To prioritise, organise and manage a clinical caseload independently To assess and diagnose clients with speech and language, and swallowing impairment. Making a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from both formal and informal assessment To make appropriate clinical decisions following assessment (seeking support and advice from an experienced therapist as appropriate) and to develop individualised care plans based on best practice. To identify within the care plans appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative and swallowing effectiveness. To be able to discriminate auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of clients communication and swallowing, and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative and swallowing effectiveness.
To devise and implement a range of group and individualised therapy programmes as appropriate, ensuring efficient and effective quality care To write reports regarding patients needs that summarise proposed care plans To work collaboratively and negotiate with clients, carers and others around individual case management resolving any areas of conflict and generating any possible solutions To provide advice and training to others regarding the management and care of clients with communication and swallowing difficulties and to counsel and give advice regarding the impact of the communication or swallowing disorder 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 ensure that patients/carers are involved in the planning and prioritisation of their care plans wherever possible To communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions, using easily understood language To work closely with clients, carers and families, agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist To use skills in motivating clients and / or carers to engage in the therapeutic process To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with RCSLT professional standards and local trust policies