Dear prospective candidate,

Thank you for taking the time to review the details of this exciting role.

We are excited to recruit a full time Advanced Clinical Support Worker to work within the Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit team at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. This is an exciting opportunity to learn and develop new skills in this specialist area, ensuring patients are supported to maximise their wellbeing, whilst working alongside a friendly and supportive team. We are looking forward to welcoming a motivated, empathetic, and creative team player who thrives in a multi-disciplinary team environment.

Your role will be split equally across Speech and Language Therapy and Dietetics, where you will be supported by specialist clinicians and be an integral member of the Stroke Unit team. You will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team and wider specialist services, ensuring patients receive high quality, person-centred and effective care.

If you are interested in this role please take the time to contact us to discuss it further.

With best wishes,
Charlie & Matt

Charlie Howland, Speech and Language Therapy Service Manager
Matt Newby, Dietetics Service Manager

The post holder will work across two professional disciplines as a member of the adult Speech and Language Therapy and Dietetic teams within the Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The post holder will access the support of a Speech and Language Therapist or Dietitian as required. They will have specific remits for supporting work in the areas of dysphagia, nutrition and communication.

• Follow departmental guidelines to independently support the work of the SLT and Dietitian, e.g. run groups, support therapy programmes, complete screening tools, provide training.
• To manage a designated caseload, modifying levels of intervention as appropriate, and notifying the SLT or Dietitian of these changes.
• Carry out routine interventions following aims given by the supervising clinicians.
• Provide some clinical administrative support to SLT/ Dietitian
• Develop activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• Provide support to SLTs, Dietitians and other professionals in safe nutritional intake and communication.
• To maintain key working relationships, collaborating closely with all AHPs, Nursing and Medical teams, and reporting back appropriately to the supervising therapists.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .

In 2023 NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles

Oxford University Hospital s promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

• Patient/client care

1. To carry out routine therapy activities following aims set by the SLT/Dietitian, working with some independence with clients with a range of complex disabilities and health needs.
2. To use judgement to modify and adapt activities, whilst maintaining the level of intervention, to suit the context.
3. To carry out specified observation and information gathering to contribute to the clinician’s assessment.
4. To negotiate and implement appropriate nutrition support interventions, e.g. additional snacks, meals and beverages as appropriate in liaison with the dietitian.
5. To report back to the SLT/Dietitian at defined intervals to enable monitoring of interventions, and to identify when SLT/Dietitian needs to provide more direct input to clients.
6. To demonstrate input to other clinicians and family members/carers, e.g. use of communication strategies/aids, how to thicken fluids, nutrition support, dietary modification etc.
7. To promote safe and correct feeding of clients with carers as agreed with supervising clinician. To prepare and organise therapy activities and equipment for own or others therapy, within programme agreed with supervising clinicians.
8. To independently carry out screening and review of non-complex clients under agreed guidelines, and to identify when direct SLT/Dietetic input or onward referral is required.
9. Set up and run training within remit.
10. When appropriate, to provide patients, carers and MDT with timely explanation and information about their communication and swallowing difficulties, and nutritional recommendations.
11. Facilitate and provide handover of patient care to other healthcare professionals upon patient discharge / transfer.

• Policy/service development/implementation

1. To be aware of and adhere to Trust, Service and team plans and policies, including:

• Providing regular, timely statistical returns in keeping with Trust requirements.
• Maintaining high quality clinical records in accordance with Service and Trust Guidelines and within data protection guidelines.
• Ensuring understanding and adherence to Trust health and safety requirements, including attendance on mandatory training courses.
• Participation in the Trust incident reporting and risk management procedures.
• To work within infection control and health and safety guidelines in order to deal appropriately with unpleasant conditions related to client contact as they arise, e.g. exposure to bodily fluids, infectious conditions, encountered on a regular basis.

2. To work collaboratively within the Therapy MDT to review current practice and care pathways, and assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of new ways of working to improve patient care and clinical interventions.
3. To comment on proposed service/policy developments as appropriate.
4. To participate in implementation of service/Trust clinical governance plan.

• Financial and physical resources

1. To support the monitoring of stock levels in own service area and request new equipment as appropriate.
2. To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to clients.

• Human resources

1. To provide peer support to other Clinical Support Workers.
2. To prepare and organise materials, information and accommodation for presentations.
3. To independently carry out dysphagia, nutrition and communication training according to pre-designed plan.
4. Involvement in induction of newly employed SLTs/ Dietitians.
5. To support other professionals in day to day use of communication strategies and safe feeding practices.

• Information resources

1. To maintain up-to-date and accurate case notes in line with professional standards and local Trust policies.
2. To share information with others, observing data protection guidelines.
3. To gather activity data accurately and regularly, ensuring the provision of such information promptly within local Trust guidelines.
4. To support with the development and review of patient information resources in line with local Trust policies.

• Research and development

1. To participate in Clinical Governance / audit projects within local service.
2. To collect and provide research data as required.

• Freedom to act

1. To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, working within a clear supervisory framework, accessing supervision when required.
2. To support the administrative work of the SLT/Dietitian and initiate tasks when appropriate.
3. To work independently within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
4. To work independently on specified tasks, with supervision from a SLT/Dietitian, accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre-determined intervals.
5. To take the initiative to adapt therapy programmes if the level is found to be inappropriate and notify supervising clinicians of changes.