Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Job purpose:

• To work as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team to help maintain and/or improve the persons quality of life. The emphasis being on rehabilitation, promoting and maintaining independence for patients diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

• Deliver clinical support in the provision of high-quality Occupational Therapy services to patients accessing East Cheshire Hospice and those within the wider East Cheshire community.
• Provide high-quality clinical assessment and intervention, alongside delivering training and education to patients, carers, volunteers, and staff. Contribute to service development and support the monitoring and evaluation of outcomes through audit activity.

  Main Duties & Responsibilities: -Clinical

  • To provide a high standard of Occupational Therapy intervention to patients with specialist palliative and end-of-life care needs as necessary, individually or in groups.
  • To autonomously manage a caseload of patients with generalist or complex palliative and end of life careneeds within the Hospice.
  • Direct work with patients with diverse needs commonly including nonpharmacological symptom management of fatigue and breathlessness; rehabilitation; falls risk reduction. Holistic specialist assessment, goal setting and intervention for individual patients in the hospice in-patient unit, at Day Hospice, and in patients own homes.
  • Assess and offer treatment that is focused on patient reported quality of life, maintains safety and achieves preferred place of care and death.
  • Enable patients self-management including through delivery of patient education and relaxation to individuals and groups of patients.
  • Understand and communicate complex information where emotional, social and spiritual needs are considerable.
  • Use advanced verbal, and non-verbal communication skills to work with patients including those in distress and those who have difficulties understanding or communicating.
  • Consultative role to advise colleagues, patients and carers.
  • Contribute to risk assessments relating to equipment provision, falls prevention and discharge planning.
• Ensure the safe and effective assessment, prescription, and use of both standard and specialist equipment to meet patients needs in a timely manner.
• Maintain full compliance with Health and Safety regulations, including responsibility for all moving and handling considerations associated with the provision and use of this equipment.
• Work as a loan practitioner within the community with support from the MDT as required.
• Attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings and case conferences to enable integration of OT with other aspects of care.
• Coordinate patient-centred care with community, social services & hospital OTs and other members of the wider MDT.
• Use clinical assessment tools and outcome measures as required.
• Recognise the limits of own competency and professional boundaries and make appropriate and timely referrals to other services where required.
• Ensure that clinical records are up to date and maintained and stored appropriately in line with Hospice governance policies and procedures.
• Collaborate and liaise with relevant other professionals and agencies externally to ensure patients receive the appropriate service, intervention and equipment to aid a safe, effective and timely discharge.
• Work alongside the Hospice Physiotherapist to provide an effective therapy team to meet the needs and goals of patients with specialist palliative and end-of-life care needs.
• To identify and support changes and developments in hospice practice and service structure to improve the experience and outcomes for patients and families.
• Undertake other duties as may be required and which are commensurate with the post and grade.

Education and Leadership

• To contribute to the development and implementation of organisational policies and procedures both generally and those relevant to the service within the Hospice.
• Promote a rehabilitative culture of working across the MDT.
• Contribute to meetings and projects on behalf of OT or Therapies.
• Work in partnership with colleagues to provide support and information to families, particularly around advance care planning, communication skills, best interest decisions and end of life care.
• To ensure own compliance with professional bodies such as CSP, RCOT, mandatory training, revalidation requirements, continual professional development and competency development to ensure clinical effectiveness.
• Obtain evidence-based literature from various sources and keep up to date with the latest evidence base, theories and new activity in relation to practice, promoting a culture of continual learning

Evaluation and Audit

• To carry out, and participate in, the planning, monitoring and evaluation of delivery of the Occupational Therapy service.

Health & Safety at Work Act

• The post holder must be aware of the responsibilities placed upon them under the Heath and Safety Act (1974) to ensure that agreed procedures are carried out and that a safe working environment is maintained for patients, visitors and employees.

Personal / Professional Development

• To maintain professional registration with regulatory body HCPC.
• To abide by the Code of Conduct for registered regulatory body.
• Ensure completion of Hospice mandatory training within required time frames.
• Identifying and attending training as identified in annual appraisal process.
• Attendance of network meetings as required.
• Identifying and maintaining Professional Occupational Therapist contacts for support.
• Awareness of regional and national policy in palliative and end-of-life care.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice through literature reviews, study days and courses as identified within annual PDP.
• Taking part in reflective practice and in-house training opportunities.

Safeguarding

• All staff have a responsibility to themselves, patients, service users and other staff in ensuring the effective Safeguarding of Children and Adults

Information Governance

• Maintain an awareness of the confidential nature of the role and uphold the highest standards of confidentiality at all times.
• Remain up to date with information governance requirements by completing all mandatory training and adhering to Hospice policies and procedures, ensuring that all information is handled legally, securely, efficiently, and effectively.
• Understand that any breach of confidentiality may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
• Ensure the confidentiality of information relating to service users, staff, and organisational matters, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), The Data Protection Act 2018 and Caldicott Principles.

Other requirements

Essential

• Flexible approach to meet the needs of the service.
• A full valid driving license and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and a reasonable adjustment can be made).

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including highly sensitive listening skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload (clinical & supporting activities) and work under pressure.
• Willingness to learn to be proficient with electronic patient records.
• Resilience to being alongside suffering, loss and grief.
• Willingness to learn and adapt.
• Demonstrated experience of working as an autonomous practitioner with good organisational skills.
• Demonstrate current knowledge of national and local policies and drivers
• Participation in clinical supervision
• Knowledge of clinical governance and its application to practice

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy
• Membership of HCPC
• Experience working at Band 6 level
• Advanced Communication skills (or commitment to achieve within one year)
• Degree or demonstrable clinical experience

Desirable

• Membership of BAOT/RCOT
• Advanced communication skills training (or equivalent)
• Post registration qualification / training in palliative care/or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Considerable postgraduate experience of relevant clinical areas including:
• Rehabilitation
• Energy conservation/ fatigue management
• Assessment of mental capacity and best interests decision making
• Coordination of care across settings and agencies Supporting patients individually and in groups.
• Supporting carers.
• Assessment and treatment using holistic approaches and/or standardised assessments as appropriate.
• Highly developed interpersonal communication skills for working with patients in collaboration with a wide range of hospice staff.
• Working with multi-cultural and multi-faith communities. Management of complex discharges within an MDT.
• Supervising and delegating tasks to support staff and students.
• Understanding of the principles and practice of quality assurance and service evaluation including audit. Computer literacy including Word and Excel.

Desirable

• Postgraduate experience in:
• Respiratory care and/or non-pharmacological
• Management of breathlessness
• Oncology
• Mental Health
• Lymphoedema
• Wheelchair assessment and provision
• Specialist palliative care experience.
• Community and Day services experience.
• Teaching or training other professionals.
• Awareness of current issues within hospice care eg ethical, societal.

Aptitudes & Attributes

Essential

• Enhanced communication skills.
• Professional flexibility and creativity such as being able to work on own initiative, in groups/one to one - with the ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy.
• Positive mental attitude and a willingness to discuss and negotiate issues and ideas with the appropriate team / individual

Desirable

• Experience of public speaking

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

UK Registration

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