Highly Specialist SLT Community Neurology Service
Band 7
Main area Speech and Language Therapy Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours
* Part time
* Job share
30 hours per week Job ref 327-25-286-B
Site Edward Jenner Court, Town Brockworth, Gloucester Salary £46,148 - £52,809 per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 07/07/2025 23:59
We love what we do and we think you will, too!
At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county .
We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you ’.
We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and w e are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality team s in all areas of the Trust .
Our application process aims to understand each candidates knowledge, skills and experience. We have found that candidates that use AI to generate their answers can lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.
It is really important to personalise your application to convey your individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively and for us to understand why you are applying for this role with GHC. We discourage over reliance on AI-generated applications as it will lessen your chances of success in securing an interview with us .
Job overview
Are you a forward thinking and passionate therapist looking for the opportunity to work in our Community Neurology Service (CNS) multidisciplinary team in Gloucestershire?
We are a team of health and care professional and leaders dedicated to the delivery and development of high-quality community services supporting people to live their best lives in their communities.
As a Highly Specialist Speech and Language therapist you will have the opportunity to independently manage a highly specialist and complex clinical caseload and provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment to adults in Gloucestershire with neurological disorders including stroke, which result in communication and/or swallowing difficulties. You will be an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, supporting the development of the pathway and acting as a resource to other medical, nursing, therapy and social services staff and voluntary agencies and as an interface link for speech and language therapy with acute colleagues.
We welcome applications for part time and flexible working and can offer the role as a job share if preferable.
Why join us? We offer a friendly and supportive working environment with a strong emphasis on CPD through access to specialist clinical support, team away days, sharing good practice and effective team working.
Main duties of the job
To act as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist within the Community Neurological Service (CNS), supporting the team to evolve and embed best practice in this new service.
To independently manage a highly specialist and complex clinical caseload.
To provide Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapy assessment, diagnosis and treatment to adults in Gloucestershire with acquired neurological or speech disorders resulting from neurological impairment including stroke, which result in communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
To be an integral member of the CNS multidisciplinary team in Gloucestershire, acting as a resource to other medical, nursing, therapy and social services staff and voluntary agencies and as an interface link for speech and language therapy with acute colleagues.
To ensure that evidence based practice is inherent in all aspects of care and treatment, in this clinical area and ensure this knowledge is disseminated throughout the Trust.
To undertake specific projects, and contribute to the strategic development of the CNS. The post holder has teaching and training responsibilities for the multidisciplinary team, junior staff, apprentices, students and rehabilitation assistants.
Working for our organisation
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.
Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:
* 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
* 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
* 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%
This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As a Highly Specialist Speech and Language therapist you will have the opportunity to independently manage a highly specialist and complex clinical caseload and provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment to adults in Gloucestershire with acquired neurological disorders including stroke, which result in communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
You will be an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, supporting the development of the pathway and acting as a resource to other medical, nursing, therapy and social services staff and voluntary agencies and as an interface link for speech and language therapy with acute colleagues.
It is a community based role, delivery care in people's homes and clinic environments across the county. There are frequent opportunities for touchpoints with CNS colleagues and SLT colleagues in the countywide SLT team, including CPD, supervision, away days and development workstream opportunities.
To take an active role in the Adult SLT professional community within GHC, forge positive relationships with peers, attend to receive and deliver CPD and have regular touchpoints with with other SLT professionals across Adult Community Service, Acute SLT and acute and community Stroke Services outside of the Community Neurology Service.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Degree in Speech and Language Therapy and registered with the RCSLT. Further theoretical training and experience to masters level equivalent
* Health Care Professions Council registration HCPC
* Completed dysphagia training course to at least intermediate level
* Appropriate range of post graduate clinical education relevant to the caseload
* counselling skills training
Length/Nature of Experience
* Extensive post graduate clinical experience
* Post graduate experience in management of communication/swallowing disorders relating to neurology
* Evidence of having worked unsupervised
* Experience of being a supervisor
* evidence of working with MDTs and across multi agency boundaries
* Experience of managing tracheostomy during swallowing assessments
* Experience of working with individuals with medium/high tech AAC
professional/managerial/specialist knowledge
* Demonstrate experience in the assessment, treatment and evaluation of swallowing and commmunication disorders of carious aetiologies, including those with complex presentations
* Able to deliver community rehabilitation and treatment of stroke patients with complex clinical presentations
* Able to demonstrate specialist knowledge in rehbailitation of patients with complex needs and multi pathologies, underpinned by current evidence based practice
* commitment to teaching at an undergraduate and post graduate level
* The Ability to demonstrate critical appraisal skills
* Can demonstrate a proven track record of audit and/or research
* Knowledge of a broad range of specialist formal and informal communication and swallowing assessment methods and their interpretation
* Awareness of national policies and procedures relevant to health care and this specialist SLT caseload
* Commitment to ongoing training, education and mentoring to develop clinical skills
* Experience of FEES/VFS interpretation
When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:
* Free car parking at many of our sites
* 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
* A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.
* A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.
* Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours
* Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities
* Recognition and long service awards
* Fast Track physiotherapy
* Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application.
For more information please see the attached 'Additional Information for Applicants' document.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Anna Kearney Job title Service Lead Community Neurology Service Email address anna.kearney@ghc.nhs.uk Telephone number 07811006717 Additional information
Natasha O'Neill
Deputy Head of Speech and Language Therapy
Telephone: 07977 070907 Email: natasha.oneill@ghc.nhs.uk
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