Advanced Occupational Therapist A&E and EF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

1. To independently manage a caseload of patients with complex health and social needs, using evidence-based principles to plan and implement effective assessments and treatment programmes.

2. To undertake comprehensive and timely assessments of patients utilising robust clinical reasoning and analytical skills, responding to changes in patients clinical and functional needs, including assessing their ability to give informed consent for therapy and eliciting active patient participation in treatment.

3. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to inform accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of clinical conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention and to develop comprehensive goals and discharge plans.

4. To carry out specialist interventions and apply appropriate treatment approaches, such as splinting, and specialist seating, with both individual and groups of patients, on the wards, in the Occupational Therapy department and in community settings.

5. To use specialist activity analysis techniques in conjunction with patient centred practice (patient choice and patient priorities), to select and grade activities in order to achieve therapeutic goals.

6. To empower patients to be actively involved in self-management, through advice, education, coping strategies and therapeutic procedures.

7. To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of interventions.

8. To develop effective therapeutic relationships with patients who may have complex, cognitive, perceptual and behavioural presentations, demonstrating empathy and sensitivity to issues, which may arise in hostile and emotive situations.

9. To communicate effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and other agencies, demonstrating developed verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate often complex concepts, managing barriers to communications such as dysphasia, learning difficulties, cognitive or sensory difficulties, different languages etc.

10. To seek advice from other relevant professionals to inform analysis and reasoning where appropriate.

11. To apply a robust understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to patient environments.

12. To ensure accurate and up to date documentation of all interventions complying with trust, departmental and professional standards and provide Occupational Therapy reports relevant to clinical speciality.

13. To delegate appropriate tasks to junior staff, taking into account their skills and competencies.

14. To demonstrate a good working knowledge of specialist disability equipment.

15. To arrange for the provision of appropriate standard and non-standard specialist disability equipment, obtaining authorisation where necessary.

16. To provide verbal and written advice, demonstration and teaching to patients and carers in the use of equipment and other techniques to optimise patients functional ability, safety and independence.

17. To demonstrate a robust understanding of the implications of manual handling legislation and current best practice, applying this knowledge to the practice of therapeutic manual handling.

18. To undertake risk assessments in complex interventions including moving and handling situations where appropriate.

19. To identify and justify when a patient does not require occupational therapy intervention but needs other MDT input or referrals to other services.

20. To liaise with health and social care professionals and other related private, statutory and voluntary organisations, providing comprehensive written reports, recommendations and referrals where appropriate.

21. To provide specialist advice within own field of expertise to colleagues working within other clinical areas.

22. To be prepared to work on a short term basis in other areas in the hospital as directed by the Head of Occupational Therapy in times of staff shortages and service need.

Management

1. To support and assist the team leader in the planning and delivery of the Occupational Therapy service, including participation in the recruitment and selection of junior staff.

2. To identify unmet needs and gaps in service provision and highlight these to team leader.

3. To provide support, guidance, teaching and clinical supervision to junior qualified and non-qualified Occupational Therapy staff.

4. To support and assist the team leader in appraisals for junior staff on an annual basis ensuring feedback on performance is given at regular intervals throughout the year.

5. To initiate, plan and implement the induction, training and education for students on practice placement and other staff, within or external to the Trust, as delegated by senior staff.

6. To take responsibility for risk management and health and safety in the workplace by adhering to and promoting Health and Safety regulations, trust and departmental policies.

7. To ensure that written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and trust standards.

8. To have a good working knowledge of good resource management and budgetary constraints.

9. To maintain and advise on stock and resources necessary to carry out the work of the Occupational Therapy service. To deputise for the team leader by carrying out delegated tasks when required, seeking guidance and support from Head of Occupational Therapy or another appropriate senior.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD

Desirable

• Clinical Supervisors Course
• Speciality Specific Post registration training

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of the OT role, relevant standardised OT assessments and interventions in conditions relating to speciality/post.
• Knowledge of OT models of practice (A) Working knowledge of current legislation, government initiatives and current practice affecting OT
• Proven experience as an Occupational Therapist

Skills

Essential

• High level verbal and written communication skills
• Good command of English

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

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

Worthing Hospital

Lyndhurst Road

Worthing

BN11 2DH

Employer's website

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