Trudi works as part of the multi-disciplinary team at Richardson Care to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment for our service users with acquired brain injury or learning disabilities. She combines her extensive clinical experience with a functional and person-centred approach.

She says: “I aim to support the service users to increase their functional communication using goal-focussed interventions over specific blocks of time (e.g. 12 weeks). I deal with the individual’s communication sphere, or environment, which means incorporating their family, friends and care staff to enhance communication and understanding.

“I work with the multi-disciplinary team at Richardson Care so we come to decisions as part of a team on what is best for the individual, developing strategies to help the service user to reach their potential.

“I also believe that by taking Speech & Language Therapy out of a clinical setting into real-life situations, it can be more relaxed and therefore more effective for the individual.”

Trudi uses both low-tech and high-tech communication aids, depending on the individual’s needs. An important part of her role is to provide training  to care staff to enable them to support service users with their speech and communication development on a daily basis.

Trudi’s specialisms include treating the following conditions:

• Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) – helping people to eat and drink safely to meet their social, emotional and psychological needs as well as their nutritional needs
• Aphasia – a language processing disorder
• Dysarthria – a motor speech disorder
• CCD – Cognitive Communication Difficulties and the impact that they have at conversation level

Trudi Jenkins’ professional experience includes:

• Clinical Speech and Language Therapist in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
• Senior Speech and Language Therapist & Clinical Team Leader, Acute Neurological Services, Northwick Park Hospital, London.
• Clinical management position of Chief Speech and Language Therapist in the Regional Rehabilitation Unit (RRU).
• Lecturer in Motor Speech Disorders and Dysphagia at City University, London.
• Deputy Paramedical Co-ordinator at the RRU, managing a multi-disciplinary team, inclusive of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Dieticians and Social Services.
• Clinical Director and Founder of The Communication Clinic which broadly aims to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment to people with speech, language, cognitive and swallowing difficulties following an acquired neurological injury.

Trudi Jenkins’ Professional Qualifications

• MSc in Human Communication Disorders (2001) – City University, London
• BSc (Hons) in Speech & Language Pathology (1995) – Manchester University