Job responsibilities
Job summary:
- To provide an efficient and effective Occupational Therapy service with patients in a variety of clinical settings. These include working for the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust in a variety of rotations including those with the Suffolk County Council and in mental health as part of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
- To manage own caseload ensuring the maintenance of professional standards working as an autonomous, independent practitioner.
- To regularly undertake Continuous Professional Development.
- To actively contribute to the development of the Occupational Therapy service as part of the acute, community and wider alliance initiatives.
Job responsibilities:
1 Clinical and Professional
1.1 To undertake all professional duties as an Occupational Therapist maintaining high professional standards, complying at all times with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of conduct and the College of Occupational Therapists code of ethics and professional conduct.
1.2 To undertake a variety of placements within the band 5 rotation scheme. Current rotations include acute, community, social services and mental health settings. We pride ourselves on being able to offer an extensive rotational experience including: medicine, neurology, orthopaedics, surgery, mental health, community physical and social services with the Homefirst and neighbourhood teams.
Community and social services posts are located at various sites across West Suffolk.
Rotations involve managing a caseload of patients with complex needs who need to be assessed in a timely manner. The therapist will be actively developing their knowledge and skills to enable effective intervention with a range of conditions.
- To undertake appropriate assessment programmes to determine patient needs and prioritise patients treated according to need.
- To consider all the elements and select the appropriate course of action, to achieve the best possible outcome by processing a range of information with each individual patient, who will have complex physical and/or mental health needs
1.5 To use clinical reasoning to plan and undertake clinically effective treatment programmes. This should be done in partnership with the patient if at all possible or with a relative or carer
1.6 To provide treatment to facilitate maximum independence by processing and interpreting a range of information and using the techniques that are appropriate to Occupational Therapy
1.7 To review daily treatment programmes to ensure they continue to meet patient needs.
1.8 To utilise a problem-solving approach with treatment programmes to ensure all possible solutions to problems are considered referring to their supervisor / manager when necessary
1.9 To establish a rapport with the patient and use the skills of empathy and persuasion to ensure compliance with the treatment programme. This may then result in the necessity to alter the place of residence e.g. They may not be capable of returning to their own home or may have a permanent change in their physical abilities which may be distressing for the patient, carers and family.
1.10 To assess, order, supply, use and adapt equipment for patients, to enhance independence/mobility. This may include manual and electric wheelchairs, hoists, standing aids and profiling electric beds. To ensure that at all times equipment used and /or adjusted is handled in a safe manner for staff and patients. To ensure the equipment order is completed in a timely manner and to liaise with the relevant equipment provider if there are any problems.
1.11 To comply with the manual handling policies and procedures whilst transferring patients between bed/chair/hoist/bath also whilst transferring patients with hoists or stand aids and carrying equipment.
1.12 To assess for and order on daily basis appropriate equipment required by patients prior to discharge. Ensure the order is completed efficiently and timely liaison is made with the relevant provider if there are any problems.
1.13 To undertake as appropriate the assessment, measuring, pattern making, fabrication and fitting of splints for hands and upper limbs, following surgery or injury.
1.14 To undertake Health Promotion activities such as Hip and Knee Joint Replacement programmes, outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation sessions and the critical care presentations as part of a rolling programme. These sessions involves 1:1, group sessions and formal presentations.
1.15 To plan and undertake assessments in patients residential address ensuring all relevant policies and procedures are followed. This will involve transferring the patient in and out of a car, maneuvering patients in a wheelchair over uneven surfaces and carrying equipment between the car and the patients home.
1.16 To ensure the effective use of appropriate assessment and treatment resources, both in the department and the patients home. This will involve the use of standardised and non-standardised assessments.
1.17 To initiate, undertake and participate in regular formal and informal clinical supervision with a Senior Occupational Therapist in order to reflect on their professional practice identify their training needs and develop their professional practice.
1.18 To initially participate in the Trusts Preceptorship programme to develop confidence as an autonomous professional, refine skills, values and behaviours and to continue the journey of life-long learning for own development objectives. After the Preceptorship period to participate in the Trusts appraisal system agreeing objectives with the supervisor, following KSF guidelines.
1.19 To maintain own Clinical Professional Development throughout the duration of employment and in accordance with the standards recommended by the professional body.
1.20 To complete an initial Professional development Plan upon commencement of employment and then reviewed at the start of each new rotation. Formal appraisals are to be completed on a yearly basis as part of the trust policy. Professional development includes reflective practice, audits, peer review, literature searches and internal and external courses.
- To ensure all Trust policies and procedures are adhered to at all times. The individual must take responsibility to update their knowledge of updated policies and procedures that may affect their working practice.
1.22 To minimise the risk associated with working in a Mental Health situation by undertaking necessary Risk assessments, following Trust Policies and Procedures and using own professional judgment and clinical reasoning
- To participate in rotations within the community if required, 7 day working, extended weekday working hours and weekend working rotas depending upon the allocated rotation.
2 Communication and Team Working
2.1 To establish a rapport with the patient and use the skills of empathy and persuasion to ensure compliance with the treatment programmes, especially those patients with physical and mental health problems. This could be at a difficult and distressing time for patients, relatives, and carers.
2.2 To communicate with patients with multiple physical/mental health problems ensuring a sensitive approach to engage them in treatment programmes. This will involve motivating patients and agreeing treatment goals.
2.3 To ensure good communication with the ward staff by attending board meetings/handovers, MDT meetings, and Case Conferences as appropriate to allow on-going two-way communication between members of the MDT and Occupational Therapy with regard to patient progress and treatment plans. At all times the individual needs to respect the need for confidentiality whilst giving and receiving complex clinical and personal information.
2.4 To liaise with other agencies (both internal and external) to ensure good communication, is imparted (both verbal and written).
2.5 To ensure constant communication is maintained with the patient, relatives and carers as appropriate.
2.6 To communicate to a good level, internally or externally, verbally or with electronic records/reports, any necessary information about patients progress, treatment, recommendations etc.
3 Administration
3.1 To maintain all necessary patient records within the department complying with departmental policies, which incorporate national and local guidelines. This includes using computers for data imputing /word processing.
4 Management of People and Resources
4.1 To attend staff and team meetings and to be involved in contributing to service development through discussion on policies and guidelines.
4.2 To delegate appropriate tasks on a daily basis to the rehabilitation assistants and ensure tasks are carried out in an appropriate manner, through professional supervision and reflection.
4.3 To assist in the supervision of Occupational Therapy Students.
4.4 To be involved in the promotion of Occupational Therapy in the Trust, and as a profession to work experience students, potential Occupational Therapy Students, educational providers and others interested in the profession both in the department and to external bodies.
4.5 To assist in the promotion of the department and Occupational Therapy to work experience students and visitors from other professions.
