Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

Overview:

Post Title:

Speech & Language Therapist Assistant

Post Status:

Permanent

Department

Speech and Language Therapy Department

Location:

Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9

Reports to:

Speech & Language Therapy Manager

Salary:

Appointment will be made on the Speech & Language Therapist assistant salary scale at a point in line with Government pay policy. (€35,434 - €44,539)

Hours of work:

Full Time, 39 hours per week

Closing Date:

May 1st 2025 at 12:00 noon

The Hospital reserves the right to close the ad early if too many applications are recieved.

Position Summary:

The post holder will work under the supervision of speech & language therapists to support their work in the delivery of a service for people with communication and swallowing difficulties. This post will have specific duties in the SLT led clinic in ENT and work closely with the Clinical Specialist who works in that area.

Responsibilities:

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• To develop rapport with patients.
• To use skills learnt to support conversation with people with communication disability.
• To carry out specific exercises with patients who have communication and/or swallowing difficulties as directed by the speech & language therapist.
• To assist speech & language therapists in carrying out instrumental swallow assessments (e.g Videofluoroscopy and FEES) to include scheduling of patients, the preparation of food/drink, assisting with the transfer of patients, cleaning of the equipment etc.
• To clean equipment and to maintain the appropriate documentation as record of same.
• To prepare resources to support communication (i.e. communication folders, charts, passports, etc.) as directed by the speech & language therapist.
• To collaborate in the preparation of written material in an accessible format.
• To distribute questionnaires to patients and/or family (e.g. communication history form, feedback questionnaires) as required.
• To assist and participate in group therapy as required.
• To liaise with relevant staff and agencies with regard to the following through of the speech & language therapist’s recommendations as required.
• To make follow-up phone calls to patients/agencies if required once the person has been discharged from the service and as directed by the speech & language therapist.
• To maintain patient records within departmental standards.

• To co-operate with data collection systems and departmental administrative procedures and to collate statistics as required.
• To prepare and clean any equipment as required and to ensure that equipment is tidied away after use in line with hospital hygiene standards.
• To maintain a record of equipment that is on loan.
• To update and maintain resources within the department.
• To assist with stock control and the ordering of supplies and to ensure that supplies are stored appropriately once they are delivered to the department.
• To liaise with non clinical services as necessary (e.g. Technical Services, IT, Stores).
• To provide limited clerical support as required (e.g. Photocopying).
• To book rooms for meetings as required.
• To complete any computer based work as required by the speech and language therapy department.
• To comply with all relevant statutory, local and hospital regulations and policies at all times.

• To work closely with the all other SLTAs, other discipline assistants, admin staff and any other relevant hospital staff in other departments of the hospital.
• To manage working relationships in a professional manner.
• To manage communications in a professional manner.
• To negotiate effectively with relevant others when appropriate.

• To attend mandatory training (e.g. induction, lifting and handling, infection control) and other training as directed.
• To attend departmental meetings and other relevant meetings.
• To adhere to health & safety, hygiene, infection control and all other hospital guidelines.
• To undertake any other duties as may be required by the Speech & Language Therapist Manager or speech and language therapists.
• This job description is not restrictive and may be reviewed in the light of changing needs within services.

Qualifications:

Selection Criteria:

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

Education & Registration:

(ii) Have obtained an equivalent qualification to (i) from another jurisdiction.

(iii) Be currently employed as a Speech and Language therapy assistant or in a comparable assistant role.

Desirable:

• Experience working with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders
• Experience of working with adults in an acute care hospital setting
• Knowledge of the Irish Health Service
• Knowledge and ability to use email,word, excel etc to support the work of the service

Informal contact for queries:

AnneHealy@beaumont.ie