JOB DSCRIPTION Joint Team Leader/Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist Inpatients and Feeding Services (Post 1 and Post 2) GOSH profile Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) is a national centre of excellence in the provision of specialist children's health care, currently delivering the widest range of specialist care of any children's hospital in the UK. It is the only specialist Biomedical Research Centre for paediatrics, the largest centre in the UK for children with heart or brain problems, and the largest centre in urope for children with cancer. It works in partnership with the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH), part of University College London, and together they form the largest paediatric research and teaching centre in the UK. The hospital at Great Ormond Street is the only exclusively specialist children's hospital in the UK. It does not have an Accident and mergency department and only accepts specialist referrals from other hospitals and community services. The population of children served by the hospital is characterised by those with multiple disabilities and/or health problems and rare and congenital (present at birth) conditions. Many children need the help of different specialist teams. Improvements in health care and diagnosis mean that many children have dramatically improved survival rates and more therapeutic options than was the case 10 years ago. Sadly though, many of the children cared for at GOSH still have life threatening or life-limiting conditions. The hospital receives over 255,000 patient visits (inpatient admissions or outpatient appointments) a year, and carries our approximately 18,800 operations each year. The hospital has 383 patient beds, including 44 intensive care beds (21 CICU, 15 PICU and 8 NICU). Many of the children and young people on our wards require high dependency care or are classed as ward intensive care, requiring one-to-one nursing. Around 4,100 full-time and part-time staff work at the hospital. The ICH has around 600 staff. Many senior staff have roles in both organisations. The hospital has approximately 50 paediatric specialties, the widest range of any hospital in the UK, which uniquely enables it to diagnose and pioneer treatments for children with highly complex, rare or multiple conditions. It has 19 highly specialised national services.
Job title Joint Team Leader/Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist Inpatients and Feeding Services (Post 1 and Post 2) Band 8b Division Responsible to Accountable to Type of contract Hours per week Location Budgetary responsibility Manages JM Barrie Head of Speech and Language Therapy Head of Speech and Language Therapy Fixed Term 12 months 22.5 x 2 posts GOSH No Speech and Language Therapists and SLT Assistant Trust Values and xpected Behaviours Over 2,000 of our staff, patients and parents have developed a set of Values Our Always Values. These are the values that should characterise all that we do and our behaviours with our patients and families and each other. Our Always Values are that we are: Always Welcoming Always Helpful Always xpert Always One Team These values are extremely important to us and we expect everyone who works at GOSH in any capacity, including employees, bank staff, contractors, agency staff, people who hold honorary contracts, students and volunteers to share and uphold Our Always Values. ach value is underpinned by behavioural standards and employees will be expected to display these behaviours at all times. You can find a full copy of Our Always Values on our intranet. The Trust also expects that everyone who works here shall act in such a manner as to justify public trust and confidence and to uphold and enhance the good standing and reputation of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust. Individuals must therefore at all times carry out their duties with due regard to the Trust s quality at Work Policy.
