Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
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Job Overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, flexible and innovative therapist to work in a dynamic multidisciplinary community clinic setting with infants and children (aged 0–5 years) with a range of eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS) and communication needs.
The Harrow Speech and Language Therapy Service is an innovative team who strive to provide family-centred services to the diverse population of the London Borough of Harrow.
This post will require proficient skills in the assessment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties for infants and children as well as communication difficulties in the community with NHS experience.
Main duties of the job
The post will involve
- Working in a community clinic setting
- Detailed assessment and management of infant feeding and children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs.
- Risk management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties for 0–5-year-olds.
- Provide second opinions for feeding assessments within the service.
- Working in collaboration with parents/carers, health and education professionals involved with the infant/child and other partner organisations.
- Offer training and workshops to parents/carers/education settings where appropriate.
- Work in joint clinics with the Enteral Feeding Dietitian.
- Demonstrate a broad range of practical skills to work with these client groups and have up-to-date knowledge of professional/national guidelines and related research.
- Take an active role in service development alongside the Clinical Service Lead.
- Collaborate with MDT colleagues to support best health outcomes.
Working for our organisation
You will be joining and welcomed into a diverse therapy team who actively promote and advocate for equality and diversity.
We can provide:
- Highly structured induction.
- Excellent levels of support and supervision which includes regular clinical and management supervision every 8 weeks and an annual appraisal.
- Termly peer supervision meetings where you can discuss cases, read articles together and share your experiences.
- Clearly defined caseloads.
- A wide range of opportunities for continuing professional development.
- Easy access to clinical specialists in all clinical areas.
- Easy access to an established Multidisciplinary Team including Paediatricians.
- Designated admin and planning time.
- Involvement in innovative projects.
- Memberships at relevant CENs are supported and encouraged.
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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification on this advert for further info.
Band 7 Children's and Infant Dysphagia (0.6 WTE / 22.5 hours per week)
Community SLT Dysphagia Team 0-5 years
We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to work within the Community Dysphagia Team, providing specialist assessment and intervention for infants and children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs. This 0.6 WTE role offers the opportunity to lead within a highly specialist area while contributing to service development and supporting colleagues across the department.
Main Responsibilities
- Manage a complex and highly specialist caseload independently, demonstrating sound clinical judgement and effective use of outcome measures, with access to support and supervision as required.
- Demonstrate highly specialist clinical knowledge within paediatric dysphagia, underpinned by current evidence-based practice.
- Reflect on practice with peers and identify professional strengths and development needs.
- Apply highly specialist clinical reasoning and utilise evidence-based practice and outcome measures to inform assessment and intervention.
- Act as a lead Speech and Language Therapist within the relevant clinical specialism, providing expert guidance to the wider team.
- Provide support and supervision to junior colleagues as directed by the Team Leader.
- Offer specialist second opinions, advice and training to less experienced colleagues and other professionals involved in the care of children with eating, drinking and swallowing needs.
- Produce high-quality reports and case notes that reflect specialist knowledge and clinical reasoning.
- Communicate effectively—both verbally and in writing—with parents, carers, and clients regarding assessment findings, diagnoses, and therapy plans, including delivering sensitive or difficult information when required.
- Negotiate effectively with parents, clients and other professionals around case management, recognising and managing potential conflict or breakdown in communication.
- Use negotiation and problem-solving skills in the management of conflict across a range of clinical and professional situations.
- Address initial complaints sensitively, working to resolve concerns before escalation.
- Attend and contribute to Speech and Language Therapy team meetings, participating in projects, audits and service development initiatives.
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Person specification
Education/qualifications
Essential criteria
- Experience of advanced training in dysphagia
- Registered with HCPC
- Registered member of RCSLT
- Member of relevant CEN
- Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses up to Master’s degree equivalent
- Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree qualification or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- Further training with infants under 1 years old with swallowing difficulties.
Skills, Abilities And Attributes
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate ability to be a good team member
- Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy skills
- Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- Demonstrate excellent organisational, analytical and reflection skills
- Demonstrate negotiation, conflict resolution and problem solving skills
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate experience of assessing, diagnosing and implementing appropriate management plans for children with a wide range of speech, language and communication difficulties, including those with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties
- Evidence of continuing professional development and advanced training, e.g. Post Graduate Dysphagia Course, Infant feeding, SOFFI
- Specialist knowledge of assessment tools relevant to the client group
- Specialist knowledge of a range of appropriate educational and therapeutic interventions effective in education settings
- Knowledge of prioritisation issues within client group
- Knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to the client group
- Knowledge of principles of clinical governance
Desirable criteria
- Substantial postgraduate experience of working with infants under 1 years old with swallowing difficulties.
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