Speech and Language therapist Dysphagia leadNHS

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist to take on a new Dysphagia Pathway Lead role. This newly created post offers the opportunity to shape and develop our dysphagia pathway across Iris Care Group, providing specialist clinical leadership and supporting safe, consistent and high-quality dysphagia practice. Working across our hospital services and Beechwood College, you will work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, provide specialist advice, support staff development and competency, and help drive quality improvement across services.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role

You will:

• Provide specialist assessment and management of complex eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS) difficulties.
• Lead the development and implementation of a consistent, evidence-based dysphagia pathway across our services.
• Provide expert advice and clinical leadership for complex and high-risk dysphagia cases.
• Support the management of choking, aspiration and other dysphagia-related risks.
• Provide clinical supervision, advice and support to Speech and Language Therapists and wider multidisciplinary teams.
• Deliver dysphagia training and support staff competency development.
• Lead and contribute to clinical audit, quality improvement, governance and service development.
• Work closely with internal multidisciplinary teams and external NHS and specialist services.

Job description

• Provide highly specialist assessment and management of individuals presenting with complex eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.
• Undertake comprehensive clinical swallowing assessments and develop individualised dysphagia management recommendations.
• Assess oral motor structure and function and the efficiency and safety of swallowing, consistent with the organisation's dysphagia policy.
• Make complex clinical decisions regarding eating and drinking, including recommendations relating to food texture, fluid consistency, positioning, pacing, level of assistance and environmental factors.
• Identify where instrumental assessment is clinically indicated and support appropriate onward referral/access to investigations such as videofluoroscopy where required.
• Develop clear, person-centred Eating, Drinking and Swallowing plans/guidance that can be safely implemented by the wider team.
• Review individuals following changes in presentation, health status, swallowing ability or identified risk.
• Provide specialist advice in situations involving complex dysphagia and choking/aspiration risk.
• Contribute specialist EDS expertise to multidisciplinary assessment, care planning, risk management, review and transition/discharge planning.

About us

The postholder will lead the development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of a consistent, safe and evidence-based dysphagia pathway across the four services, ensuring that individuals with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties receive timely assessment, intervention, review and risk management.

The role combines a specialist clinical caseload with leadership, clinical governance, training, supervision, audit and service development responsibilities.

The postholder will act as a source of specialist dysphagia expertise for the wider multidisciplinary team and provide professional support and advice to Speech and Language Therapists, nursing teams, care/support staff, education teams, catering colleagues and other relevant professionals.

The role will support consistent application of the organisation's choking and dysphagia policy. Iris policy identifies SLTs as having a key role in identifying and managing dysphagia across developmental, neurological and physical disorders.