Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Speech and Language Therapist with specialist skills in managing adults with acquired disorders of swallowing and communication secondary to Head and Neck Cancer and its treatment.
You will be based in the community, as a core member of the Southeast London Community Head and Neck Cancer Team (CHANT). You will work closely with the CHANT multidisciplinary team members, providing highly specialist care, closer to home.
You will have significant postgraduate specialist experience of managing patients with complex swallowing and communication disorders associated with a diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer. You will be able to demonstrate competence in independently managing patients with a tracheostomy and surgical voice restoration. You will have a high level of competence in undertaking videofluoroscopy and knowledge and experience of interpreting and reporting FEES. You will also have a proven track record of working as an autonomous specialist SLT within a multidisciplinary team. As part of this role you will be required to supervise SLTs.
The service is able to offer you excellent supervision and peer support, with a strong emphasis on team working. We have regular team meetings, plus opportunities for CPD.
Main duties of the job
Please see attached Job Description for full details.
- To provide highly specialist Speech & Language Therapy input to a multidisciplinary client focussed rehabilitation service based in the Community for adults with Head & Neck Cancer.
- To integrate and closely liaise with the Acute Head & Neck multidisciplinary team based at the Cancer Centre (GSTFT) in order to deliver a seamless rehabilitative service to this population.
- To undertake advanced diagnosis, assessment and treatment of patients with a range of communication and swallowing disorders arising from Head & Neck Cancer and the treatment thereof.
- To both participate in and proactively facilitate the development of this innovative multidisciplinary team at all stages along the patient pathway.
About us
The Adult Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Department at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital consists of 26.2 WTE SLTs and 1.4 WTE SLT Assistants. We have considerable expertise within the team with members representing the profession on a number of regional and national groups as well as contributing to both local and national guidance and research.
The service is able to offer you excellent supervision and peer support, with an emphasis on team working. Quality improvement projects and research ideas are strongly encouraged, both within SLT and in the multi-professional teams. We have regular team meetings, plus opportunities for continuing professional development through in-house training, clinical excellence networks and external courses.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Clinical
- To provide highly specialist autonomous clinical management of patients with Head & Neck Cancer referred to the Community Team.
- To demonstrate an advanced level of clinical decision making to assess, make a clinical diagnosis, develop, implement and evaluate specialised treatment programmes.
- As an autonomous member of the Head & Neck Community Team to participate in team decision making regarding organisation and prioritisation of the clinical caseload and work within the multidisciplinary team framework to provide co-ordinated multi-disciplinary care for the benefit of all patients.
- To refer for / initiate appropriate investigations e.g. Videofluoroscopy / nasendoscopy / FEES and participate in the evaluation of / evaluate these assessments in order to make recommendations for further interventions.
- To be an expert resource for other SLTs/other professional staff involved in the patients care with particular reference to the management of Head & Neck Cancer patients.
- To demonstrate an awareness of religious, cultural and socioeconomic issues, working effectively in all settings e.g. clients own home, residential and nursing homes, including settings which are difficult or challenging.
- To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and measurement of outcome.
Professional / Managerial
- To assist the Lead clinician (Head & Neck Community Team) in responding to and initiating service developments including the development and implementation of guidelines and protocols, which may impact on the wider Community Service delivery.
- To be responsible for providing day to day clinical/professional supervision of any junior SLT staff and SLT students. To carry out appraisals for delegated team members as appropriate in line with Trust Policy and keep the Lead clinician informed of any issues relevant to their clinical development/training needs.
- To participate in regular 1:1 meetings with the Lead Clinician/Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist at the Centre as appropriate.
Education & Training
- To keep up-to-date with current theory and evidence based practice in the field of complex communication disorders and dysphagia in the Head & Neck Cancer population.
- To participate in the regular Videofluoroscopy and FEES in-service meeting with the GSTFT SLT team.
- To offer regular placements and clinical training to Speech and Language Therapy students.
Research/Audit
- To develop / take the lead in as appropriate, multidisciplinary audits including data collection, analysis and development of action plans as part of the Community Team/Multidisciplinary Head & Neck Teams annual audit programme/initiatives.
- To participate as an Advanced Specialist Speech & Language Therapy resource in appropriate Head & Neck Multidisciplinary research activity.
- To undertake such other duties as shall be indicated by the Lead clinician (Head & Neck Community Team) and Clinical Lead SLT (GSTFT) to meet the exigencies of the service and/or needs of the patients.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree leading to license to practice as an SLT
- Masters or equivalent level of post-graduate specialist training short courses, specific training and membership of relevant National CEN
- Advanced videofluoroscopy training
- Head and Neck Oncology specific dysphagia training
- Attended basic/intermediate SVR courses
Desirable
- Advanced SVR Training
Experience
Essential
- Significant specialist experience working with adults with acquired dysphagia / communication impairment including those with tracheostomies and following Head & Neck surgery
- Demonstrable experience of working with a caseload of laryngectomy patients
- Support and supervision of junior SLT staff.
- Informal/formal training of other professionals
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of advanced independent management of patients with SVR
- Able to demonstrate ability to carry out and evaluate videofluoroscopy with a Head and Neck Oncology caseload.
- Knowledge/ experience of instrumental assessment of swallowing using FEES
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Waldron Health Centre
Amersham Vale
London
SE14 6LD
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)
This listing was aggregated from publicly-available sources. The employer holds an A-rated sponsor licence at the time of this listing, but sponsorship of this specific role is not guaranteed — the employer's offer and UK Visas and Immigration are the final authority. Details may have changed since our last update — verify with the employer via the Apply link.