Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

Clinical Duties

1. Undertake highly specialised assessments and interventions using expert clinical reasoning for adults and adolescents with severe and enduring mental illness, co-morbidities and complex communication needs.

2. Assess and manage speech, language and communication difficulties that affect engagement in psychiatric assessment, MDT therapeutic interventions, treatment planning, capacity and risk assessments.

3. Provide specialist assessment and management of eating, drinking and Dysphasia associated with mental illness, Dementia, frailty, neurological conditions and medication side effects.

4. Support MDTs to make reasonable adjustments for patients with communication difficulties.

5. Provide specialist clinical input into complex risk and capacity assessment and care planning where communication difficulties influence presentation, behaviour or treatment engagement.

6. Lead on communication support strategies that enhance recovery, reduce distress and improve therapeutic engagement.

7. To manage a complex caseload, communicate agreed treatment/care plans to multi-disciplinary team colleagues and partnership agencies at formal and informal meetings and provide specialist Speech and Language Therapy advice,

8. To apply a variety of specialist treatment modalities to meet the needs of patients, utilising clinical reasoning processes to determine the most appropriate intervention and manage efficacy through outcome measures as appropriate.

9. To delegate and monitor aspects of patient care to assistants, junior staff, students, carers and statutory or non-statutory bodies.

10. To regularly review clients progress in order to evaluate and interpret the effectiveness of treatment plans, and amend treatment or discharge clients accordingly.

11. To undertake research and audit to develop and initiate interventions that are evidence based and reflect a sound integration of theoretical knowledge in order to meet patient need.

12. To keep up to date clinical records in line with professional standards and local record keeping policies.

13. To provide written and verbal reports as required at any stage in the treatment process in line with Speech and Language Therapy Clinical Governance Standards.