Employer: Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Cheltenham General Hospital
Town: Cheltenham
Salary: £26,530 - £29,114 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 10/02/2025 23:59
Speech & Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner
Band 4
We love what we do and we think you will, too! At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county. We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you’. We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and we are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality teams in all areas of the Trust. Job Overview
We have an exciting role in our team for an enthusiastic and proactive Speech & Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner. You should have prior experience working as a therapy support worker/rehabilitation assistant, ideally in the clinical area of Stroke. The successful applicant will join our well-established Speech & Language Therapy team, working alongside experienced Speech & Language Therapists and the wider multidisciplinary team. You will be supported to develop relevant competencies and you will receive on-the-job training. We are looking for an individual who is motivated with their development, enthusiastic and flexible in their approach to work. The ability to work well with all members of the multidisciplinary team is essential. You will need to have excellent communication, listening and IT skills, be able to work as part of a team and be able to motivate patients. Main Duties of the Job
You will have the opportunity to work with patients throughout the acute Stroke pathway, working across both the hyper-acute unit and the acute stroke unit which are both based at Cheltenham General Hospital. This role involves working directly with patients with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. This may involve admin tasks, carrying out communication screens and therapy programmes directed by qualified therapists, making resources e.g. communication books or utilising technology to enable patients to communicate by alternative means and liaising with multi-disciplinary colleagues. Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities
To assess patients, identifying areas of impairment, potential complications and contraindications and referring back for assessment by a registered practitioner when necessary. To provide appropriate follow-up treatment within a delegated framework of responsibilities, reporting back to registered staff and referring on to other agencies when necessary. To use clinical reasoning skills to agree functional goals and develop and evaluate the treatment plan. To implement and progress treatment programmes in order to promote optimal communication and swallowing abilities. To exercise autonomy in the management of the caseload in the clinical area. To undertake specific unaccompanied work and organise own caseload. To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers. This may include education, motivation, persuasion, and empowerment. This will include patients/carers who may or may not have barriers to communication through cognitive or physical impairment e.g. hearing or visual impairment, confusion and depression. To use own clinical and non-clinical observation skills and accurately record these observations to support therapy packages. To participate in own continuing professional development (CPD), including supervision, appraisal and training to ensure competency, service quality and meet the clinical governance agenda and organisational goals. To undertake administrative tasks to support the Therapy team and ensure the ongoing care and rehabilitation of the patient. To include making accurate entries in the Speech & Language Therapy and electronic medical records. To contribute to measuring the treatment outcomes and audit activity related to the service. To contribute to the development of the service, and representing the Therapy service at internal and external meetings when delegated. Person Specification
Qualifications
GCSE level C or equivalent for literacy and numeracy NVQ level 3/City & Guilds in Health & Social care or equivalent experience in healthcare setting Length and/or Nature of Experience
Experience as a therapy support worker/rehabilitation assistant in the clinical area of Stroke Significant experience of using advanced interpersonal and communication skills with patients and carers Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team within an NHS environment High level of computer literacy e.g. ability to create communication books on Microsoft Publisher/ability to quickly learn new clinical systems Experience of working as a Speech & Language Therapy assistant with adults Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge
Knowledge about the Speech & Language Therapy profession Awareness of strategies which support speech, language and communication difficulties To be able to perform therapeutic mouth care on nil by mouth patients Personal Skills, Abilities and Attributes
Ability to recognise and to work within appropriate boundaries of policies, professional standards and requirements e.g. working with dysphagia Demonstrate an ability to act on own initiative when working independently in challenging environments To produce accurate documentation of treatments To be able to use verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients and relatives where there will often be barriers to effective communication. To be approachable and be able to work flexibly in response to the changing demands of the service To be able to deal sensitively with patient and/or relatives who have high levels of anxiety/aggression associated with dementia, cognitive or communication difficulties Work and maintain judgment under pressure whilst effectively managing time. Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning, with self-awareness of own knowledge and learning needs, and ability to seek support appropriately. To be able to communicate effectively with SLT and MDT colleagues regarding patient progress To be able to accurately and appropriately relay information from other members of the MDT to Speech and Language Therapy colleagues To develop negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations To be able to deliver an assessment or therapy session for patients with non-complex communication difficulties, adapting as appropriate depending on patient response When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer: Free car parking at many of our sites 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification. A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners. Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities Recognition and long service awards Fast Track physiotherapy Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application. For more information please see the attached
'Additional Information for Applicants' document. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Name: Rachael Smith Job title: Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist Email address: [emailprotected] Telephone number: 03004224120 Additional information: Helen Spear Head of Service for Physical Health Speech and Language Therapy 07929385487/07738336903 Email:
