Principal Speech and Language Therapist

Job overview

Are you an experienced Speech and Language Therapist with specialist skills and knowledge working with Adult Learning Disabilities (ALD) and an interest in behaviour that challenges/Mental Health?  Are you interested in taking on a leadership role alongside a complex clinical caseload?

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join the highly respected Oxleas ALD Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) service as a Band 8a Principal. You will be providing clinical input to the Tri-Borough (Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich) Intensive Community Support Team, working with complex adults with LD who are at risk of placement breakdown and/or hospital admission. You will provide professional, clinical leadership to the B7 Highly Specialist SaLTs and other SaLT staff  based in the three Community Learning Disability Teams supporting a consistent and integrated approach to service delivery. You will be supported by a Consultant SaLT.

Main duties of the job

Overview of the Post

To take responsibility for own highly specialised, complex caseload.

To provide professional leadership, supervision, and mentoring to Speech and Language Therapists and Support Staff across the community learning disability teams/services

To act as a key contributor in the development of adult learning disability services

To provide advice and training to carers, non-specialists and other specialists/ professionals within clinical field and for other agencies as required.

To act as a key contributor to clinical audit and research within the service, taking responsibilities for such activities within specialist area.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own professional activities.

To be professionally responsible for the clinical activity of the Speech and Language Therapists working in community learning disability services under supervision structure.

To assess, develop and implement Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapy Treatment individually and to ensure high standards of Speech and Language therapy across community learning disability services.

To write reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge for multiple purposes including medical reports; reports for protection of vulnerable adults and other case conferences; specialist time bound reports and legal reports.

To provide appropriate highly specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes.

To provide highly specialist advice to others regarding the management and care of Adults who have learning disabilities and resultant physical and psychosocial problems: cognitive impairment, dysphagia and speech, language, communication difficulties and health inequalities

To demonstrate excellent negotiation skills across a range of issues.

To ensure that where appropriate, clients and their carers are involved in the planning and prioritisation of care plans wherever possible.

To develop clear care plans based on best practice and functional goals negotiated with the client and family/carers.

To provide functional programmes for adults who have learning disabilities appropriate to individual ability levels, goals, and the environment.

To provide education and training for adults who have learning disabilities and their carers in the implementation of activity/ functional programmes.

To provide advice and training to carers non-specialists and other specialists/ professionals within clinical field and for other agencies as required.

Management responsibilities

To deputise for the Team Operational Managers or Consultant Speech and Language Therapist as required

To provide specialist input/advice into the strategic development of own area of expertise.

To be responsible for the delivery of core and specialist training on a range of subjects relating to clinical specialism.

To be responsible for the induction, daily supervision and co-ordination of locum staff, junior staff, students, assistant practitioners, and assistants within own specialist area as required.

To provide expert Speech and Language Therapy advice and opinion across all Oxleas services and to more junior colleagues as required and appropriate.

To explain the role of Speech & Language Therapists working with adults who have a learning disabilities to visitors, students and volunteers and other members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To maintain a current CPD portfolio in line with RCSLT and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidelines for validation purposes.

To co-ordinate support of students from other professional groups as appropriate within section/ team.

To contribute to the Training Needs Analysis for the team and develop and take part in an in-service training programme for section/ team.

To co-ordinate the development of others within CPD team profile reflecting organisational and service priorities.

To practice within the Standing Financial Instructions of the Trust.

To lead in the development and expansion of services in conjunction with the Team Operational Managers and Consultant Speech and Language Therapist

To ensure supervision and PDRs for the whole team is carried out as per Trust policy.

To monitor key team statistics and KPIs relating to team activity and performance with view to continually improving standards in association with the Team manager.