplant, burns, surgery, cardiac, liver, ENT & Thoracics.

We have a large yet close-knit, highly skilled team who contribute to our robust supervision structure. Innovation, participation in research and clinical/professional development are actively encouraged. QEHB benefits from one of the largest acute SLT teams in the country with more than 40 team members and our Trust is one of the largest teaching hospital Trusts in England serving a national and international population.

The team offers:

* A full induction programme, robust supervision & peer support

* A wide range of opportunities for research and career development

* Access to videofluoroscopy & FEES

* Modern facilities with good transport links

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate would be part of the Critical Care Speech and Language Therapy team at QEHB serving a diverse clinical caseload, with support from the Team Lead SLT and ICU Clinical Specialist.

The successful candidate will have a clear passion in assessing and managing swallowing and communication disorders for patients within a Critical Care setting.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

* assessing and managing patients with communication, airway and swallowing disorders in an ICU setting, including tracheostomy management.

* service development and audit

* training and supervision of junior colleagues and students

* working flexibly and thriving in a fast-paced environment

* Utilising specialist assessments including FEES.

* Regular quality improvement projects

* Involvement in audit, research and presenting patient outcomes.

We have a large team who share a caseload of diverse patient cohorts so being a team player is essential. We would welcome a candidate who is has experience working with patients in the specialist area, but our supportive team will be willing to support your development in these areas.

We would welcome interested candidates to get in touch for an informal discussion. Please contact Molly Metcalf (Clinical Lead) via molly.metcalf@uhb.nhs.uk or 0121 371 3483

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A good standard of secondary education including A-Level or equivalent.
• BSc or recognised MSc degree in Speech and Language Therapy.
• Membership of RCSLT.
• Registration with HCPC.
• Completed RCSLT Level C dysphagia competencies/Level 5 EDS competencies (or above).
• Completed tracheostomy competencies.

Desirable

• FEES interpretation and/or scoping skills.
• Ventilator skills.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working independently with adult dysphagia caseload at a specialist level.
• Significant experience working within a critical care or high-dependency clinical setting.
• Significant experience of working independently within an acute hospital setting.
• Significant post-graduate training, through attendance at short courses and via personal study and practical skill development.
• Experience of working successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstration of people management at either an individual or team level.
• Experience of training Speech and Language Therapy undergraduates and junior SLTs.
• Experience working within critical care

Desirable

• Post-graduate education or research.
• Experience of working with patients requiring mechanical ventilation.
• Experience of working with patients with laryngectomy and/or head and neck cancer.
• Membership of a relevant CEN.
• Knowledge acquired through attendance at postgraduate specialist courses which would be expected to be at Masters level or equivalent.

Evidence of attendance at national conferences.

Knowledge of the strategic direction of the Trust.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of assessment and management of dysphagia, voice and communication disorders.
• Advanced theoretical and conceptual knowledge of evidence based practice in the specialist area.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Ability to communicate sensitive and complex information effectively and an awareness of the appropriate use of counselling skills.
• Excellent skills of persuasion, motivation, negotiation and problem solving skills with patients, colleagues in the department, the MDT and other professionals.
• Effective communication skills with people who have significant and complex communication and or swallowing difficulties.
• Well-developed perceptual and auditory skills.
• Ability to absorb, interpret and summarise verbal information in a clinical environment.
• Systematic and organised.
• Able to manage and negotiate complex discussions or disagreements with patients, relatives and professional colleagues in a professional, supportive manner.

Keen to embrace change consistent with delivery of service whilst keeping the patient as an individual at the centre of care.

Punctual and reliable in service delivery.

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Organisational skills with the ability to organise own workload and work in a systematic way.

Excellent time management.

Excellent interpersonal and team working skills.

Thriving in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to work weekends as part of a 7 day working pattern (when appropriate service delivery allows and commences).

Desirable

• FEES interpretation and/or scoping.
• Ability to complete relevant clinical audit.
• Ability to present on clinical topics to wide range of audiences.

About the employer

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.