Senior Speech and Language Therapist

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Band 6: £38,682 - £46,580 

Full time: 37.5 hours per week

Permanent contract

We are looking for motivated and experienced Speech and Language Therapists to join our dynamic and supportive teams.

We have posts in the following areas:

Acute – this offers huge variety and the opportunity to work across a wide range of ward specialities including the Acute Medical Wards, Intensive Care, Respiratory High Care, ED and Acute Admissions Units, Older Persons Medicine and General Surgery.

Neuro - this role will offer the opportunity to work across a range of areas within the Neuro specialism including Acute Stroke, Rehabilitation and the Community Stroke Rehabilitation team,

You will be supported by highly experienced therapists, who will help you to develop the required skills and competence for the area that you will be working in, and support with nurturing and growing your career in the direction you aspire to.

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will deliver high-quality, patient-centred care to adults with a wide range of medical conditions. You will also play an active role in clinical supervision, service development, education and quality improvement initiatives.

If you are a confident and reflective clinician, with a strong foundation in adult care and a passion for collaborative, evidence-based practice then we would love to hear from you.

Please specific which post you are applying for in your application.

Pre-arranged visits to the department are welcomed and encouraged prior to application or interview. For further information on how to arrange this, please contact our Admin Team on 02392 286141.

Job Summary

• Static senior Speech and Language Therapist in either acute or Neuro setting (separate Job Descriptions provide additional information).
• To perform advanced assessment of patients with a diverse range of presentations. To provide clinical reasoning and develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.
• To hold responsibility for own caseload and be responsible for a defined area of the service working without direct supervision. Supervision will take the form of regular formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, peer review and case conferences. Access to advice and support from a senior speech and language therapist available if required.
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• Participate in CPD and other departmental activities.
• Supervise newly qualified staff, associate practitioners, technicians and students. Take responsibility for students - supervise, educate and assess the performance of speech and language therapy students; this would be to a graduate standard and involve working with Universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the degree level qualification.
• Undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams practice within department. Make recommendations to clinical or pathway lead of service, for changes to practice that could be made. May lead the implementation of specific changes to practice or contribute to service protocols.

For additional information please see attached Job description

• HCPC Registration
• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification
• Registered member RCSLT
• Signed off RCSLT Dysphagia Competency Framework – Level C or equivalent post-graduate RCSLT accredited dysphagia course

Experience

• A minimum of 12 months working in an acute setting including working with adults with a broad range of acute communication and swallowing impairments/disorders
• Evidence of integrated working in multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience working as an autonomous practitioner
• Evidence of student or assistant supervision 
• Evidence of CPD documented

Skills and Knowledge

• Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession
• Effective analytical and reflective skills
• Sensitivity to a broad range of patients
• Supportive interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable at work in order to meet competing priorities
• Effective written and oral communication including the ability to keep accurate and legible patient notes
• Ability to recognise when to seek advice
• Competent IT skills
• Presentation skills
• Negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Understand clinical governance and its implications for services. Include experience of quality issues and audit
• Numerate
• Literate in English
• Ability to cope working in a stressful environment and with emotional or aggressive patients and carers

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.   

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.