Senior Occupational Therapist / Assessor

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. JOB TITLE:

- Senior Occupational Therapist Assessor

- Senior Physiotherapist Assessor

- Senior Speech & Language Therapist Assessor

2. ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reports to: Recruitment Assessment & Admissions Manager

Occupational / Physiotherapy /SLT Manager

Liaises with: Students and their families / carers.

Therapy colleagues

All sites Provision Managers

Learning Program Managers and Deputies

Senior Residential Teams

Internal multidisciplinary team (MDT)

Allied Health Professionals

External Agencies and Stakeholders

Located: Hybrid requirement to be onsite for assessments. - Ullenwood/Worcester/Mamhilad/Hereford

Hours: Full time / Part time

Salary: £39,576.32 - £45,830.41 dependant on experience

1. MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB ROLE:

To provide high quality pre-entry therapy assessments for prospective learners with complex physical and learning needs, ensuring the holistic understanding of each learners therapy needs prior to enrolment at National Star.

This role bridges assessment and therapy, offering potential students and families an expert clinical perspective during the admissions process. The post holder will not hold a traditional therapy caseload but will play a key role in shaping therapy provision recommendations through functional and subjective assessments. To ensure maintenance of clinical skills, there will be opportunities to be involved in direct therapy delivery to our young people.

The therapist will work collaboratively with the Assessments team and their respective disciplines therapy team (Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy or Speech & Language Therapy) to contribute to the formulation of person centred recommendations for therapy input, equipment needs, and support strategies.

This is a this is a critical role within the organisation contributing to the success of student placements.

1. PRIMARY TASKS:

Assessment Duties:

To undertake pre-entry assessments of prospective students in conjunction with the wider assessments team.

To review and analyse education, health, and care plans (EHCPs), medical reports and supporting documents to prepare for assessment.

To carry out subjective and functional assessments as required with perspective learners and their families in person and/or remotely.

To apply professional expertise to identify therapy needs and make evidence- based recommendations.

To produce clear concise and robust written assessment reports in a timely manner to support the admissions and funding processes.

Clinical Expertise:

To Maintain up-to-date professional registration and clinical competencies within your specialist discipline.

To participate in clinical supervision with therapy leads to ensure practise remains evidence based and aligned with therapy standards at National Star.

Where capacity allows - to support therapy delivery through a small clinical caseload or input into ongoing student support whilst in college.

Be able to work autonomously, making decisions that lean on clear and concise evidence based recommendations.

Collaborative Working:

To To work closely with colleagues across the assessments team, including education, care and therapy colleagues to contribute to holistic assessments.

To liaise with internal therapy team members to ensure alignment of pre-assessment recommendations with current service capacity and resources.

To communicate effectively with students families refers and external professionals to provide accurate information and recommendations.

Professional development & Governance:

To support shape and remodel the assessments process within college for an improved streamlined, person centred, effective and quality service provision.

To contribute to the ongoing development of the therapy assessment role and processes.

To engage in regular CPD audit and service improvement activities.

To adhere to professional legal and ethical frameworks including the HCPC, specific discipline body (CSP/RCOT/RCSLT), and National Star policies.

Quality Assurance & Service Development:

To be involved in quality assurance and development of practice within own professional team, to maintain a high standard of delivery and enhance the provision.

Lead initiatives to reduce disparities in therapy services at offsite provisions, developing strategies to address gaps and promote equity in service delivery.

To provide clinical and statistical information including audits and outcome measures as required.

To comply with all National Star College policies and procedures and the professional Codes of Practice as defined by the Health and Care Professionals Councils (HCPC); including a responsibility to ensure that organisational and professional Quality Standards are promoted throughout the department.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication:

To promote a professional image and raise the profile and role of your professional therapy service, both within the College and the wider community, including other relevant professionals outside of National Star College and external agencies.

Ensure that therapy-related information is effectively communicated to all relevant parties, including students, families, and external professionals, in a timely and transparent manner.

Data Management & Reporting:

Ensure accurate documentation of own professional therapeutic interventions, assessments, and communications in accordance with professional standards and organizational policies.

Safeguarding, Compliance & EDI:

Demonstrate personal commitment to safeguarding by applying organizational policy and attending annual training.

Adhere to all safeguarding policies and procedures, maintaining a high standard of practice to protect the welfare of all students.

Promote and adhere to the Colleges Health and Safety at Work Policy and Procedures, ensuring a safe working environment for all therapy staff and students.

Address any health and safety concerns promptly and report them in line with organizational procedures.

To demonstrate personal commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion to ensure we develop a community which celebrates and values diversity.

To maintain student confidentiality, unless the consequences of disclosure are detrimental to students, staff and College.

To promote and adhere to the Colleges Health and Safety At Work policy and procedures.

Additional Duties:

Be responsive to the unpredictable demands of the role, undertaking other duties within the scope of the job function as required by the Head of Therapies, Admissions Manager or other members of the therapy management team.

Safeguarding

The College takes seriously its responsibility for safeguarding. It is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young adults and children; and requires that all staff share this responsibility and act accordingly by applying organisational policy and procedure and attending annual safeguarding training.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Through personal example and clear action demonstrate commitment to equality and diversity, ensuring equality of access and treatment in employment and service delivery to all.

Health & Safety

Promote the Colleges Health and Safety at Work Policy and Procedure and ensure these are implemented effectively within the department.

Person Specification

Other

Essential

• * Able to meet the travel requirements of the post.

Desirable

• * Full driving licence

Experience

Essential

• * Demonstrates extensive experience and expertise regarding delivering evidence based /best practice clinical interventions with individuals with complex disabilities.
• * Demonstrates clinical expertise and high levels of competency regarding the managing of caseloads including vulnerable young adults with complex needs.
• * A minimum of 2 years post graduate clinical experience. Able to demonstrate detailed and expert clinical knowledge and experience of working with complex physical disabilities, ASD and learning disabilities.
• * Demonstrates highly specialist clinical reasoning, knowledge, skills and competencies regarding assessments, interventions, equipment, and competencies regarding a range of therapeutic interventions including current evidence based/best practice.
• *

Desirable

• * Strong understanding of functional assessment, awareness of EHCPs and SEND processes.
• * Experience of collaborative working and joint planning across internal and external multi-disciplinary teams.
• * Exceptional report writing skills and ability to prepare information to share clear, concise, and accurate reports with others within the MDT.
• * Familiarity with assistive equipment / devises, communication aids, or mobility/postural needs (as relevant to discipline)
• * Experience of working with children or young adults as part of an MDT.

Personal Skills

Essential

• * Demonstrates highly skilled ability and aptitude to working flexibly in pressured environments with competing priorities and deadlines. This includes working under personal initiative, being organized, using independent judgment and negotiation skills to organize complex information. Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• * Ability to analyse and communicate complex operation information from a clinical perspective to a variety of audiences
• *Demonstrates a practical and creative problem-solving approach with an ability to provide innovative therapeutic interventions.
• * Demonstrates excellent communication skills. Highly organised, resilient and able to deal with time sensitive task demands and deadlines.
• * Excellent networking skills with the ability to establish and develop effective working relationships and partnerships, both within the department and across a wider organization.

Qualifications

Essential

• * Recognised Therapy degree level qualification.( Speech & Language Therapy )

Desirable

• Profession specific additional qualifications (eg. Sensory Integration post graduate certificate, inclusive communication training, Posture & positioning training,)

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).

Employer details

Employer name

National Star

Address

Ullenwood Manor Road

Ullenwood

Cheltenham

GL53 9QU

Employer's website

https://www.nationalstar.org (Opens in a new tab)