Children's Occupational Therapy

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

Contract: Permanent. Full-time 37.5 hours per week

This post is based predominantly in Tynemouth Road Medical Centre, Haringey Special Schools and local community. The medical centre is conveniently positioned close to the Seven Sisters and Tottenham hale tube , over ground and train station. The post holder will have the opportunity to work with children with a wide range of additional needs including physical disabilities, developmental delays, ASC, syndromes and other neurological conditions who attend nurseries, mainstream and special schools in Haringey. The children are seen at home, nurseries, school and in clinic.

The post holder will support with our 3 -tiered offer including universal offer and virtual training sessions for parents and educators. They will also carry a caseload of children and work with the MDT to support the child engage in their meaningful occupation in the areas of leisure (play), productivity (school) and self-care (washing/ dressing). The post holder will work in collaboration with the school, special school and directly with children and families, assessing, goal setting, devising and implementing therapy programmes/plans and prescribing equipment and evaluating outcomes.

The post holder will contribute to the Statutory Assessment of SEN as required within time limits set out by the code of practice 2014. The post holder will receive support and supervision from the clinical leads in the Occupational Therapy service.

Main duties of the job

Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Date posted

10 January 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year per annum, pro rata inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

220-WHT-1850

Job locations

Tynemouth Road Health Centre

Tynemouth Road

London

N15 4RH

Job description

Job responsibilities

To carry a personal clinical caseload maintaining a high level of professional competence and demonstrate developing clinical expertise.
To administer specialist standardised and structured assessments, interpret results and contribute to accurate diagnosis and prognosis within the team responsible for the childs care.
To assess and treat individual children with complex needs, in their homes and special school, mainstream school or clinic setting, working as part of the multi-disciplinary team, and liaising closely with education staff and parents/carers.
To devise and manage a specialised treatment plan individual to a childs presenting condition through:

Home programs agreed with parents
Practice of functional tasks in the natural environment
Therapeutic handling and postural management
Equipment provision at home and school
Developmentally appropriate skills in play, self care and nursery activities
Sensory based interventions
Health Promotion/extra curricular activities e.g. swimming
Addressing relevant psychosocial issues
Multidisciplinary approach, coordinating support with other members of the team.

To attend meetings necessary to co-ordinate multi-agency care of the child e.g. transition planning, child protection.
To utilise a 3-tiered model of practice universal, targeted and specialist to deliver high quality evidence-based care.
To keep accurate and timely records, and write reports and discharge summaries as required, ensuring that confidentiality and information-sharing standards are met as in Trust and professional standards.
To provide Occupational Therapy advice to Education Health and Care assessments, as required.
To be actively involved in target setting and annual review meetings, working across disciplines to ensure continuity of approach and to maximise the effectiveness of treatment in the home and school settings.
To plan and carry out home visits to the child in the home environment, to carry out risk assessments; to assess for specialist equipment, or to advise the parent/carer.
To be involved in the assessment for and selection of specialist equipment for children at home and in the special school/ mainstream school, taking responsibility for review of its safety and appropriateness.
To establish relationships with community services and facilities, and to assist children and their families to make links with resources available to them.

To work effectively with clients, carers, and colleagues around individual case management, providing advice, guidance and support as necessary and involving them in the planning and prioritisation of care wherever possible.

To reflect on clinical practice; adequately identifying strengths & needs of clients, reviewing their response to therapy and providing evidence of sound clinical judgement.
To monitor and review the progress of children on caseload and facilitate the development or modification of packages of care / targets as appropriate using evaluation/outcome measurement tools.
To adapt practice to meet individual client/carers circumstances, taking into account cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
To produce accurate, & detailed reports, therapy programmes, advice and information as necessary in a timely manner.
To refer children to other Health, Education or Social Services professionals as necessary.
To undertake home visits, as necessary, in compliance with Home Visiting Safety Policy.

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP SKILLS:

To work closely with clients and carers using empathy, tact, reassurance, and active listening to complete assessments, discuss results, and agree treatment options.
To develop skills in motivating clients/carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
To use a range of communication strategies to overcome barriers to communicating e.g. language, communication difficulties or cognitive impairment and English as a second language, in order to engage and motivate the child and their family/carers in their Occupational Therapy treatment.
To communicate complex clinical information and care plans to parents, carers, and staff in other agencies, for them to understand and carry out effective treatment or management of the child.
To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, recognising and resolving potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs. To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and contributing to complaint responses where required.
To form effective therapeutic relationships with clients and/or carers who may be under stress and/or having challenging behaviour.
To provide training to a variety of audiences on aspects of occupational therapy.
To communicate effectively and sensitively with colleagues, service users and other services, both within and outside the Borough, on all matters related to client care, service organisation and delivery e.g.