Scope of the role As joint team leader for the Trust-wide Speech and Language Therapy Inpatient and Feeding Services, the post-holder is responsible for the provision of a hospital-wide clinical service to the highest level of expertise in the assessment, diagnosis and management of infants and children with dysphagia and/or communication disorders related to a wide range of complex medical conditions within a tertiary setting. The post-holder works collaboratively with their joint partner SLT post to advise the SLT HOS with regard to the operational and strategic requirements for the inpatient and feeding service, across the 25+ clinical inpatient and feeding specialities covered by SLT. Leadership responsibility for the specific speciality areas is apportioned across the two partner posts. The post-holder will provide service outcome data to inform decision making and lead on specific service improvement projects e.g. investigating the need for 6/7 day clinical cover. They will liaise as required, with the Clinical Consultants and Heads of Clinical Services across the 2 Trust Divisions and within nominated clinical specialities e.g. NT, Cardiorespiratory, Neurology, Neurosurgery and International and Private Patients, in order to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. The post holder acts as expert advisor to speech-language therapists and other professionals on speech and language therapy matters related to the clinical specialty and is responsible for ensuring efficient and responsive service delivery advising the Head of Speech and Language Therapy with regard to operational and strategic need. The post holder will act as a clinical expert in paediatric feeding and provide a tertiary additional opinion service. The post-holder is jointly responsible for the line management of the specialist speech and language therapists working within the inpatient and feeding team including direct line management, recruitment and staff appraisal. The post holder is responsible for the provision of high quality teaching and training to professional staff and for developing and implementing service evaluation, clinical audit and service development and for identifying and supporting funded research initiatives within the service area for which they take responsibility. Together with the other Team Leaders and HOS they will ensure that service priorities and strategy are met as a whole service. Key working relationships Internal: Consultants and Heads of Clinical Services across the Trust s divisional structure SLT Team Leaders for other areas of the SLT service Inpatient and Feeding SLT team Inpatient and Feeding Services MDT xternal: SLTs working in other paediatric tertiary centres Community and other hospital based SLTs RCSLT Clinical xcellence Groups National Specialist Organisations as appropriate to the Role.
Main duties and responsibilities CLINICAL To manage and delegate the caseload within the specialist clinical area ensuring appropriate proportional distribution of work. To take the (joint) lead for the planning, delivery and development of high quality, best practice speech and language service to infants and children who present with complex feeding and/or communication disorders during their inpatient admission. To take the (joint) clinical lead for providing and developing inpatient services and to provide expert advice in assessment, complex differential diagnosis, intervention approaches, management recommendations and outcomes for children with complex dysphagia including children with rare and unusual aetiologies, degenerative and life-threatening conditions across inpatients and outpatients. To provide expert advice and convey complex information to a wide range of personnel, including the family and many different multi-disciplinary teams (e.g. Neurosurgery, Neurology, Respiratory, NT, Metabolic), and other disciplines within the Trust e.g. Dietetics, Clinical Nurse Specialists) and other community staff, particularly local speech and language therapy services, with regard to reducing risk. To have very high level complex assessment and differential diagnostic skills, simultaneously processing information, continually revising hypotheses regarding the nature of the disorder and maintaining the cooperation of the patient over prolonged sessions. To provide a second or additional opinion service in the area of dysphagia/feeding difficulties possibly involving sensitive, contentious opinions or following conflicting evaluation from a secondary, or regional service e.g. for medical consultants, specialist SLTs, or international centres. To identify the need for further assessment and make referrals to other disciplines (e.g. Clinical Psychology, NT, Respiratory, Neurophysiology) for appropriate investigations (e.g. bulbar MG, impedance study), chest x-ray) and plan subsequent follow-up within and/or outside the Trust. To summarize and interpret these findings for clients, their families and other staff. To apply skills relating to clinical technology in the selection, appropriate application, and interpretation of objective clinical investigation of the oral-motor and pharyngeal aspects of feeding including cervical auscultation, videofluoroscopy swallow study and pulse oximetry. To ensure that patients/carers are involved in the planning and prioritization of their care plans whenever possible. To manage any conflict or distress arising from unwelcome news. To counsel and advise patients, parents, and caregivers regarding congenital, acute onset and chronic feeding/communication problems and their consequences, sometimes in emotive and ethical situations
