Department: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals
Location: Altnagelvin Area Hospital
Hours: Permanent, Full-time (37.5 hpw)
Job summary
The post holder will provide specialist clinical assessment and treatment for a wide ranging complex caseload of adults with acquired disorders of communication and/or swallowing as a result of Head and Neck Cancer/Oncology diagnoses to achieve well-being outcomes using a collaborative framework.
The post-holder will also be provided with training (largely external to the Trust) to achieve competency to independently clinically manage a surgical voice restoration (SVR) caseload and be responsible for independent removal and insertion of voice prostheses in line with level of competence and own scope of practice (SVR). It is expected that this requirement will be fulfilled by the post-holder within 12 – 18 months.
The post-holder will contribute to the strategic planning, development and evaluation of the Head and Neck Cancer/Oncology Speech and Language Therapy Service for Adults across the Western Trust area to achieve well-being outcomes using a collaborative framework
Main responsibilities
The post holder will:
- Be responsible for the provision of a high quality Speech and Language Therapy service to a designated caseload including:
- Assessment of communication and/or swallowing difficulties
- Formulation of individual treatment plans and outcome measures
- Writing assessment reports
- Assessing and supporting clients with alternative and augmentative communication systems and liaising with regional Communication Advice Centre as appropriate
- Onward referrals to other professionals as required
- Attendance at case conferences/relevant meetings
- Liaise closely with patients/carers and provide specialist advice and support regarding client’s speech, language, communication, eating and drinking difficulties to ensure best outcomes
- Work collaboratively and liaise with other relevant Health and Social Care staff and all appropriate personnel working in non-statutory organisations
- Provides clinical supervision Band 5/6 SLTs, assistants and others working with post-holder
- Highlight areas of potential inefficiency to senior colleagues within the Department and propose solutions
- Be responsible for the care and maintenance of clinical equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to clients
- Provide support to more junior colleagues who are affected by change
- Contribute to response to complaints
- Contribute to HR processes for specialist area e.g. recruitment and selection
- Propose policy changes, impacting within and beyond own area
- Contribute to the development of organisational and professional body responses to emerging health policy at departmental level
- Build and maintain relationships and contributes to collaboration on projects relating to specialist caseload
- Take an active role in implementing change programmes in the clinical/workplace setting
- Interpret and compare a complex range of options for treatment of specialist caseload
- Contribute to interpretation of future impact of decisions for specialist clinical area
- Review the effectiveness of alternative treatment options and approaches for a specialist caseload/supervisees caseload
- Plan and advise on caseload management/ triage for specialism taking account of clinical/service priorities
- Contribute to the development of systems which help self and others manage their time and workload more effectively
- Highlight priorities to inform development of business plans for specialist area
- Deputise for Acute Lead Clinician
- Be flexible to demands of the clinical service and the needs of the whole service and provide clinical cover in the Trust as directed by Acute Lead Clinician/Team Lead.
- Provide expert opinion/second opinions to SLTs and those from other professions
For more details view the full job description in the Additional Information section below