[emailprotected]
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Band 4
We love what we do and we think you will, too! At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county. We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care. We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you’. We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and we are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality teams in all areas of the Trust. Job Overview
We have an exciting role in our team for an enthusiastic and proactive Speech & Language Therapy Assistant Practitioner. You should have prior experience working as a therapy support worker/rehabilitation assistant, ideally in the clinical area of Stroke. The successful applicant will join our well-established Speech & Language Therapy team, working alongside experienced Speech & Language Therapists and the wider multidisciplinary team. You will be supported to develop relevant competencies and you will receive on-the-job training. We are looking for an individual who is motivated with their development, enthusiastic and flexible in their approach to work. The ability to work well with all members of the multidisciplinary team is essential. You will need to have excellent communication, listening and IT skills, be able to work as part of a team and be able to motivate patients. Main Duties of the Job
You will have the opportunity to work with patients throughout the acute Stroke pathway, working across both the hyper-acute unit and the acute stroke unit which are both based at Cheltenham General Hospital. This role involves working directly with patients with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. This may involve admin tasks, carrying out communication screens and therapy programmes directed by qualified therapists, making resources e.g. communication books or utilising technology to enable patients to communicate by alternative means and liaising with multi-disciplinary colleagues. Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities
To assess patients, identifying areas of impairment, potential complications and contraindications and referring back for assessment by a registered practitioner when necessary. To provide appropriate follow-up treatment within a delegated framework of responsibilities, reporting back to registered staff and referring on to other agencies when necessary. To use clinical reasoning skills to agree functional goals and develop and evaluate the treatment plan. To implement and progress treatment programmes in order to promote optimal communication and swallowing abilities. To exercise autonomy in the management of the caseload in the clinical area. To undertake specific unaccompanied work and organise own caseload. To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers. This may include education, motivation, persuasion, and empowerment. This will include patients/carers who may or may not have barriers to communication through cognitive or physical impairment e.g. hearing or visual impairment, confusion and depression. To use own clinical and non-clinical observation skills and accurately record these observations to support therapy packages. To participate in own continuing professional development (CPD), including supervision, appraisal and training to ensure competency, service quality and meet the clinical governance agenda and organisational goals. To undertake administrative tasks to support the Therapy team and ensure the ongoing care and rehabilitation of the patient. To include making accurate entries in the Speech & Language Therapy and electronic medical records. To contribute to measuring the treatment outcomes and audit activity related to the service. To contribute to the development of the service, and representing the Therapy service at internal and external meetings when delegated. Person Specification
Qualifications
GCSE level C or equivalent for literacy and numeracy NVQ level 3/City & Guilds in Health & Social care or equivalent experience in healthcare setting Length and/or Nature of Experience
Experience as a therapy support worker/rehabilitation assistant in the clinical area of Stroke Significant experience of using advanced interpersonal and communication skills with patients and carers Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team within an NHS environment High level of computer literacy e.g. ability to create communication books on Microsoft Publisher/ability to quickly learn new clinical systems Experience of working as a Speech & Language Therapy assistant with adults Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge
Knowledge about the Speech & Language Therapy profession Awareness of strategies which support speech, language and communication difficulties To be able to perform therapeutic mouth care on nil by mouth patients Personal Skills, Abilities and Attributes
Ability to recognise and to work within appropriate boundaries of policies, professional standards and requirements e.g. working with dysphagia Demonstrate an ability to act on own initiative when working independently in challenging environments To produce accurate documentation of treatments To be able to use verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients and relatives where there will often be barriers to effective communication. To be approachable and be able to work flexibly in response to the changing demands of the service To be able to deal sensitively with patient and/or relatives who have high levels of anxiety/aggression associated with dementia, cognitive or communication difficulties Work and maintain judgment under pressure whilst effectively managing time. Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning, with self-awareness of own knowledge and learning needs, and ability to seek support appropriately. To be able to communicate effectively with SLT and MDT colleagues regarding patient progress To be able to accurately and appropriately relay information from other members of the MDT to Speech and Language Therapy colleagues To develop negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations To be able to deliver an assessment or therapy session for patients with non-complex communication difficulties, adapting as appropriate depending on patient response When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer: Free car parking at many of our sites 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification. A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners. Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities Recognition and long service awards Fast Track physiotherapy Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application. For more information please see the attached
'Additional Information for Applicants' document. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Name: Rachael Smith Job title: Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist Email address: [emailprotected] Telephone number: 03004224120 Additional information: Helen Spear Head of Service for Physical Health Speech and Language Therapy 07929385487/07738336903 Email:
[emailprotected]
#J-18808-Ljbffr
