Adults Speech and Language Therapy
Description of service
We are a friendly team of 21 Speech and Language Therapists, an SLT Assistant and an Administrator ranging from Band 3 to Band 8.
We work across acute, acute stroke, community, outpatient and neuro-rehabilitation settings.
For more information please go to https://www.hct.nhs.uk/our-services/adult-speech-and-language-therapy-service/
Specialities covered
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Progressive neurological conditions (including Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease)
- Dementia
- Dysfluency
- Voice disorders
- Head and Neck Cancers
- Brain tumours
- Frailty
- Medical and surgical acute conditions
Areas covered
- The Lister Hospital (Stevenage) – acute, acute stroke and outpatient services
https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/hospitals/lister/directions/ - Danesbury Neurological Centre and Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital (QVM) (Welwyn) – neuro-rehabilitation and community hospital services
- Hertford County Hospital - community service
https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/hospitals/hertford/directions/ - The QEII Hospital (Welwyn Garden City) - community service
https://www.newqeii.info/getting-there - Herts & Essex Hospital (Bishops Stortford) - community and neuro-rehabilitation service
- Royston Hospital - community service
Main contacts
Lister (SLT office): 01438 285 287
Placement coordinator: Maggie Griffith
Email: mgriffith@nhs.net
Dress Code/Uniform
For infection control purposes, please ensure that you are ‘bare below the elbows’, meaning:
- No jewellery including watches
- Short sleeves/ sleeves that can be rolled up.
- Please wear smart-casual workwear, i.e. no denim or revealing clothing.
- Please wear clothes that are easy to wash.
Recommended pre-placement reading
- You are required to comply with HCPC’s guidance on conduct and ethics for students: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/guidance/guidance-on-conduct-and-ethics-for-students/
- Please familiarise yourself with the IDDSI levels prior to your placement: https://iddsi.org/resources/
- Types of dysarthria
- Types of aphasia
- Case History taking: collecting a case history for an adult patient
- Oro Motor assessment: completing and collecting info regarding an adult patients oro motor function
- Once you know the location of your placement, have a think about the MDT professionals involved with an adult patient that you will be engaging with on your placement, and what their roles might be. You can research other professions within these webpages.
- STROKE: The STARs modules are a useful introduction to working with stroke patients and the roles of other members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT): https://www.chsselearning.org.uk/core-competencies/
- Kings Dysphagia schedule
- ‘The Voice and Its Disorders’ – Book by Greene and Matheison
- ‘Head and Neck Cancer: Treatment, Rehabilitation and Outcomes’ – Book by Elizabeth Ward and Corinna van As-Brooks
Preparing for your placement
Please ensure that you contact your placement educator (PE) to discuss the following:
- The time and place to meet on your first day
- Parking arrangements
- Lunch arrangements (some of our settings do not have on-site catering so you may need to bring a packed lunch)
- Any preparation you need to do before your placement.
- It will be useful for your PE to know a little about what you’ve covered at university in terms of ‘adults’, what placements you’ve had before, what you’re most looking forward to on this placement and what you’re not looking forward to.
- If you are not able to attend the first day of your placement for any reason please give us as much notice as you can. It will be useful to share mobile numbers with your PE prior to placement for this purpose.
- Please do not come to placement without having first made contact with your PE.
If you are having problems getting in touch with your PE, please contact our main office on 01438 285287
What to bring on your first day
- ID badge on a lanyard (University photo ID or similar)
- Pen and paper
- Smart card (if you have one please bring with you)
- Placement handbook and any induction paperwork
What to expect on your first day
- A tour of the site (unless you are working remotely)
- Meeting the team
- Completing your placement induction paperwork from your university (please bring this with you)
- Discussing your learning objectives for the placement (please have some prepared to discuss)
- Shadowing some therapy sessions/ assessments
- Agreeing your working pattern for the remainder of the placement.