regarding possible treatment options, including palliative care and quality of life issues and possible long term outcomes. To contribute to improved MDT working practices in the specialist area, by bringing proposed ideas to the SLT/multidisciplinary teams, steering service development projects and disseminating these outside of the clinical specialism (e.g. to other SLT services within and outside the Trust). To develop and maintain links with non-statutory organisations and professional bodies relevant to the clinical specialties of the post To collaborate with lead SLTs in other tertiary paediatric centres. To maintain evidence based knowledge of the specialist field, through regular searches of library databases and other information sources. To act as clinical/teaching/research advisor in the area of paediatric dysphagia both within the Trust and to external agencies e.g. involvement in working parties and committees as agreed with the SLT Head of Service. SUPRVISION and MANAGMNT To line manage nominated members of the SLT Inpatient and Feeding Service. To work as an independent practitioner, accessing the PDR and SLT departmental supervision systems and seeking and maintaining peer support from other specialist practitioners, in line with Clinical Governance and professional guidelines. To jointly manage the SLT Inpatient and Feeding Services in consultation with the Head of Speech and Language Therapy. To develop, evaluate and coordinate the objectives, projects, clinical outcomes and service plan for the SLT Inpatient and Feeding service in line with the wider Trust objectives and in consultation with the SLT Head of Service and Heads of Clinical Services across the Trust s divisional structure, responding to changing needs. To be responsible for the policies and care protocols relating to the specialist clinical area, with advanced level of knowledge of the care pathway of other specialties within the multidisciplinary team, devising and implementing innovative practice related to this. To ensure that differentiated professional and clinical competencies are developed and monitored appropriately within the SLT feeding and inpatient team. To lead on developing innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness, as part of the Clinical Governance Agenda, in the area of Speech and Language Therapy. With the agreement of the SLT Head of Service, to contribute to working groups and policy development groups within the clinical field and to enable links with non-statutory organisations relevant to the clinical specialty. To provide support and clinical supervision to volunteers, students, visiting clinicians and other professional team members. To ensure that the clinical specialty contributes to the Trusts SLT student placement programme.
To benchmark national standards for SLT service delivery across all teams within and in conjunction with colleagues in the other National Centres and ensure these standards are maintained in the Trust. To prepare written reports regarding activity and information on the clinical specialty and to be responsive to service information data provided by the Trust. To assume delegated responsibility at the request of the SLT Head of Service e.g. acting as a representative at Trust meetings, leading Speech and Language Therapy Service initiatives and attending National Strategy Meetings. To be involved in the recruitment and induction of specialist team members, ongoing performance review through the Trust s standard processes, ensuring clinical supervision. TACHING and TRAINING To have overall responsibility for all teaching relevant to speech and language therapy within the specialist area. To present the specialised subject in an evidenced based framework and at an appropriate level to a very wide range of audiences (e.g. parents, teachers, medical colleagues, Allied Health Professionals, consumer groups). To prepare, deliver and evaluate undergraduate and postgraduate speech and language therapy clinical training, and the teaching and training of other staff of different disciplines. To provide, develop and evaluate external national training courses/conferences for income generation. To present at regional, national and international, multidisciplinary courses/conferences. To support the development of less experienced staff in developing teaching skills. RSARCH AND DVLOPMNT To develop and implement specific service evaluation, clinical audit and service development projects in the area of feeding and inpatients and to embed a cohesive team approach to such work. To identify and support funded research initiatives within the service area for which they take responsibility, in accordance with the Trust s and SLT Service Research and Audit Strategies To be fully conversant with research governance and the registration process for submission to the thics Committee for research and clinical audit projects, according to GOSH and ICH guidelines and the Research and Audit Strategy for the SLT Service. To take a lead on the preparation of papers for formal presentation and publication, including book chapters, in accordance with the SLT Service s R and A strategy. To support the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate audit and research projects in the clinical area, in accordance with the SLT Service R and A Strategy. COR RSPONSIBILITIS To adhere to relevant National, Trust and Departmental policies and procedures regarding clinical and administrative practices.
