Speech and language therapist - stroke services

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

• To work alongside other speech & language therapy colleagues providing support and professional exchange of ideas and experience.
• To attend appropriate meetings within stroke services & adult SLT team.
• To liaise with the lead stroke speech and language therapist and manager of stroke services
• To liaise with the area team lead clinician regarding day to day management of  with in stroke services
• To liaise with the appropriate acute speech & language therapists at the acute sites regarding day to day management of the acute caseload
• To contribute to specialist clinical teams by discussing own and others input around clients needs ensuring a well co-ordinated care plan

• To communicate complex condition related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multidisciplinary team/other professions

• To communicate condition related information to clients who have communication problems themselves requiring tact or persuasive skills
• To work closely with clients, carers and families, agreeing decision making relevant to the client management

• To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understand exist
• To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and carers to engage in the therapeutic process
• To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively and to process according to organisational policy
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties
• To employ excellent verbal and written communication skills
• To represent the speech & language therapy within stroke services.
• To be aware of, adhere to and implement service and team plans and policies including integrated/multi-agency working
• To provide specialist advice to other parties as appropriate
• To explain the role of speech & language therapy  in work settings

Internal

Patients, relatives and carers

Referrers

Medical and nursing colleagues

Discharge co-ordinator

AHP colleagues

SCART

Stroke services

Head and members of the adult speech and language therapy team

Speech and language therapy peers in Medway

External

Royal college of SLT and special interest groups

Colleagues in acute NHS trust and therapy teams

Colleagues in intermediate care teams and social care

AHP colleagues in referring/receiving hospitals

Equipment services: TCES, wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics.

2. Knowledge, training and experience

• Recognised speech & language therapy degree qualification or equivalent
• Registered members of royal college of speech & language therapist
• Health professions council – licence to practice
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses including acquired adult neurology and stroke
• Experience of wide range of clinical settings and communication difficulties

• Relevant experience in acquired neurological difficulties including stroke
• Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
• Negotiation and problem solving skills
• Demonstrates good analytical and reflection skills
• Well developed concentration skills
• Good organisational skills and prioritisation skills
• Experience of giving training and presentations
• Highly developed auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically
• Well established specialist knowledge of assessment tools and therapy management techniques underpinned by evidence based practice that are relevant to communication and swallowing problems in stroke
• Well established knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to adults and stroke (including vulnerable adults and mental capacity act)
• Understanding of the roles of other professionals
• Knowledge of standards of record keeping
• To have experience of working independently as well as part of a team
• To identify personal and professional development evidence by a personal development plan as part of the appraisal process
• To maintain professional standards by attending appropriate training including specialist short courses and development relating to the clinical specialism to maintain up to date HPC and RCSLT registration
• To demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to RCSLT professional clinical guidelines and standard as set out in communicating quality 3 and HPC
• To demonstrate a working knowledge of the principals of clinical governance/audit and their application to professional practice.
• To keep up to date with new techniques and developments for the promotion and maintenance of evidenced based practice in specialist clinical field

3. Analytical and judgement skills

• To analyse complex information regarding client care and compare a range of options for intervention
• To refer on to other specialist services as appropriate
• To make appropriate clinical decisions following specialist assessment, including recognising potential breakdown
• To make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence form specialist assessment
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor
• To identify training needs within the team
• To demonstrate that ability to reflect on and evaluate training provided

4. Planning and organisational skills

• To manage and priories own specialist caseload independently
• To manage and prioritise own workload
• To participate in the development and delivery of specialist training of other professional groups and carers

5. Physical skills

• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of the clients communication and to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate and enhance communicative effectiveness
• To use highly developed auditory discrimination skills and ability to transcribe speech phonetically
• To demonstrate precise physical skills in carrying out oral facial tract examinations, cervical auscultation and the use of augmentative and alternative communication devices where appropriate
• To work in an interdisciplinary way to provide comprehensive assessment of patients with a wide variety of presentations and conditions; using clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to formulate individualised treatment plans and programmes.

6. Responsibility for patient / client care

• To provide specialist differential diagnosis, clinical advice and care plans/therapy to clients with communication and/or swallowing problems in the specialist area of stroke implementing specialist programmes as a specialist member of the speech & language therapy and stroke services teams
• To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measurers
• To determine the clinical need for videofluoroscopy and/or FEES (fibre endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) assessment for clients and assist in the assessment and analysis to devise an appropriate management plan
• To be responsible for devising and delivering a specialist package of care (including the use of tracheal suctioning where appropriate) which is appropriate to the client group and the individual client circumstances based on best practice integrating psychosocial, physical, emotional, cultural, linguistic and environmental factors within an holistic patient centred approach
• To ensure that clients and carers are involved in the planning and implementation of their specialist care plans
• To advise and liaise with carers and other agencies regarding the management and care of the client with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties
• To monitor blood pressure in clients on the stroke services caseload
• To refer on to other specialist services if required

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• To participate in the development of local clinical guidelines informed by evidence of clinical specialism
• To use specialist knowledge to inform service/policy developments within own specialist area
• To contribute to interagency/multidisciplinary team building

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• To monitor and request equipment within each location
• To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loans to clients
• To ensure the safe use of any equipment by clients/carers

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

• To provide preceptorship for newly qualified speech & language therapists in adult team
• To liaise with and work alongside care staff, support staff, assistants and volunteers
• To direct and supervise the work of stroke rehabilitation assistants
• To provide specialist advice to other parties as appropriate
• To provide and supervise full placements for speech & language therapy students and prospective speech & language therapy students
• To participate in the organisational wide appraisal process
• To provide and supervise the adult speech & language therapy post graduate dysphagia training programme

10. Responsibilities for information resources

• To undertake general administrative and client related administrative tasks in line with stroke services operational policies
• To maintain client records in accordance with RCSLT professional standards and local organisational operational policies and quality standards
• To provide accurate statistical information as required
• To produce reports reflecting specialist knowledge regarding clients needs and devise care plans
• To share specialist and complex information with others observing data protection guidelines

Please see the JD attached for further information