Temporary Staff Speech & Language Therapist

Purpose of the Post

The purpose of the post is to provide a high quality, person-centred Speech and Language Therapy service to adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders across acute unscheduled care as well as designated scheduled out-patient clinics in SCH. The SLT will carry out administrative, clinical and educational duties as assigned by the Speech and Language Therapist Manager.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Speech and Language Therapist (Staff Grade) will:

Professional / Clinical

· Be responsible for assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of treatment / intervention programmes for service users according to professional standards.

· Arrange and carry out assessment and treatment / intervention programmes in appropriate settings in line with local policy / guidelines and professional standards.

· Communicate results of assessments and recommendations to the service user and relevant others as appropriate.

· Document all assessment, diagnosis, treatment / intervention plans, clinical notes, relevant contacts and summaries in accordance with department and professional standards.

· Collaborate with service user, family, carers and other staff in goal setting and treatment / intervention planning.

· Foster close working relationships with colleagues and other relevant professionals in maximising the service users’ potential.

· Provide support and information in relation to communication and / or feeding, eating, drinking and swallowing disorders etc. to service users and relevant others.

· Attend clinics and participate in meetings, case conferences, ward rounds etc. as agreed with the Speech and Language Therapist Manager.

· Participate in teams, communicating and working in collaboration with the service user and relevant others as part of an integrated package of care.

· Represent the department / profession / team at meetings and conferences as designated.

· In conjunction with the Speech and Language Therapist Manager, contribute to the development and implementation of procedures, policies and guidelines while adhering to existing standards and protocols.

· Actively engage in team based performance management.

· Participate in and develop activities which support Health Promotion.

· Seek advice and assistance from Speech and Language Therapist Manager with any assigned cases or issues that prove to be beyond the scope of his / her professional competence in line with principles of best practice and clinical governance.

· Maintain professional standards in relation to confidentiality, ethics and legislation.

· Support a culture that values diversity and respect.

· Operate within the scope of Speech and Language Therapy practice as per CORU requirements and in accordance with our professional body (IASLT) and local guidelines.

· Carry out other duties as assigned by the Speech & Language Therapist Manager.

Education and Training

· Participate in mandatory training programmes.

· Participate in continuing professional development including in-service training, attending and presenting at conferences / courses relevant to practice, promoting and contributing to research etc. as agreed with the Speech and Language Therapist Manager.

· Engage in support and supervision with Senior Speech and Language Therapist / Speech and Language Therapist Manager and participate in performance review.

· Participate in the practice education of student therapists. Actively participate in teaching / training / supervision of other Speech and Language Therapy and non-Speech and Language Therapy staff / students and attend practice educator courses as appropriate.

Health & Safety

· Work in a safe manner with due care and attention to the safety of self and others.

· Implement agreed policies, procedures and safe professional practice by adhering to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.

· Be aware of risk management issues, identify risks and take appropriate action.

· Document appropriately and report any near misses, hazards and accidents and bring them to the attention of the relevant person(s).

· Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.

· Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

Administrative

· Contribute to the planning and development of the Speech and Language Therapy Service and participate in service improvements.

· Comply with department procedures with regard to assessment, recommendation and provision of all assistive equipment / custom made devices.

· Assist in the organisation, maintenance and / or ordering of equipment and materials used in assessment and treatment.

· Keep up-to-date statistics and other administrative records as required within the Speech and Language Therapy department.

· Participate in the establishment and maintenance of standards for quality improvement and adhere to existing standards and policies.

· Participate in audit / outcome measurement of intervention as directed by the Speech and Language Therapist Manager.

· Represent the department at meetings and conferences as required by the Speech and Language Therapist Manager.

· Engage in IT developments as they apply to service user and service administration.

· Keep up to date with developments within the organisation and the Irish Health Service.

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/ or experience

Candidates must have at the latest date of application:

1.Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc

Candidates for appointment must:

Be registered or be eligible for registration, as a Speech & Language Therapist by the Speech & Language Therapists Registration Board at CORU, (https://www.coru.ie/)

AND

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

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.

Annual Registration

On appointment, practitioners must maintain annual registration on the Speech & Language Therapist Register maintained by the Speech & Language Therapists Registration Board at CORU.

