The role We are pleased to offer this post, in the assessment and management of dysphagia and communication within the mental health of older adults inpatient setting. It is an ideal opportunity for anyone with experience and interest in brain injury and mental health to develop their skills and to contribute to the development of our service. We welcome applicants with experience of working with neurological disorders in any setting and who have a commitment to reducing health inequalities for people living with severe and enduring mental health conditions. The post is split between working within the Neuropsychiatry Brain Injury Service on the Lishman Unit, which has 7 beds and supporting the Head of Service to work with service users across the Trust. They may have a range of diagnoses, including psychosis, anxiety, depression and dementia. The role includes, but is not limited to: • Assessing and managing complex communication and swallowing difficulties after brain injury • Assessing and managing communication difficulties caused by mental health conditions such as psychosis, or neurological impairments such as Parkinson’s Disease or stroke. • Working with the MDT and carers to develop care plans and support people with dysphagia or communication difficulties. • Providing relevant training for staff and groups for service users The Service We are a small but committed team of 4 SLTs. We meet regularly to share knowledge and ideas and support each other. The Service is led by the Head SLT who clinically covers working age wards across the Trust, with the support of 0.4 within this post and the 0.6 SLT in neuropsychiatry. The Older Adult Team consists of a two SLTs covering 4 wards - a Band 7 and a Band 6. We work together closely and provide clinical cover for each other when needed, so there are opportunities to develop a range of skills. We also have links with Kings College Hospital for peer supervision and support. Although SLT is relatively small service within SLaM, the role on the Lishman Unit has been well recognised and supported and there are many opportunities for personal and service development. We also encourage flexible working where that is desired and we have been improving people’s ability to work more of their non-clinical time from home where that is appropriate. Location This post covers multiple sites , across 4 London Boroughs, but your primary base would be on the Lishman Unit. This is currently on the Bethlem Royal Hospital site, but will be moving to the Maudsley site later in the year and into a brand new development. There is also the Ladywell Unit, within the Lewisham Hospital site that we cover. Patient Age Group Primarily working age adult, but also 65 years + This post provides speech and language therapy (SLT) to both neuropsychiatry services and Trust wide. In neuropsychiatry, the post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), providing specialist communication and dysphagia assessments and interventions to patients on the Brain Injury stream of 7 patients on the Lishman Unit. The other part of the role will be working as part of a small speech and language team responding to referrals from other units across SLAM in the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon relating to the assessment and management of communication and eating/swallowing difficulties presented by adults with mental health difficulties. The post is based in the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults Directorate. The post holder will contribute to the development of the SLT service and the provision of multi-professional training in communication, feeding and swallowing disorders in adults for the Trust. Lishman Unit • To autonomously manage a caseload of 7 service users in the neuropsychiatry brain injury service and carry out assessments, interventions and give advice regarding the daily management of service users to the MDT. • To work as part of the MDT in the management and care delivery of service users and to participate in MDT and ward reviews. • To work with the MDT to triage referrals to the service. • To participate in the delivery of dysphagia and communication training to staff. • To identify training needs and assist in developing new resources accordingly. • To develop and run groups for people with brain injury. • To participate in the clinical training of SLT students. Trust wide SLT Service • To support the development of the Trust wide Speech and Language Therapy service, working across different wards, including working age adults, forensics and the National Psychosis Unit. • To support the Head of Service in prioritising and managing a complex and varied caseload. • To work with service users requiring communication or dysphagia support for adult inpatient services across the Trust. General • To demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with clinical governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to and implementation of service and service area policies, national and local guidelines and RCSLT professional and clinical guidelines. • To maintain and record an active programme of continuing professional development, including feeding back to colleagues on any courses or conferences attended. • To participate regularly in the evaluation of the effectiveness of intervention and models of service delivery, maintaining up to date knowledge of relevant clinical practice and research • To undertake specific departmental audit projects and contribute to departmental research where appropriate. • To ensure that users and user groups are involved with projects and service developments wherever appropriate. This advert closes on Sunday 5 May 2024