To adhere to clinical policies, guidelines, and professional standards. To conform to the Trust Policy on Health and Safety Standards and to comply with local policies and training requirements. To work within the recognised guidelines and legal requirements for paediatric care and SLT provision. To maintain patient records in line with Trust Standards, Department Policy and provide a high standard of reports. To provide activity data in a competent and prompt manner. To be responsible for effective time management. To attend and contribute to staff meetings. To monitor stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate. To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained including equipment loaned to clients. To maintain up to date records of all leave (annual, sick, professional, study) and to take responsibility for the reporting of absence. To maintain and further develop clinical expertise in clinical speciality through attendance at courses, professional meetings, team meetings, consulting with specialist speech and language therapists as necessary and in-service training, in consultation with the Head of SLT Service. To be proactive in seeking funding opportunities for study leave in consultation with the Head of SLT Service. To maintain appropriate registration with relevant professional bodies To contribute to the corporate nature and professional affairs of the SLT Service. To contribute to Service and specialist projects reporting progress regularly to line manager. To undertake any other duties as required by the Head of SLT Services. This job description is intended as an outline of the areas of activity and can be amended in the light of the changing needs of the service and will be reviewed as necessary in conjunction with the post-holder. Other information Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust is a dynamic organisation, therefore changes in the core duties and responsibilities of this role may be required from time to time. These guidelines do not constitute a term or condition of employment. Confidentiality On appointment you may be given access to confidential information which must only be disclosed to parties entitled to receive it. Information obtained during the course of employment should not be used for any purpose other than that intended. Unauthorised disclosure of information is a disciplinary offence. Risk Management
You will be required to ensure that you implement systems and procedures at a local level to fulfil the requirements of the organisation s Risk Management Strategy including local management and resolution of complaints and concerns, management of SUIs/incidents and near misses. Your specific responsibility for risk management will be clarified to you by your manager at your local induction. mergency Planning In accordance with the organisations responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, you may be required to undertake alternative duties as is reasonable directed at alternative locations in the event of and for the duration of a significant internal incident, major incident or flu pandemic. Human Rights You are required to comply with the regulations of the Human Rights Act 1998 during the course of your employment. Sustainable Development You will be required to demonstrate a personal commitment to the Trust s Sustainable Development Plan and to take personal responsibility for carrying-out your work duties in a way which is compliant with this Plan.
PRSON SPCIFICATION vidence for suitability in the role will be measured via a mixture of application form, testing and interview ssential: Desirable: D Our always values ducation, training and qualifications Always welcoming positive, polite, prompt, responsive Registered Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Master s Degree (MA/MSc/MPhil), working towards a Master s Always helpful respectful, supportive, approachable; caring degree or completion of many advanced specialist courses for relevant specialty, equivalent to Master s Degree level D Management training and leadership skills development: PDR Always expert Up-to-date knowledge, strive to provide a quality and performance monitoring, recruitment, supervision, service, proactive business planning. D Always one team informative, mindful, appreciative, open, honest Degree training in audit and research design and methodology Advanced paediatric dysphagia and Videofluoroscopy competencies Skills and abilities Knowledge & xperience xcellent interpersonal skills, including listening, sustained concentration and empathy, with patients and relatives who themselves may have a range of complex communication impairments and other needs Independence in carrying out paediatric videofluoroscopy swallow studies Highly developed negotiation, reflective, analytical, problemsolving and influencing skills as an equal at consultant level across the multidisciplinary team and other agencies vidence of providing SLT interventions for feeding and communication through a number of formats and experience of working in an acute hospital setting. D D Well-developed portfolio and evidence of CPD in both clinical specialism and leadership with identifiable outcome. Knowledge of the 9 dimensions of the Healthcare leadership Model and measurable experience across these. Contribution to specialist area in policy and practice development xperience of managing a clinical service area and small team Highly developed self-organisational skills, including Leading role in relevant specialist interest groups or specialist
prioritisation of the workload Skills in motivating clients/ carers to engage in the therapeutic process Proven leadership and line management skills Proven ability for trans-disciplinary working and team leadership xcellent verbal and written communication skills Ability to manage the emotional consequences of working with patients with life limiting conditions and to seek and utilise support systems when required. bodies vidence of teaching and conference presentations and or publication at regional, national forum. Knowledge of Professional Body, Governmental and NHS Initiatives and Agendas that influence delivery of services xpert knowledge within the specialist clinical area and core competencies in areas related to the field e.g. speech and language screening assessment, voice, AAC. xperience of using data to influence clinical care and/or service strategy. Sound knowledge of research design and methodology with particular reference to the specialist field.