AND

Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

Any qualified candidates who have not yet attained their registration on the Register of Speech & Language Therapists with CORU, will be recorded as Active – Awaiting Registration

Those awaiting CORU registration are eligible to apply for this campaign. Applicants who are successful at interview will remain dormant on the panel and will not be offered a post until they have informed us that they are in receipt of the necessary qualification and/or CORU Registration.

Health

Candidates for and any person holding 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 reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

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

Post Specific Requirements

· Must have recognised dysphagia qualification as outlined in “Standards of Practice for Speech & Language Therapists, on the Management of Feeding, Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)” Irish Association of Speech & Language Therapists (IASLT) 2015.

Other requirements specific to the post

• Experience of working in an adult acute setting orrelevant clinical knowledge/upskilling in acute clinical presentations i.e. Assessment & Intervention of Communication and Swallowing Disorders or evidence of at least one student clinical placement in an acute setting.

• Willingness to participate in rotations across clinical areas and caseloads

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge

Professional Knowledge & Experience

· Demonstrate sufficient clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning skills and evidence based practice to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role.

· Demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding of the Speech and Language Therapy process, the underpinning theory and its application to the role.

· Within practice, demonstrates sound clinical and professional judgement consistent with accepted models of Speech and Language Therapy practice.

· Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development.

· Demonstrate a willingness to develop IT skills relevant to the role.

Planning and Managing Resources

· Demonstrate the ability to plan and deliver care in an effective and resourceful manner.

· Demonstrate awareness of potential problems and flexibility in prioritising to maintain service standards.

· Demonstrate innovation in working within resource limitations to enhance service delivery.

· Demonstrate ability to take initiative and be appropriately self-directed in a busy working environment.

Team Player

· Demonstrate effective team skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others.

· Demonstrates a willingness to get involved and assist others as appropriate.

· Promotes and participates in a culture of involvement and consultation.

· Demonstrates the ability to react constructively to setbacks, is able to maintain professionalism and manage situations where conflict arises.

Commitment to providing a Quality Service

· Demonstrate a commitment to the delivery of a high quality, person centred service.

· Treats all service users with dignity and respect and ensures that welfare of the service user is a key consideration at all times.

· Demonstrate adaptability and an openness to change.

Evaluating Information and Judging Situations

· Demonstrates the ability to evaluate information and make effective decisions in relation to service user care.

· Demonstrates the ability to think ahead to the consequences of decisions and considers precedence to ensure consistency.

· Establishes integrity by ensuring that the professional, ethical and safety factors are fully considered in decisions into which they have input.

Communications and Interpersonal Skills

· Displays effective communication skills (verbal & written).

· Tailors the communication method and the message to match the needs of the audience.

· Demonstrates interpersonal skills including the ability work in partnership with others.

· Is sensitive to issues arising from multiple stakeholders, is patient and understanding.

· Demonstrates good negotiation skills, is assertive as required.

Campaign Specific Selection Process

Ranking/Shortlisting / Interview

A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements.

Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the organisation.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

The HSE is an equal opportunities employer.

Employees of the HSE bring a range of skills, talents, diverse thinking and experience to the organisation. The HSE believes passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to its success – we aim to develop the workforce of the HSE so that it reflects the diversity of HSE service users and to strengthen it through accommodating and valuing different perspectives. Ultimately this will result in improved service user and employee experience.

The HSE is committed to creating a positive working environment whereby all employees inclusive of age, civil status, disability, ethnicity and race, family status, gender, membership of the Traveller community, religion and sexual orientation are respected, valued and can reach their full potential. The HSE aims to achieve this through development of an organisational culture where injustice, bias and discrimination are not tolerated.

The HSE welcomes people with diverse backgrounds and offers a range of supports and resources to staff, such as those who require a reasonable accommodation at work because of a disability or long term health condition.

For further information on the HSE commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, please visit the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion web page at https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/diversity/

Code of Practice

The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA).

The CPSA is responsible for establishing the principles that should be followed when making an appointment. These are set out in the CPSA Code of Practice. The Code outlines the standards that should be adhered to at each stage of the selection process and sets out the review and appeal mechanisms open to candidates should they be unhappy with a selection process.

The CPSA Code of Practice can be accessed via https://www.cpsa.ie/.

The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as structures change the Job Specification may be reviewed.

This Job Specification is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

CVs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE COMPLETE AND UPLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM ATTACHED TO THE JOB ADVERT