Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a Speech & Language Therapist to join our highly skilled and well-established Head and Neck Oncology / ENT service. You will have experience of working as an SLT with Head and Neck Oncology and Voice preferably in an acute setting. This post is based at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital (Surgical Cancer Centre) but the post holder may be required to work cross-site at Bedford Hospital as part of our Outreach Head and Neck Cancer Service.

The post holder will be an experienced SLT with specialist skills in Head and Neck Cancer, Laryngectomy / Surgical Voice Restoration and ENT disorders. You will independently manage and have day to day responsibility for a caseload of adults in acute and outpatient settings.

This role is part funded (15 hours) by the cancer alliance for 24 months. The successful candidate will support the service to create a business case to secure permanent funding. You will join a highly supportive and innovative Speech and Language Therapy Team comprising 14 SLTs providing services to Head and Neck / ENT, Maxillofacial Surgery, Acute inpatients, Stroke, ESD and Luton Community. The department offers an excellent supervision program with a well-established CPD and support network and we encourage and support audit, project work and / or research.

The Luton & Dunstable Hospital is the Cancer Centre for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, comprising a fully comprehensive multidisciplinary team, which you would be part of.

Main duties of the job

Use highly specialist clinical skills to manage a specialist caseload of adults with communication and / or swallowing disorders as a result of Head and Neck Cancer and benign ENT disorders / voice. Identify, assess and diagnose communication / swallowing impairments and select appropriate patients and type of therapy for effective treatment.

Provide specialist advice to colleagues in specialty area, giving service wide second and expert opinions as required.

Independently take students on placement for clinical teaching and supervision, including exam placement.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To assess patients communication and swallowing, develop and implement specialist speech and language therapy treatment, and discharge as appropriate. To make a differential diagnosis on the basis of evidence from assessment and design appropriate treatment based on analysis of profile of need.

To develop clear care plans based on best / evidence based practice.

To use clinical skills to generate written reports reflecting specialist knowledge.

To provide appropriate specialist intervention and evaluate outcomes.

To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of patients / clients with communication and / or feeding and swallowing difficulties.

To provide specialist advice in relation to relevant care group.

To monitor and evaluate own highly specialist service delivery.

To employ counselling skills with patients and carers with highly complex needs.

To analyse and interpret complex information relating to patients and to service provision in order to plan patient care and service development and to devise care protocols for specific clinical issues.

To use skills and knowledge to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management for complex clinical issues.

To plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical.

To demonstrate an advanced level of clinical expertise with extended scope of practice including laryngeal endoscopy / stroboscopy and maintain expert clinical knowledge in the field of Head & Neck cancer, SVR and ENT disorders.

To size, fit and change voice prosthesis in accordance with clinical guidelines and protocols as well as problem solve, demonstrating highly specialist skills in managing complex SVR situations.

To understand and support patients and carers through quality of life decisions regarding eating and drinking risks, particularly in regard to patients on a palliative pathway

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy degree or equivalent. Health and Care Professions Council Registration.
• Post-graduate dysphagia accreditation or equivalent.
• Relevant post registration training in Head and Neck Oncology / ENT, including laryngectomy,tracheostomy and FEES.

Desirable

Communication Skills

Essential

Desirable

Experience

Essential

Desirable

Knowledge

Essential

Desirable

Skills

Essential

Desirable