Senior Occupational Therapist, Brain Injury Outreach Team

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.

To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi-pathologies; use advanced clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to provide an appropriate programme of treatment.

Formulate and deliver an individual occupational therapy treatment programme based on specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning and knowledge of treatment skills.

To take responsibility for managing patients within particular specialist area and be responsible for managing specialised occupational therapy assessment and programme of care for patients with these conditions.

Formulate a prognosis and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive plans to facilitate safe discharge and maximise functional abilities.

Assess patients understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

Work effectively with patients whose first language is not English and takes into consideration diversity issues, in particular differing cultural awareness.

To engage patients in the assessment and rehabilitation process using developed motivational and empathetic skills to overcome barriers such as cognitive impairments, behavioural difficulties, communication difficulties (dysphasia), mental health issues and difficulties accepting diagnosis/prognosis.

To develop and review specialist rehabilitation and management programmes for carers, family and patients within the hospital.

Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required.

Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.

Work within trust guidelines and College of Occupational Therapy guidelines and to have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate.

Managerial

To be responsible for allocation of clinical work to team members.

Plan the effective daily management of a caseload of patients including responding to urgent referrals and occasionally unpredictable work patterns.

To be able to prioritise clinical work and balance other patient related and professional activities in accordance with the departmental requirements.

Be responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff, support staff and students on a daily basis, to include supervision of their clinical practice and record keeping.

Represent the occupational therapy service and/or individual patients at the multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service, and integrate occupational therapy into the treatment programme.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment, patient appliances and aids used by patients; ensuring that junior staff/technicians are adequately trained and competent, and adhere to the relevant policies.

Deputise for the Band 7 Team Leader in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the team.

To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner including acute conditions, neurology and areas for terminal care.

To work with the occupational therapy team to provide an efficient and effective service and be involved in the proposal/development and implementation of departmental policies and the annual service objectives.

To maintain and provide accurate and timely statistical information as required in consultation with the team leader.

To participate in the Trust Personal Development Review as appraisee and appraiser to junior staff.

To assist in the recruitment and selection process of Occupational Therapy staff.

To ensure that all equipment defects, accidents and complaints are reported to your line manager and the occupational therapy manager immediately to ensure that appropriate action may be taken in line with Trust Health and Safety Policies.

Communication

To provide specialist advice to occupational therapists and MDT members as requested within specialist area.

To communicate effectively with other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure multi-disciplinary approach to care.

Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes.

To be able to communicate highly complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff including imparting unwelcome news.

To ensure timely and effective communication with the senior staff on all professional matters.

To maintain an accurate record keeping system in line with RCOT standards and local guidelines.

To attend, organise or lead ward rounds, meetings, case conferences as appropriate in order to ensure effective and timely management of patients through to discharge.

To attend and be an active participant in speciality, peer group and departmental staff meetings.

Working Conditions and Effort

To carry out assessments for the issue and fitting of equipment requiring moderate physical daily effort..

To comply with the Trust Manual Handling Policy and local manual handling policy at all times.

To deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by their change in health status and functional ability.

The job involves exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. unavoidable hazards, body fluids and challenging behaviour.

To deal with exposure to distressing or emotional situations within clinical caseload e.g. Terminal illness, newly diagnosed degenerative conditions, injuries resulting from assault.

To work alone in the community where there may be cramped working conditions and environmental hazards.

Education

To be responsible for the training of junior staff on rotation, students on clinical placement and support staff within specialised clinical area.

To be responsible for and actively record your own continued professional development.

To keep up to date on all new developments within speciality, including attending relevant study days and visits to specialist units in consultation with the Occupational Therapy team.

Organise and implement training sessions when required in the relevant department.

To disseminate knowledge to occupational therapy staff through in-service training and be available for training other health care professionals as required.

To be proactive with regard to learning from senior staff within the occupational therapy service.

Research

To participate in appropriate work-related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to the speciality.

In line with the Trusts commitment to Clinical Governance, to participate in clinical audit and evaluate your own clinical effectiveness.

Ensure any ideas to improve quality of patient care are discussed within the Occupational Therapy service.

Other

Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities, and No Smoking.

Act in such a way that at all times the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults is safeguarded. Familiarisation with and adherence to the Safeguarding Policies of the Trust is an essential requirement for all employees. In addition all staff are expected to complete essential/mandatory training in this area.

Respect the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment and other members of staff. All staff are expected to respect conform to the requirements of GDPR, including the responsibility to ensure that personal data is accurate and kept up to date

This post may require 7 day working in the future

You must be a car driver and owner with the relevant business insurance cover and be able to use your car for work.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with external agencies.
• Experience of working with service users and their families.
• Individual, group and team work.
• Of supervising students.
• Documented evidence of CPD.
• Undertaking literature reviews and research.
• 2 years experience required.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent.
• Health and Care Professions Council Registration.

Desirable

• Post registration training within neurology.
• Member of British Association of Occupational Therapists.
• Practice Placement Qualification.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Supervisory skills
• Effective written and oral communication including ability to engage service users including those with communication, sensory and behavioural impairments
• Ability to plan, review and evaluate occupational therapy treatment plans
• Ability to risk assess and clinically reason decisions
• Ability to delegate
• Ability to set own priorities
• Ability to reflect and critically analyse own performance
• Ability to build effective working relationships
• Computer literacy
• Presentation skills/training skills
• Commitment to lifelong learning
• Able to work flexibly and manage pressure of work
• Ability to travel between sites and community settings
• Ability to lone work
• Knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions including outcome measures within neurology
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and some aspects of current practice/ Risk Assessment
• Knowledge of best practice in OT relating to neurology
• Basic knowledge of audit/research methods
• Knowledge of clinical governance framework
• Knowledge of Health/Safety issues
• Knowledge of professional/ethical issues in practice
• Car driver with access to vehicle, appropriate insurance and driving

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)