Autism Advisory Team Speech and Language Therapist

Job summary
The Autism Advisory Team Speech and Language Therapist will be part of a newly established, specialist multi-disciplinary team created to strengthen autism-informed practice across inpatient and community mental health services in North Central London. This role supports the local delivery of NCL's Inpatient Quality Transformation Plan (IQTP), which aims to improve the identification, experience and outcomes of autistic adults, reduce inequalities, and develop a more skilled and confident workforce.

The post holder will contribute to a team that offers specialist autism-focused consultation, guidance and training to front line staff across five boroughs. The team operates in an advisory, non-caseload model, supporting inpatient wards, community mental health teams and wider system partners to embed reasonable adjustments, improve personalised care planning and promote earlier intervention. Ongoing case management will remain with the referring service.

Main duties of the job
Within this model, the Speech and Language Therapist will provide specialist autism-informed communication expertise, with a particular focus on autistic adults diagnosed later in life and those who have not previously accessed appropriate communication support. The postholder will deliver specialist (non-diagnostic) SaLT assessments where appropriate, identifying communication profiles, interaction needs, and factors impacting understanding, expression, emotional regulation and engagement (including sensory and environmental considerations where relevant). They will translate assessment findings into clear, practical recommendations and reasonable adjustments that can be implemented by inpatient and community teams and ensure these are documented appropriately within agreed clinical records and team processes.

A key part of the role is enabling others to work more effectively with autistic adults. The post holder will provide consultation to clinicians on communication strategies, support the adaptation of care planning and ward/community approaches, and contribute to the development of tools, resources and templates (e.g., communication guidance, accessible information approaches, contributions to Hospital passport content where used locally).

About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Job responsibilities

• Provide specialist, autism informed SaLT assessments for autistic adults, with a particular focus on adults diagnosed later in life and/or those with unmet communication needs.
• To monitor and manage assessment waiting lists for specialist ASD input, ensuring that risk is managed and work is prioritised appropriately.
• Develop and implement communication profiles that identify strengths, needs and barriers to engagement, including understanding, expression, interaction style and functional communication.
• To work closely with clients and carers using a high level of empathy, tact, and persuasion to complete assessments, discuss results and agree treatment options.
• To routinely overcome barriers to communication during assessment and intervention. This includes the use of sign, symbols or other alternative and augmentation strategies with communication disordered clients/carers.
• To assess for suitability of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids for use with adults who have autism.
• To select appropriate equipment and to train both clients and carers/support workers in the use of the aids. Identify and recommend practical strategies to support communication, reduce distress and improve participation in care planning and treatment.
• Where relevant, consider the impact of sensory and environmental factors on communication and interaction, and integrate this into recommendations and reasonable adjustments.
• Provide clear written outputs from assessments, ensuring recommendations are actionable and tailored for implementation by inpatient and community teams.
• Responsibility for critically evaluating available research and developing and implementing evidence-based practices across own service area on an on-going basis.
• To use specialist knowledge to analyse complex information.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
• Health and Care Professions Council registration.
• High level post-graduate courses in related area of expertise.

Desirable

• Membership of relevant Specialist Interest Groups.

Experience
Essential

• Highly developed communication skills (written and verbal), able to explain complex information to autistic people, carers and professionals.
• Advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, including the ability to assess, prioritise and manage risk within a specialist assessment pathway
• Strong consultation and influencing skills, enabling effective advisory support to inpatient and community teams

Desirable

• Ability to work with lived experience contributors to shape resources and training content

Experience
Essential

• Ability to produce high-quality written assessment outputs and practical recommendations suitable for implementation by multi-disciplinary teams.
• Clear evidence to demonstrate specialist experience and clinical skills for working with autistic people.
• Evidence of substantial experience as a qualified Speech and Language Therapist.
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Desirable

• Skills in Quality Improvement (QI) and experience of previous QI projects

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).