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Speech & Language Therapist development post
The closing date is 15 August 2025
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and innovative Speech & Language Therapist (SLT) to work within the Essex Learning Disability Partnership in North Essex offering SLT assessment and intervention for service users with a learning disability, mental health issues and complex needs.
You will be forward thinking and able to demonstrate clinical knowledge in the area of adult learning disabilities based on current evidence. You will autonomously undertake specialist assessments and interventions with individuals with both communication difficulties and/or dysphagia.
You will receive regular clinical supervision and support from the Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and peers. You will be actively encouraged to participate in continuing professional development activities.
The post holder will be line managed within the Essex Learning Disability Partnership Team and will be professionally accountable to the Highly Specialist SLT in Learning Disabilities.
All staff should comply with the Trust's Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity
The post holder will be able to progress from Band 5 to band 6 once they demonstrate that they meet the competencies specified for Band 6 level.
Main duties of the job
To manage a diverse caseload, using evidence-based, person-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions
To provide this service-to-service users with communication and/or dysphagia difficulties
To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Job responsibilities
To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users within the ELDP, including those with profound learning disabilities, additional sensory and/or physical disability, mental health diagnosis and/or challenging behaviour.
To be responsible for managing a defined caseload
To select and apply SLT assessments for a designated caseload, addressing communication needs.
To assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans for service users presenting with communication difficulties and/or dysphagia.
To work with service users and carers to identify SLT requirements as part of the overall care plan
To plan and implement individual interventions, in collaboration with the service user and carer
To monitor, evaluate and modify interventions with service users to ensure effectiveness of intervention and positive outcomes
To be responsible for reviewing and discharging service users, writing assessment reports for a variety of audiences.
To instruct and advise Assistant Therapy Practitioners (ATP) in the appropriate provision of interventions
To have knowledge and understanding of the application of alternative and augmentative communication
To be an autonomous practitioner
To have the skills needed to facilitate group work
To undertake risk assessments and manage clinical and organisational riskTo autonomously manage a more complex caseload including service users with dysphagia.
To work with and be available to other SLTs and ATPs for support and joint consultation as required
To contribute towards development of communication and dysphagia pathways within the service.
To review and reflect on you own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal
To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and reliable attendance
To co-ordinate day-to-day activities of junior staff where applicable
To participate in the induction, training and education of students and other staff as appropriate
To participate in supervision of Band 4 or 5 staff as appropriate
To apply knowledge and skills to make decisions in the absence of senior staff
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
* Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
* Registration with HCPC
* Member of the RCSLT
* Evidence of continuing professional development
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
* Specialist knowledge and application of speech and language therapy assessments and interventions
* Detailed knowledge of evidence-based practice and its contribution to practice governance
* Planning and coordination of treatment packages
* Experience of working within a learning disability setting
* Experience of managing a caseload (either both dysphagia and/or communication) caseload
SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY
* Clear and effective communication through written, verbal and non-verbal modes
* Broad knowledge of current best practice in SLT, learning disabilities and mental health
* Understanding of team dynamics
PHYSICAL SKILLS
* Basic word processing skills
* Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
£31,049 to £46,580 a yearper annum pro rata
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