Senior Speech and Language Therapist

Position Summary:

The Speech and Language therapy department in Beaumont Hospital provides specialist services to a number of clinical areas within the hospital. At this time, there are a variety of senior SLT vacancies in different clinical specialisms. This competition will offer candidates an opportunity to apply to join the SLT team and work in one of a range of clinical areas.

Current clinical specialisms that hold vacancies include neurosurgery, ENT/oncology and care of the older person.

• Neurosurgery: Beaumont Hospital is the national centre for Neurosurgery and the senior SLT in Neurosurgery is a unique SLT role in Ireland. This therapist will work with patients who present with a range of conditions and have undergone neurosurgical intervention. The therapist will also lead on our awake craniotomy service.
• ENT/Oncology: The ENT/Oncology SLT service consists of a number of roles across radiation, medical and surgical oncology. This senior role is based in the ENT/surgical oncology part of the service, working with both in and outpatients.
• Care of the Older Person: The care of the older person SLT service consists of 5 senior therapists who work in a number of different settings - ED Frailty Intervention Therapy team (FITT), the acute specialist care of the older person wards, Day Hospital, Rehabilitation unit and Raheny community nursing unit. Some of these roles are currently vacant and these roles are based on both the main hospital site and on the St Joseph’s campus in Raheny. There is the opportunity for each senior SLT to work through all aspects of the care of the older person service through the means of long rotations.

Senior speech and language therapists work with people with both communication and swallowing difficulties in their assigned clinical area, across both inpatients and outpatient services. They have responsibility for the co-ordination and development of the service in that area alongside other SLT colleagues and the SLT manager. The successful candidates will be an integral part of a well-structured SLT team with excellent support and opportunities for CPD. The SLT team work across both the Beaumont hospital campus and the St Joseph’s hospital site in Raheny. All seniors SLT work closely with their SLT and MDT colleagues with excellent opportunities for learning and team working. For specific information in relation to the available roles, please contact the SLT manager to discuss – contact details are below.

Responsible to
The post holder will be responsible to the Speech and Language Therapist Manager, Beaumont Hospital.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Clinical & Professional Responsibilities

• To organise and in conjunction with other SLTs, provide a comprehensive service to the designated area of the service for people referred from relevant consultants and others.
• To work in a patient centered, evidence based manner in the provision of services
• Whenever possible to work in partnership with those referred to the service with regard to assessment and management of communication and swallowing difficulties related to their condition and where appropriate their family and significant others.
• To co-ordinate the identification of potential candidates for St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Unit, Day Hospital, National Rehabilitation hospital, Community Nursing unit and other rehabilitation centres or hospitals in collaboration with other team members.
• To collaborate and liaise with the other SLTs colleagues to ensure the delivery of a seamless and comprehensive service for patients admitted to Beaumont hospital and those being transferred across services.
• To collaborate and liaise with Primary care HSE SLTs and SLT colleagues in other hospital sites to ensure a comprehensive service for all patients referred to the service.
• To maintain close liaison with all relevant personnel with the objective of providing a quality SLT service that responds to the needs, priorities, concerns and safety of the individual in the designated clinical area.To work with SLT/Rehabilitation Assistants where appropriate and to provide support and supervision as required.
• To offer supervision, education and support to basic grade speech and language therapists as required and designated.
• To develop and maintain expertise in clinical skills and issues relating to communication and swallowing relevant to people who access the speech and language therapy service and to ensure that professional standards are maintained.
• To develop new initiatives and engage in new services which will be beneficial to patients as appropriate and agreed with the SLT manager
• To be involved in instrumental assessment, e.g. VFSS/FEES clinics, as appropriate.
• To develop and maintain specific skills required for working in the designated clinical area, e.g Tracheostomy management, awake craniotomy service, laryngectomy management etc.
• In conjunction with other SLTs, to provide a service to other patient groups as agreed with the SLT Manager.
• To maintain the code of conduct as identified by the speech and language therapy registration board at CORU.

Operational Responsibilities

• In conjunction with other Senior SLTs in the designated area, to be responsible for the day to day operational management of the speech and language therapy service to patients in that clinical area and across the SLT services assigned to the senior SLT.
• To be responsible for the supervision of SLT staff and/or assistant staff as assigned by the SLT Manager.
• In consultation with the SLT Manager, other senior SLTs and other relevant MDT colleagues and personnel, to participate and be involved in the planning and development of all services in the designated clinical area and to ensure that it meets the needs of patients.
• To be involved in Quality Improvement to include involvement in the planning of the overall service incorporating the setting and implementation of short and long term objectives.
• To liaise with statutory, voluntary and other external agencies as appropriate.
• To deputise for the SLT Manager where appropriate and in rotation with other senior SLTs within the department.

Operational Responsibilities

• In conjunction with other Senior SLTs in the designated area, to be responsible for the day to day operational management of the speech and language therapy service to patients in that clinical area and across the SLT services assigned to the senior SLT.
• To be responsible for the supervision of SLT staff and/or assistant staff as assigned by the SLT Manager.
• In consultation with the SLT Manager, other senior SLTs and other relevant MDT colleagues and personnel, to participate and be involved in the planning and development of all services in the designated clinical area and to ensure that it meets the needs of patients.
• To be involved in Quality Improvement to include involvement in the planning of the overall service incorporating the setting and implementation of short and long term objectives.
• To liaise with statutory, voluntary and other external agencies as appropriate.
• To deputise for the SLT Manager where appropriate and in rotation with other senior SLTs within the department.

Educational Responsibilities
• Where appropriate, to provide general support to other SLT’s in the department with regard to SLT management of older persons.
• To be involved in the practice education of SLT students in conjunction with the Senior SLT Practice Tutor and other SLTs within the department.
• To be actively involved in the education of all staff and other relevant people on ways to promote safe swallowing and on making interactions, documents and environments accessible for people with communication disability.
• To attend in-service training and journal club meetings as appropriate.
• To be involved in research projects as appropriate.
• To maintain continuous professional development.

Administrative and Other Responsibilities
• To maintain patient records within HSE, hospital and departmental standards.
• To co-operate with data collection systems and current administrative procedures.
• To attend staff and other relevant meetings.
• To participate in Personal Development Planning, Professional Supervision, Peer Review and Team Based Performance Management.
• To adhere to health & safety, hygiene, infections control and other hospital guidelines.
• To undertake other duties appropriate to the office as may be required by the Speech & Language Therapist Manager.

Selection Criteria: 

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.  Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Selection Criteria:
Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
(a) Candidates for appointment must:
(i) Be registered, or be eligible for registration, as a Speech & Language
Therapist by the Speech & Language Therapists Registration Board at
CORU.
AND
(ii) Have 3 years full time (or an aggregate of 3 years full time) post qualification
clinical experience.
AND
(jii) Candidates must have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high
standard of suitability and professional ability) for the proper discharge of
the duties of the office.
AND
(iv) Provide proof of Statutory Registration on the Speech & Language
Therapist Register maintained by the Speech & Language Therapists
Registration Board at CORU before a contract of employment can be
issued.

2. Annual registration
(i) On appointment, practitioners must maintain annual registration on the
Speech & Language Therapists Register maintained by the Speech &
Language Therapists Registration Board at CORU.
AND
(ii) Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way
of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would
indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character