Band 7 Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

at  Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Are you an innovative Speech and Language Therapist, excited about a new way of working within the NHS? Or interested in Neurodevelopmental Conditions and looking for a new challenge?
Are you passionate about working with children?
Do you enjoy the prospect of working in a specialised environment?
Do you want the opportunity to be part of a friendly and supportive Multidisciplinary Team?
Do you want to work in a vibrant city with a range of multicultural communities and be part of an inclusive Trust which is keen to reduce health inequalities?
If you are looking for an exciting role, we want to meet you!
Come and join us to work within a fast developing, dynamic and pioneering Neurodevelopmental (ND) Team across the city of Birmingham, working alongside a range of professionals, including children’s therapy, clinical psychology and medical colleagues, education and local authority partners.
We are looking for highly motivated and committed therapist with skills in holistic, client-centred practice, for a post at Band 7.
The successful candidates will be offering, evaluating and developing, assessment and support of children with social communication difficulties and profound and multiple difficulties in a multi-disciplinary team. You will offer support to more junior team members and students. You will be trained to use a wide range of standardised assessments as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.
You will have strong clinical and caseload management skills and a passion for working with children with SEND, with a specific interest in the assessment and diagnosis of Autism. You will have proven experience of successfully working with a range of clients, their families, and others in order for the child to achieve meaningful outcomes. You will have excellent communication and team working skills. You will be willing to work in a full range of locations across the city of Birmingham, including child development centres, education settings and family homes, as well as undertaking some assessments virtually.
To make effective use of our mobile working technology and IT systems, you will also have good IT skills.
We offer a friendly and supportive working environment with a strong emphasis on Clinical Supervision and CPD to support your development. We have robust supervision arrangements through our team of Senior Therapists and AHP Leads.
Be Part of Our Team…
BCHC has more than 5000 staff working across Birmingham and the West Midlands in a wide range of community nursing and specialist healthcare roles. BCHC delivers over 100 clinical services, in people’s homes, health centres, clinics and inpatient facilities. We deliver a wide range of services for children, young people and families as well as adults and community services, two community hospitals, services for people with learning disabilities, the internationally recognised West Midlands Rehab Centre and one of Europe’s leading Dental Hospitals and School of Dentistry. We deliver all of this with a commitment to integrated, personalised care that is rooted in our local communities. We have an ambition to deliver outstanding, integrated care as one of the key NHS providers in the West Midlands.
If you want to ‘Be Part of Our Team’ and work with a Foundation Trust which is continuously striving for best care and healthy communities, we want to hear from you.
Carrying out specialist assessments in service area. Developing and implementing a range of programmes of care and treatment to meet the needs of the clients, families and their environments in accordance with agreed pathways and packages of care in specialist area
Negotiating with multi-disciplinary team colleagues and carers with reference to case management of complex cases including instigating appropriate referrals as appropriate
Using specialist knowledge to inform clinical judgments and decision making for highly complex cases including decisions to discharge
Undertaking differential diagnosis of cases and contribute to overall decision-making for complex clients with a range of disorders as part of a team approach
Identifying and planning appropriate intervention including delivering assessment and therapy in groups and one-to-one sessions, in accordance with the pathways & service agreed packages of care
Taking responsibility for the delegation of therapy programmes to assistants acting as a mentor and supervisor in line with the local delegation policy
Providing appropriate treatment based on best practice, adapted to client’s needs and priorities including advising other professionals and parent on the appropriate type and level of support needed to develop skills in the home / school environment.
The post holder will assess, provide and monitor the use of therapeutic equipment as required. This will involve liaising with other agencies, teaching parents or carers about health and safety issues surrounding the equipment to enable it’s safe use
To triage referrals as required, ensuring that they meet the service referral criteria
Using highly developed communication skills to explain complex and sensitive information from clinical assessment and therapy outcomes to clients, carers and multidisciplinary team members
Adapting own communication style and methods for individual circumstances as required based on cultural, social and linguistic differences
Offering training and second opinions in specialist area including communication and negotiation around complex case management.
Working closely with the Service Leads and Operational Managers to address clinical issues and process matters related to the specialist area and identify opportunities for service transformation and innovation.
Ensuring the clinical quality aspects of the service delivery in specialist area are maintained and taking early action to manage any clinical risk as appropriate.
Leading in audits and reviews of evidence to underpin current practice within the Service.
Contributing to the measurement of outcomes, evaluation and updating of packages of care used within the service in specialist clinical area
As requested, to use specialist knowledge together with analysis of relevant data in the clinical area in order to contribute in matters of service delivery in the specialist clinical area and provide evidence for clinical outcomes
As requested, collecting and collating statistical data in specialist area
Demonstrating understanding of the demands and the changing local and national context in which the service operates
Assisting or leading, as requested, on the management of complaints and incidents at local level
Contributing to discussions around setting the direction for the service including foreseeing risks and opportunities.
Linking in with regional & national colleagues via networks to benchmark best practice, build professional networks and bring practice back to the service to contribute to service planning within the specialist area.
Reviewing and interpreting research evidence relevant to specialist area and contributing to discussions on how to implement findings to the benefit of the service in line with service priorities
Liaising with other professional groups, organisations or voluntary bodies external to the Trust as required.
Practising reflective learning and identifying and accessing appropriate Continuous Professional Development to work in accordance with professional standards and the Health and Care Professions Council ‘Standards of Proficiency’
Working autonomously prioritising in own work area, balancing all service-user area and professional demands
Accessing the tools and support required to continue to develop the use of informatics and technology to deliver quality and cost-effective care
Participate in the development of clinical protocols for use within the Service.
To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development in the Service in line with the Trust’s strategic objectives.
To participate in the development and application of National Guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care in practice, contributing to protocol development through participation in national organisations.

Writing reports containing highly complex, confidential and sensitive information which may be used in a legal context
Completing timely, accurate written and electronic records of patient’s care, maintaining service standards and following departmental clinical record keeping guidelines including inputting activity into the IT system
Using IT skills to produce customised treatment plans and materials and effectively managing mobile devices to access client records, emails and other aspects of electronic communication
To participate in quality assurance, clinical audit and outcome measure studies conducted by the departmen