Occupational therapist

Job responsibilities

Job purpose

• To work as an occupational therapist within intermediate care team, providing occupational therapy for patients who require Intermediate Care in the community. This will include:
• Assessment and reablement to facilitate timely discharge from community settings
• Assessment/reablement of patient in their own homes
• Supervise the clinical work of OT students or support workers that may be placed with the post holder
• To work flexibly as an integral part of the interdisciplinary Intermediate Care Team, contributing occupational therapy skills to all parts of the team
• To participate in a working rota with other members of the team to cover weekdays and public holidays from 09:00 to 17:00

Communication and relationship skills

Internal:

• Team manager
• Team members
• Community therapy staff
• Other professionals
• Primary health care team
• PALS
• Intermediate care and specialist teams
• Professional lead for continuing and funded nursing care

External:

• Patients and their carers
• Social care providers
• Voluntary agencies
• Housing services
• Other primary care trusts
• Acute hospital trusts
• Community pharmacies
• MedOCC
• Care home providers

Ensure effective communication within the team, the patient and other professional mainstream services and to act as the patient advocate.

Communicate patient information, verbally and in writing to various professionals.

Provide advice, motivation and education, to patients family and carers in respect of their medical/health condition, where there may be barriers to understanding, being empathetic and providing reassurance.

1. Knowledge, training and experience

• Registration with Health Professionals Council (HPC)
• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Knowledge of current legislation and national guidelines affecting relevant practice
• Good understanding of Clinical Governance and managing risk in your own work
• Proven experience, some of which should be in the community
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary Team (MDT)
• Experience in treating patients with a broad range of physical conditions
• Some understanding of mild/moderate dementia
• Understanding of community setting for care and functioning of integrated teams
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
• Good IT skills
• Some experience in audit techniques and research
• Ability to work independently
• To be responsible for maintaining and developing own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal/professional development

1. Analytical and judgement skills

• Ability to prioritise and respond appropriately to patient referrals
• Proactive management of risks

1. Planning and organisational skills

• Liaise with health and social care professionals regarding patient care, treatment progress and discharge planning
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in responding to changing needs and demands of the service

1. Physical skills

• Undertake a range of clinical competencies specific to your professional discipline, which would include holistic and functional assessments
• To take a lead within the service to demonstrate safe manual handling, manoeuvring of wheelchairs and use of hoists, when handling clients with disabilities

1. Responsibility for patient/client care

• Undertake the care of patients, as appropriate ensuring individual needs are met through the use of evidence-based practice
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate programmes of care in consultation with the senior occupational therapist

1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• Follow organisational policies and procedures
• Abide by HPC codes of conduct
• Maintain a professional manner and act as a role model
• Work collaboratively with other team members, colleagues and services in practice and service development within the context of integrated/ inter-professional working

Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• No budgetary responsibility
• Assess patients for standard equipment, request their provision, deliver where necessary and teach patients/carers safe use, taking into consideration risk assessments

1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

• To be responsible for work delegated to associate practitioners
• Motivate and supervise junior staff

Responsibilities for information resources

• Ensure records are kept up to date and safeguard patient confidentiality by being aware of professional, legal and ethical responsibilities
• Record and submit accurate, timely data and information to inform caseload management and service development

Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

• Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities including risk assessments and complaints investigation.

Freedom to act

• Work as an autonomous practitioner within the intermediate care team, with overall management responsibility of a defined caseload.
• Work within defined departmental, professional and organisational protocols, policies and codes of conduct, contributing to the interpretation of national and local policy relevant to specialist clinical area

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Degree in OT
• Registered with HCPC
• Post graduate training
• Practice educator training

Desirable

• Member of COT
• Member of specialist interest group

Experience

Essential

• Broad range of experience at Junior level
• Experience in responding to demand/prioritising work/managing a caseload
• Experience in community work
• Post graduate experience

Desirable

• Experience in developing services or changing services
• Supervision of students

Special knowledge / expertise

Essential

• Good knowledge of assessment and treatment of variety of conditions
• Good knowledge of national and professional issues
• Good knowledge of clinical governance and managing risk

Disposition, adjustment, attitude and commitment

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure
• Good communication
• Attention to details and presentation
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Motivated to community work
• Open and friendly

Desirable

• Experience in implementing change

Practical / intellectual skill

Essential

• Ability to travel to various sites in a timely manner

MCH Values

Essential

• Caring and compassionate, delivering quality and value, working in partnership

Driving

Essential

• Full UK driving license
• Access to a vehicle

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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