Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Specialist Speech & Language Therapist – Early Supported Discharge
Band 6, Part Time, hours
Job Overview
Due to a recent skill mix review an exciting opportunity has arisen for a part time (- WTE hours a week ) Band 6 position working with our Early Supported Discharge for Stroke service. This post has the benefit of working closely with our well-established and experienced Stroke Hub Team whilst sitting within our well supported and friendly SLT team of Band 7, 6’s and SLTA’s who provide a highly specialist level of service to our Community Inpatient Wards, Early Supported Discharge (ESD) for Stroke and General Community caseloads.
Main duties of the job
You will join a team of passionate and enthusiastic professionals who support adults and their families with communication and swallowing difficulties following a stroke.
The SLT ESD service provides rapid assessment and intensive rehabilitation with goal focused therapy for up to 6 weeks. As such, the post holder is required to demonstrate specialist level assessment, management and therapy for both communication and dysphagia impairments. They will need to be able to construct comprehensive therapy programmes to be completed by the therapist, SLTA or as a patient self-management programme. Working with both the ESD and SLT teams, the successful candidate will have excellent organisational skills, be a strong communicator and a proactive member of the MDT.
Working for our organisation
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,303 to a maximum of £2,198 pro rata for part time).
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Although predominantly based with the ESD caseload, the post holder will also have the opportunity to work across other parts of our SLT service when needed. This provides the chance to develop clinical skills and experience with a wider variety of acquired communication and swallowing impairments such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, TBI and oncology. Senior SLT support will be provided across all caseloads.
As a team we value and recognise the clinical and professional skill development and are keen to support SLTs across their career. To enable this SLTs in our team are provided with regular clinical supervision and annual appraisals. They have opportunities for internal and external CPD, and are encouraged to participate in audit, research and quality improvement work.
Both the ESD and SLT community services are provided in patient’s homes and care homes across the patch (including Brentwood, Basildon and Thurrock) and from our clinic base at Brentwood Community Hospital. As such a car driver with valid license is essential.
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
2. Recognised Speech and Language Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
Desirable criteria
3. Member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Significant relevant experience at undergraduate/post graduate level
5. Experience of working in an NHS setting
Desirable criteria
6. Experience working with clients with degenerative/progressive neurological conditions and/or stroke
Knowledge
Essential criteria
7. Knowledge of assessment tools, treatment techniques and therapeutic interventions, with focus on management of clients with degenerative neurological conditions such as PD, MS, etc. and stroke
8. Knowledge of acquired communication and swallowing disorders
Desirable criteria
9. Awareness of relevant NHS drivers, NICE guidelines for common degenerative neurological conditions/stroke where relevant to SLT practice
10. Awareness of the roles of other professionals
Skills
Essential criteria
11. Demonstrate clear clinical reasoning based on evidence based practice
12. Organise and manage own caseload
Desirable criteria
13. Supervise students and staff
14. Teaching skills
other
Essential criteria
15. To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
Desirable criteria
16. Commitment towards own personal and professional development and that of others
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
17. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
18. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
19. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
20. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.