Job summary
Creative, Innovative and Breaking the Stigma
We have an opportunity for a Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to work in the ELFT Rough Sleepers Mental Health Project (RAMHP) in the London Borough of Hackney. This is a pilot project which we hope will eventually become a full time permanent post.
The team works with the street outreach service to support people who sleep rough, often with unrecognised speech, language and communication needs and help them get the right mental health care. We work together with other agencies to support service users in challenging circumstances.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support rough sleepers and people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness with complex needs and behaviours that may be challenging to others by formally and informally assessing people with difficulties with comprehension/expression and providing recommendations.
To reduce feelings of frustration caused by a breakdown of communication the post holder will provide effective communication strategies for the person and the multi-agencies working with the person, to reduce or stop the challenging behaviour occurring and improving the persons quality of life.
This role requires an understanding of the health needs of rough sleepers and the challenges homeless people face in health and social care settings.
The Practitioner will be an active member of the multidisciplinary team.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people’s lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please kindly refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy.
For an informal discussion about this opportunity, or to arrange a visit please contact Hilary Neal, Operational Lead, hilary.neal@nhs.net
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please kindly refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy.
For an informal discussion about this opportunity, or to arrange a visit please contact Hilary Neal, Operational Lead, hilary.neal@nhs.net
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Degree or PG Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies from RCSLT approved training establishment
- Current HCPC Registration and licence to practice
- Membership of RCSLT
- Relevant post-registration training/education, preferably to Masters level
- Training in student supervision
Experience
Essential
- Clinical experience of working with people with complex needs
- Experience of working as a Speech and Language Therapist at Band 6 and/or Band 7 or equivalent level
- Evidence of experience of assessment and intervention with adults or children and young people with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Experience of using electronic recording systems and workflows to document interventions and extract data
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary community-based service
- Experience of research and audit
- Implementation of national initiatives, including health promotion, and legislation relating to developmental disorders, learning disabilities/ Health and Social Care
- Experience of supervising and performance managing qualified staff including appraisals and supervising students on placement
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multi-cultural, inner city setting with an understanding of the special needs of service users for whom English is not a first language.
- Evidence of ability to manage, review & develop individual and team performance and lead on specific projects
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Good clinical skills/specialist knowledge across a wide range of dysphagia and communication difficulties
- Demonstrate excellent communication and interactive skills with clients/carers, colleagues, management, staff in other organisations and able to communicate in emotive atmosphere using a high degree of tact, empathy and persuasion.
- To have highly developed communication skills including advanced knowledge of augmentative communication systems (signing and symbol use)
- Evidence of clinical knowledge, application and analysis of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools and approaches to assessment appropriate for use with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Evidence of knowledge of current legislation and government policy and how it affects the provision of services to adults with learning disabilities
- Evidence of knowledge of current models of treatment, care and approaches appropriate for working with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and mental health problems
- Understanding of Equal Opportunities and how this affects staff and service users
- Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of Speech and Language Therapy process relating to client centred practice
- Ability to work without direct supervision, setting own priorities, working to deadlines and under pressure
- Ability to identify and assess risks to clients and others and to act appropriately and quickly
- Demonstrate clinical leadership & excellent team building skills
- Demonstrate organisational and management skills
- Ability to apply Clinical Governance principles to practice
- Ability to use/learn to use a range of computer software to prepare reports and for correspondence eg. Word, Excel, Visio
- Demonstrate the ability to be innovative when problem-solving issues with clients and within service development
- Ability to document information clearly and concisely
- Ability to adapt communication style in order to establish a client’s ability to give consent & to implement effective interventions
- Ability to deliver complex and sensitive information to a vulnerable client group
- Ability to manage conflict effectively
- Ability to use a range of communication strategies, including interpreters, when working with clients and their families/carers
- Skills in delivering presentations and training including basic adaptations to presentation/training style for a range of audiences.
- Evidence of use of initiative and ability to maintain judgement under pressure
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Degree or PG Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies from RCSLT approved training establishment
- Current HCPC Registration and licence to practice
- Membership of RCSLT
- Relevant post-registration training/education, preferably to Masters level
- Training in student supervision
Experience
Essential
- Clinical experience of working with people with complex needs
- Experience of working as a Speech and Language Therapist at Band 6 and/or Band 7 or equivalent level
- Evidence of experience of assessment and intervention with adults or children and young people with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Experience of using electronic recording systems and workflows to document interventions and extract data
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary community-based service
- Experience of research and audit
- Implementation of national initiatives, including health promotion, and legislation relating to developmental disorders, learning disabilities/ Health and Social Care
- Experience of supervising and performance managing qualified staff including appraisals and supervising students on placement
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multi-cultural, inner city setting with an understanding of the special needs of service users for whom English is not a first language.
- Evidence of ability to manage, review & develop individual and team performance and lead on specific projects
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Good clinical skills/specialist knowledge across a wide range of dysphagia and communication difficulties
- Demonstrate excellent communication and interactive skills with clients/carers, colleagues, management, staff in other organisations and able to communicate in emotive atmosphere using a high degree of tact, empathy and persuasion.
- To have highly developed communication skills including advanced knowledge of augmentative communication systems (signing and symbol use)
- Evidence of clinical knowledge, application and analysis of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools and approaches to assessment appropriate for use with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Evidence of knowledge of current legislation and government policy and how it affects the provision of services to adults with learning disabilities
- Evidence of knowledge of current models of treatment, care and approaches appropriate for working with adults with learning disabilities, including associated physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and mental health problems
- Understanding of Equal Opportunities and how this affects staff and service users
- Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of Speech and Language Therapy process relating to client centred practice
- Ability to work without direct supervision, setting own priorities, working to deadlines and under pressure
- Ability to identify and assess risks to clients and others and to act appropriately and quickly
- Demonstrate clinical leadership & excellent team building skills
- Demonstrate organisational and management skills
- Ability to apply Clinical Governance principles to practice
- Ability to use/learn to use a range of computer software to prepare reports and for correspondence eg. Word, Excel, Visio
- Demonstrate the ability to be innovative when problem-solving issues with clients and within service development
- Ability to document information clearly and concisely
- Ability to adapt communication style in order to establish a client’s ability to give consent & to implement effective interventions
- Ability to deliver complex and sensitive information to a vulnerable client group
- Ability to manage conflict effectively
- Ability to use a range of communication strategies, including interpreters, when working with clients and their families/carers
- Skills in delivering presentations and training including basic adaptations to presentation/training style for a range of audiences.
- Evidence of use of initiative and ability to maintain judgement under pressure
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.
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) .
Additional information
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.
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) .
