Job responsibilities
Clinical:
To carry a designated clinical caseload including highly complex and specialist neonatal patients and prioritise that work efficiently, taking into account clinical and service priorities using highly specialist knowledge to underpin decisions.
To provide cross-cover to the paediatric wards as required
To be able to use assessments and outcome measures specific to a neonatal population.
To be able to identify infants at risk of neuro- development difficulties and manage as appropriate
To use evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
- To work with patients/families to identify OT goals as part of the overall care plan, using specialist OT assessment tools.
To provide and prescribe individual patient equipment as required, such as appropriate seating, upper limb splints and small aids. To issue such equipment with due regard to safety of the equipment, and in line with legal, national and local guidelines
- To keep up to date with new developments and changing trends in OT relevant to specialist areas.
- To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
- To apply a high level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and adaptations to the clients social and physical environment.
- To assess the occupational needs of a defined patient group and establish and evaluate appropriate OT interventions.
- To develop new working practices and local guidelines and keep abreast of new techniques in relation to the management of the patients in this specialty particularly in line with any national guidance.
- To contribute to production of clinical guidelines and local policies ensuring evidence-based, implemented and audited.
- To provide guidance and advice to other professions and bodies involved in the provision of neonatal services and to the patients and their carers.
Communication
- To be able to engage and motivate patients through effective communication skills.
- To be highly skilled in communicating with babies and children of all ages and abilities including those with learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviour.
- To be able to sensitively communicate with parents and families of babies admitted to the neonatal unit.
- Provide patients, families and other carers with specialist advice or instruction to promote the understanding of the aims of occupational therapy and to ensure consistent patient management, including the use of specialist equipment, such as special seating or orthotics.
- To provide and receive information from patients, carers and other professionals regarding a patients condition and treatment progress. This will include the sharing and receiving of some complex and/or sensitive information.
- To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximize potential and to improve understanding of the condition which will require the appropriate response to the patients level of communication, facilitating the best possible communication outcome e.g. use of interpreters.
- To effectively build professional relationships and communicate effectively with the wider neonatal team, to support the integration of OT into the neonatal unit.
- To establish robust communication networks with patients, carers, agencies MDT members and other agencies.
To promote awareness of the role of OT within the team, negotiating priorities where appropriate.
To be integral in discharge planning including liaison with staff in referring hospitals or community staff, to which patients are discharged for further early intervention support, providing timely discharge reports and handover documents.
To take an active part in departmental meetings.
To ensure open lines of communication within own team and guide junior staff in effective communication skills.
Documentation
To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards and provide specialist OT reports relevant to practice setting.
Professional Ethics
To comply with the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and local policies and procedures.
Training Staff & Students
- To contribute to the induction, training of students and other staff both within the Trust and where appropriate externally.
- To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of OT students on practice placement within the Trust.
- To teach on the OT in-service training programme
- To teach medical and nursing staff as part of induction programs and in-service training programs
Service Development & Delivery
- To develop, implement and review the occupational therapy service to the neonatal units at DH and PRUH sites.
- To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within your team, leading on delegated projects.
To participate in the delivery of the OT service objectives and development plan.
- To be responsible for advising on resources to carry out the service.
To carry out routine admin duties as required.
To maintain equipment inventory, ensure equipment is ordered appropriately and investigate bids for further equipment.
To be responsible for regular inspection and ensure reporting of defects of equipment used in this area.
To be aware of the cost/benefit implications in the selection of appropriate equipment to be provided for patient long-term use as an individual and by the team.
Professional Development
- To apply specialist skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practise as a senior OT.
- To demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
Clinical Governance, Quality Standards
To contribute to the formulation of departmental policies and procedures and participate in agreed developments in the occupational therapy service or its organisation.
To initiate and implement changes to working practices related to research findings or service initiatives e.g. following demand and capacity work including evaluation of such changes.
To undertake clinical audit, report on findings and after discussion with the clinical lead, implement changes and re-audit.
To have a sound knowledge of Clinical Governance and have an active role in clinical effectiveness and audit within the department, taking a lead role as required
- Contribute to the trusts, directorates and teams clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.
To apply national guidelines/legislation relating to health and social care in the NHS service provision
Research & Practice Development
- To undertake audit projects relevant to OT and/or service area, disseminating findings at local level.
- To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.
To lead in journal club presentations and inservice training programmes.
People Management and Performance
Lead, coach and manage the performance of the band 6 OT in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
- To deputise for the clinical lead where appropriate.
- Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure band 6 OT has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
- Assist the Clinical Lead to review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
- Assist Clinical Lead to ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
General
The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
- To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
- To live and role model the Kings Strong Roots, Global Reach Strategy of:
- B: Brilliant People
- O: Outstanding Care
- L: Leaders in Research, Innovation & Education
- D: Diversity, Equality & Inclusion at the heart of everything we do
- To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
- To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
- This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
- All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
Safeguarding
The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;
- attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
- familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns
- reportingany safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately
