We have an exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated Band 7 Speech and Language Therapist to lead our new Early Supported Discharge service for people with disorders of communication and swallowing following a stroke. You will work as a vital part of our integrated multi-disciplinary team in a community setting, including community rehab wards. This is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of patients by providing advanced diagnosis, assessment, and treatment for communication and swallowing disorders arising from a stroke.

Gravesham Community Hospital is located a short distance from St Georges Shopping Centre and is surrounded by well-known food establishments and local coffee shops making it an ideal location to be based from.

This is a full time position. The Early Supported Discharge service operates 8am - 4pm Monday - Saturday.

As a Speech and Language Therapist within the Early Supported Discharge team, you’ll be part of our valued team based at Gravesham Community Hospital in Gravesend.

You will feel valued as a Speech and Language Therapist​ within HCRG Care Group, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including: 

• £43,742 - £50,056 Band 7 salary with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions
• 5% high cost area allowance
• Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on every day purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you
• Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life’s emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates
• Online and face to face help with your mental and physical wellbeing – from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well career coaching and counselling 
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our ‘Outstanding’ learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise
• An open, just culture where you’re encouraged to have and implement ideas which can help us deliver our purpose: changing lives through transforming health and care – backed up by at least £100,000 of ringfenced innovation funding each year 
• Free tea, coffee and milk at your base location

• To lead a service for people with disorders of communication and swallowing following a stroke within the Early Supported Discharge framework.
• To work as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team of staff in a community setting including community rehab wards
• To undertake advanced diagnosis, assessment and treatment of patients with a range of communication and swallowing disorders arising from a stroke
• To proactively develop the speech & language therapy service for patients within the stroke pathway
• To contribute to the development of junior therapists and rehab assistants within the wider community and SLT team
• To liaise and offer highly specialist advice as appropriate to a wide range of professionals
• To be responsible for the daily organisation of sessions and caseload
• To contribute to the triage of referrals
• To provide advice, support and education for patients and their families/carers
• To lead innovation and service development projects
• To deliver training to other professionals e.g. community hospital ward staff
• To keep up-to-date with knowledge and skills through CPD and internal & external training courses

Further information including a full list of responsibilities and requirements can be found in the attached job description.

The ideal candidate will have / be:

• A BSC Hons or recognised degree equivalent qualification in Speech and Language Therapy
• A Registered member of Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• A Registered member of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
•  Dysphagia trained and able to independently manage a caseload of patients with swallowing difficulties
• Evidence of postgraduate courses/CPD in relevant fields
• Experience with stroke patients within a setting that is relevant for the post e.g. community setting, outpatients, inpatient rehabilitation
• Leadership experience and experience of supervising work of junior staff and assistants
• Knowledge of a broad range of assessments and therapy interventions relevant to a caseload of adults with acquired communication and swallowing difficulties arising from stroke

We change lives by transforming health and care.

Established in 2006, we are one of the UK's leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as well as adult social care and wellbeing services. Across England, we support communities of many millions and directly help more than half a million people each year - guided by our simple values: we care, we think, we do.

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from a broad, diverse range of people who want to join our team. We're a Disability Confident Committed company, so we work to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and technical solutions to be as inclusive of everyone.

While it doesn't happen often, sometimes a role is very popular, and well need to close it earlier than the date we've shown here. If you're keen to join our team, we’d love to hear from you so please apply as soon as you can.

To find out more about HCRG Care Group, please visit https://www.hcrgcaregroup.com/about-us-2