Homelessness Team Occupational Therapist

Job summary

This is an exciting role to help provide an innovative model of care for homeless people admitted to St Georges Hospital.

This post is open to individuals with occupational therapy backgrounds who have an interest in homeless health issues. They will provide clinical expertise and case management for patients referred to the service. They will have an understanding of the complex tri-morbid factors that the patient cohort experience, taking this into consideration in assessment and recommendations made.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be engaged in significant partnership working aimed at improving hospital discharge for individuals, and also for groups of patients where patterns emerge. This partnership working will be with NHS services, GP's, Housing departments, Social Care and Voluntary Sector organisations. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that there are processes in place for the holistic assessment, planning and provision of interventions.

The post holder will work alongside a Specialist General Practitioner a Homelessness Nurse Specialist, 2 Housing Officers, Adult Violence Practitioner and Care Navigator, to provide additional support to homeless people. The post holder will be responsible for supporting the Homeless Team in the enhanced management of homeless people on the wards. The post holder will provide direct support to the Homeless Team, medical and surgical teams, therapists and wards in discharging their patients in a safe and timely manner.

The team work closely with staff across all disciplines between hospital and community to ensure a safe, timely and effective transfer of patient care on discharge. The team aims to improve the health of homeless people, provide holistic well co-ordinated care, reduce delayed discharges and also reduce premature discharges of homeless patients with the aim of reducing future unscheduled admissions and ED attendances.

About us

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and expects that all staff will share in this commitment. The Trust is clear that all staff have a responsibility to be aware of children and adult safeguarding policies and procedures and that each member of staff, clinical and non-clinical, will attend child or adult safeguarding training that is provided at an appropriate level to suit their role. The Trust has the additional expectation that all staff will be able to identify concerns and know what action to take