Education
Housing
Social Services
Voluntary Services
Wheelchair Services
Tertiary Service e.g. GOSH, Evelina
Services in other Boroughs

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING & EXPERIENCE:

To identify own training needs as part of the Professional Development Review in discussion with the Lead Therapist for service and the supervisor in mainstream schools services to attend training as agreed
To take students developing their skills and feeding back on their performance and competencies.
To keep up to date with current clinical developments, evidence base practice and interventions through reading, attendance at courses, meetings and Specific Interest Groups
To participate in regular clinical supervision
To always maintain up to date professional registration with HCPC and RCOT.
To work within the standards and guidelines laid down by the Occupational Therapy Service, the Trust, the British Association of Occupational Therapy (BAOT), the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC), RCOT specialist section Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) and other relevant clinical interest groups as well as the Childrens Act.

To participate in Peer Support Groups and safeguarding supervision.

ANALYTICAL & JUDGEMENTAL SKILLS:

To be able to gather and analyse all information, including observation and formal assessment results, to identify the most appropriate intervention.
To adapt intervention as necessary according to individual need, progress, and ability.
To seek second opinions from more senior colleges and/or line manager in complex cases.
To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor
To develop, record and adapt individual care plans, based on assessment results and response to treatment.
To evaluate all training provided and amend according to feedback.

PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS:

To manage and prioritise a defined caseload
To manage and prioritise own workload
To plan and organise groups and training, as required.

PHYSICAL SKILLS:

To move equipment and clients safely during assessment and make manual handling assessments
To move between crouching, kneeling and standing when examining equipment
To use a keyboard to input data, access emails and produce individualised therapy advice as required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To carry a personal clinical caseload maintaining a high level of professional competence and demonstrate developing clinical expertise.
To administer specialist standardised and structured assessments, interpret results and contribute to accurate diagnosis and prognosis within the team responsible for the childs care.
To assess and treat individual children with complex needs, in their homes and special school, mainstream school or clinic setting, working as part of the multi-disciplinary team, and liaising closely with education staff and parents/carers.
To devise and manage a specialised treatment plan individual to a childs presenting condition through:

Home programs agreed with parents
Practice of functional tasks in the natural environment
Therapeutic handling and postural management
Equipment provision at home and school
Developmentally appropriate skills in play, self care and nursery activities
Sensory based interventions
Health Promotion/extra curricular activities e.g. swimming
Addressing relevant psychosocial issues
Multidisciplinary approach, coordinating support with other members of the team.

To attend meetings necessary to co-ordinate multi-agency care of the child e.g. transition planning, child protection.
To utilise a 3-tiered model of practice universal, targeted and specialist to deliver high quality evidence-based care.
To keep accurate and timely records, and write reports and discharge summaries as required, ensuring that confidentiality and information-sharing standards are met as in Trust and professional standards.
To provide Occupational Therapy advice to Education Health and Care assessments, as required.
To be actively involved in target setting and annual review meetings, working across disciplines to ensure continuity of approach and to maximise the effectiveness of treatment in the home and school settings.
To plan and carry out home visits to the child in the home environment, to carry out risk assessments; to assess for specialist equipment, or to advise the parent/carer.
To be involved in the assessment for and selection of specialist equipment for children at home and in the special school/ mainstream school, taking responsibility for review of its safety and appropriateness.
To establish relationships with community services and facilities, and to assist children and their families to make links with resources available to them.

To work effectively with clients, carers, and colleagues around individual case management, providing advice, guidance and support as necessary and involving them in the planning and prioritisation of care wherever possible.

To reflect on clinical practice; adequately identifying strengths & needs of clients, reviewing their response to therapy and providing evidence of sound clinical judgement.
To monitor and review the progress of children on caseload and facilitate the development or modification of packages of care / targets as appropriate using evaluation/outcome measurement tools.
To adapt practice to meet individual client/carers circumstances, taking into account cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
To produce accurate, & detailed reports, therapy programmes, advice and information as necessary in a timely manner.
To refer children to other Health, Education or Social Services professionals as necessary.
To undertake home visits, as necessary, in compliance with Home Visiting Safety Policy.

