Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist - Stroke

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

1. To organise and manage the specialist provision of occupational therapy rehabilitation to patients across the hyperacute and acute stroke services.

2. To work at an advanced clinical level within stroke, particularly in the assessment, diagnosis and management of complex patients.

3. To use analytical and judgement skills to diagnose occupational difficulties (physical, cognitive, perceptual and emotive impact on functional performance), understand complex situations and formulate appropriate solutions.

4. To develop programmes of care to meet the highly specialist and complex needs of patients that includes meeting the needs of patients and their extended support system. This practice should be evidence based and be in accordance with current research.

5. To manage a clinical neurological inpatient caseload to a high standard, including assessment, interventions and discharge planning. To carry out this care in accordance with research findings and evidence based practice.

6. To plan and co-ordinate complex multi-disciplinary activities e.g. case conferences; discharge planning and other keyworker activities.

7. To work within local policies and procedures, national standards and guidelines and adhere to the Royal College of Occupational Therapy professional standards and ethics.

8. To fulfil requirement to exert moderate physical effort to provide manual physical therapy within occupational therapy practice. To be able to manoeuvre patients and specialist equipment safely and effectively.

9. To supervise, train and provide day-to-day management to occupational therapists and assistants.

10. To provide advice/support to occupational therapy colleagues on clinical practice issues and service development initiatives.

11. To propose and action changes, develop, organise and manage stroke occupational therapy services.

12. To consult with occupational therapists within the trust and external to the trust regarding occupational therapy in stroke.

13. To work across disciplines and services to develop protocols and procedures.

14. To liaise with the service manager, therapy lead and stroke consultants to agree protocols/care pathways for the assessment and management of patients.

15. To work with the head/ deputy head of occupational therapy and service managers, therapy leads and consultants to develop a service for patients with complex presentations.

16. To liaise with consultants and managers regarding service developments and changes in practice.

COMMUNICATION

1. To establish robust communication networks with patients, carers, multidisciplinary members and other agencies.

2. To ensure a quality service for patients by maintaining a high standard in relation to communication with patients, liaison with referrers and other team members, and documentation of intervention.

3. To promote awareness of the role of occupational therapy within the team, negotiating priorities where appropriate.

4. To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained across the stroke occupational therapy service in accordance with professional and trust standards and provide reports relevant to practice setting.

5. To write good quality occupational therapy functional and discharge reports for social services, onward inpatient services and community services.

6. To represent occupational therapy at ward, departmental and service level meetings, including delegation for the clinical lead occupational therapist.

7. To provide and receive complex, diagnosis related information (including providing information regarding rehabilitation prospects that may be unwelcome) to patients and their social environment that may involve empathetic, re-assurance, persuasion and negotiation skills. Barriers to understanding may be present.

MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

1. To keep comprehensive records of activity in accordance with local and national requirements.

2. Ensure ongoing evaluation of the service provided against agreed outcomes.

3. To provide occupational therapy input to service planning, developments and operational management, as required.

4. To provide input into clinical governance, risk management and quality programmes.

5. To ensure management across stroke of occupational therapy student placement offers and individually supervise and complete yearly appraisal with staff and/or students.

6. To be aware of the importance of staff wellbeing, accessing trust support as required and raising any concerns.

7. To evaluate the service requirements for occupational therapy input in order to maximise the potential for rehabilitation.

8. Attend and contribute to relevant stroke service and occupational therapy department meetings.

9. To be actively engaged in relevant professional networks.

10. To develop and implement relevant policies for own area and propose changes that applies to rest of department to occupational therapy in liaison with other clinical leads and head/ deputy head of occupational therapy.

11. To be aware of, interpret for specialist area and implement codes of practice, local and national guidelines.

12. To be responsible for the safe use of equipment and be responsible for encouraging the team reporting of defective equipment.

13. Responsible for maintaining stock control systems.

14. Authorised signatory for small petty cash payments, social services small equipment (up to value of £300) and locum timesheets.

15. To be actively involved in recruitment of new staff.

16. To abide by clinical governance agenda and responsible for appropriate risk management.

TRAINING, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

1. Prepare and participate in lectures, seminars, specialist training programmes and demonstrations to occupational therapists and members of other disciplines both within and external to the trust.

2. To provide practical training and clinical supervision within discipline to students on clinical placement and staff within the service.

3. To participate in the occupational therapy preceptorship provision within the trust and encourage participation by the team.

4. To take responsibility for keeping own specialist knowledge up to date and maintaining evidence based clinical expertise, acting as a resource in this clinical area.

5. To participate in and develop as appropriate occupational therapy or multidisciplinary research, and actively participate in any evaluation or research projects within the unit as appropriate and as agreed.

6. To undertake clinical audit and service evaluation both within the trust and on a national level, taking the lead role where appropriate.

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 Trust Values and Vision.

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.

Safe Guarding

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
• reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.

These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.

Person Specification

Acute experience

Essential

• Band 7 and above acute setting experience working within stroke and/or neurology

Desirable

• Band 8a acute setting experience working within stroke and/or neurology

Management and leadership

Essential

• Experience of operational management and leadership of staff

Desirable

• Management and leadership training at Dip/Msc levels

Communication

Essential

• High standards of verbal and written communication

Desirable

• Published journals or articles

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

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Employer's website

https://www.kch.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)