Highly Specialist Speech and Language TherapistNHS

Job summary

Are you an enthusiastic Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) who is passionate about helping children and young people achieve their potential?

As part of the exciting new Experts at Hand initiative, we are looking for 2 wte Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapists to work across Warrington and Halton. You will lead the delivery and development of the Experts at Hand offer, delivering high-quality whole-school training and coaching to education staff in implementing evidence-based interventions. You will oversee service outcomes, contribute to audits and collecting data, and provide supervision and support to Band 5 and Band 6 colleagues.

In our team, you'll benefit from a supportive team culture. We are proud of our approachable and experienced leadership team, who prioritise staff wellbeing, work-life balance and professional growth. We offer agile working, high-quality clinical supervision and excellent development opportunities.

If you're motivated, innovative and excited by the opportunity to lead in shaping a new initiative at a whole-school level, we'd love to welcome you to our team.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist within the innovative Experts at Hand service, you will provide clinical leadership in the delivery and ongoing development of the Experts at Hand offer, helping schools develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.

You will lead the development and delivery of engaging whole-school training and coaching for education staff to deliver evidence-based interventions in targeted groups. You will also provide clinical supervision, guidance and support to Band 5 and Band 6 colleagues delivering the service.

You will provide drop-in sessions within schools, helping staff to identify needs early, consider appropriate next steps and navigate referral pathways, ensuring children receive support from the most appropriate service at a universal, targeted or specialist level. Working collaboratively with education staff, you will promote communication-friendly approaches, embed practical strategies into everyday practice and contribute to the development of sustainable support within schools.

You will lead the evaluation and continuous improvement of the service through the monitoring of outcomes, audit activity and collection of data, using evidence to demonstrate the impact of the Experts at Hand model.

Job description

Job Purpose:

To provide clinical leadership in the delivery of the Experts at Hand (EAH) offer as stated in the Experts at Hand guidance.

Develop and monitor outcomes relating to the delivery of Experts at Hand offer.

To carry out audits and data collection for commissioning services.

To supervise B6 and B5 staff in the delivery of the Expert at Hand Offer.

To work within the core service in a specialist area to provide assessment, diagnosis and therapy in clinics/schools or specialist educational settings as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Skills

To assess and diagnose highly specialist clinical area

To develop and implement highly specialist Speech and Language Therapy treatment and evaluate outcomes

To produce detailed reports reflecting specialist knowledge regarding patients' needs and summarising proposed treatment plans. To contribute to legal documents such as Education Health and Care Plans, Annual reviews and individual education plans. To provide specialist advice to patients, carers and other professionals regarding the management and care of patients with communication difficulties To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures To adapt practice to meet individual patients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies To share information with carers and other professionals, observing data protection guidelines

To contribute to multi-disciplinary and uni-disciplinary teams to ensure a patient focused approach to treatment. To attend health panels when required

To communicate complex information from specialist assessment and treatment, to patients, carers and other professionals

To work closely with patients, carers and other professionals to negotiate and agree patient management

To demonstrate empathy with patients, carers and other professionals, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where significant barriers to understanding exist

To respond sensitivity at all times, in particular when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of the clinical difficulties and their implications

To demonstrate expert skills in motivating patients, carers and other professionals to engage in the therapeutic process

To demonstrate expert skills in managing conflict within the context of highly specialist clinical area

To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible, in line with trust policy

To foster productive relationships with others who have challenging communication difficulties and/or who may be under stress To employ excellent communication skills To apply expert strategies to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of communication, both verbal, non verbal and environmental, including the use of high and low tech AAC where necessary

To provide specialist assessment and advice on optimising the patient's communication environment, including the communication skills of carers and other professionals within the patient's environment

To provide specialist clinical advice, support and second opinions for therapists and other professionals working with: clinical area, offering case discussions, joint assessments, joint intervention and therapy programmes as appropriate.

To demonstrate independence in dealing with complex issues associated with caseload management To employ counselling skills with patients and carers with highly complex needs

To discharge appropriately, agreeing a point of closure with the client/carer, and informing other professionalsPlease see full Job Description attached.

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

• Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
• Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
• Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
• One team: We work well together and with our communities