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP SKILLS:

To work closely with clients and carers using empathy, tact, reassurance, and active listening to complete assessments, discuss results, and agree treatment options.
To develop skills in motivating clients/carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
To use a range of communication strategies to overcome barriers to communicating e.g. language, communication difficulties or cognitive impairment and English as a second language, in order to engage and motivate the child and their family/carers in their Occupational Therapy treatment.
To communicate complex clinical information and care plans to parents, carers, and staff in other agencies, for them to understand and carry out effective treatment or management of the child.
To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, recognising and resolving potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs. To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and contributing to complaint responses where required.
To form effective therapeutic relationships with clients and/or carers who may be under stress and/or having challenging behaviour.
To provide training to a variety of audiences on aspects of occupational therapy.
To communicate effectively and sensitively with colleagues, service users and other services, both within and outside the Borough, on all matters related to client care, service organisation and delivery e.g.

Education
Housing
Social Services
Voluntary Services
Wheelchair Services
Tertiary Service e.g. GOSH, Evelina
Services in other Boroughs

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING & EXPERIENCE:

To identify own training needs as part of the Professional Development Review in discussion with the Lead Therapist for service and the supervisor in mainstream schools services to attend training as agreed
To take students developing their skills and feeding back on their performance and competencies.
To keep up to date with current clinical developments, evidence base practice and interventions through reading, attendance at courses, meetings and Specific Interest Groups
To participate in regular clinical supervision
To always maintain up to date professional registration with HCPC and RCOT.
To work within the standards and guidelines laid down by the Occupational Therapy Service, the Trust, the British Association of Occupational Therapy (BAOT), the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC), RCOT specialist section Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) and other relevant clinical interest groups as well as the Childrens Act.

To participate in Peer Support Groups and safeguarding supervision.

ANALYTICAL & JUDGEMENTAL SKILLS:

To be able to gather and analyse all information, including observation and formal assessment results, to identify the most appropriate intervention.
To adapt intervention as necessary according to individual need, progress, and ability.
To seek second opinions from more senior colleges and/or line manager in complex cases.
To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers/clinical supervisor
To develop, record and adapt individual care plans, based on assessment results and response to treatment.
To evaluate all training provided and amend according to feedback.

PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS:

To manage and prioritise a defined caseload
To manage and prioritise own workload
To plan and organise groups and training, as required.

PHYSICAL SKILLS:

To move equipment and clients safely during assessment and make manual handling assessments
To move between crouching, kneeling and standing when examining equipment
To use a keyboard to input data, access emails and produce individualised therapy advice as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualification degree/diploma in Occupational Therapy and current HPC registration
Attendance at specialist post-graduate courses relevant to paediatric OT

Experience

Essential

Work or placement experience in community / education setting or related work areas
Experience / knowledge of working with children with special needs focusing on childhood occupation, using standardised assessments and implementing specialised treatment approaches
Experience of managing a caseload, and of working with other staff to implement Occupational Therapy treatment programmes
Experience / understanding of supervising students

Skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly, verbally and in writing, and overcome barriers to communication
Ability to manage own time and a clinical caseload, and to describe ways of prioritising work
Understanding of issues involved in working in a diverse community, and of practical ways to ensure OT practice is culturally appropriate and accessible
Understanding of the role of and process of clinical supervision

Knowledge

Essential

Evidence of understanding of the roles of the OT working within a school environment
Knowledge of understanding the needs of children with disabilities and their families/carers, and to explain the role of the OT to them
Knowledge of legislative frameworks / current legislation in relation to health care

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualification degree/diploma in Occupational Therapy and current HPC registration
Attendance at specialist post-graduate courses relevant to paediatric OT

Experience

Essential

Work or placement experience in community / education setting or related work areas
Experience / knowledge of working with children with special needs focusing on childhood occupation, using standardised assessments and implementing specialised treatment approaches
Experience of managing a caseload, and of working with other staff to implement Occupational Therapy treatment programmes
Experience / understanding of supervising students

Skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly, verbally and in writing, and overcome barriers to communication
Ability to manage own time and a clinical caseload, and to describe ways of prioritising work
Understanding of issues involved in working in a diverse community, and of practical ways to ensure OT practice is culturally appropriate and accessible
Understanding of the role of and process of clinical supervision

Knowledge

Essential

Evidence of understanding of the roles of the OT working within a school environment
Knowledge of understanding the needs of children with disabilities and their families/carers, and to explain the role of the OT to them
Knowledge of legislative frameworks / current legislation in relation to health care

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).