Job responsibilities
2. Job Purpose
To
work within the Occupational Therapy Service, leading coordinating and
developing effective intervention in a specialist area, in conjunction with
the Head Occupational Therapist Clinical Area and colleagues.
To
manage autonomously a clinical workload at a highly specialist level:
assessing and treating patients and maintaining associated records.
To
apply evidence based knowledge of the specialist clinical area, acquired
through in depth experience and/or academic study to specialist post graduate
level or equivalent
To
provide Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention to patients with
diverse, complex and multiple pathological presentations.
To
adopt a key role in clinical risk assessment and discharge planning
To
take responsibility for organising and carrying out home assessments. Leading
and co-ordinating discussions with patients and carers, health and social
care professionals and community agencies to plan and implement effective and
safe hospital discharges.
To
provide an evidence based service to the specialist clinical area.
To
provide a patient-focused service following the Occupational Therapy
process (screen referrals, assess and
plan treatment programmes, implement and evaluate treatment programmes,
monitor and plan discharge) using Occupational Therapy core skills.
To
represent the Occupational Therapy Service and act as a patient advocate in
multi-disciplinary meetings, with external agencies such as Social Services,
Housing, Intermediate Care Services.
To
manage, supervise and delegate to Occupational Therapists within the team.
To
manage, supervise and delegate to Occupational Therapy Support Staff.
To
supervise and educate Occupational Therapy Students.
To
act as a professional role model for other team members.
To
assist with the general caseload of the team as service needs dictate.
To
act as a highly specialist Occupational Therapy Resource for colleagues,
carers and patients.
To
lead and participate in team and service developments including audit and
research.
To
be involved in multi-disciplinary coordination and development of services.
The
trust acknowledges and supports the statements laid down by the Code of
Ethics and Professional Conduct (College of Occupational Therapy). The post
holder will be professionally accountable to Health Professions Council, and
accountable contractually to their employer and to the law for their actions.
3. Job Dimensions
Clinical
Responsibilities
The
post holder will be responsible for the management of patients with highly
complex health and social care needs. The post holder as a highly
specialised, autonomous practitioner will address occupational therapy
performance skills, social context and activity demands in collaboration with
patients, carers and colleagues.
Clinical
intervention may take place in a variety of settings including wards, therapy
departments, clinics, peoples homes, work places community facilities, child
care and educational establishments.
The
work involves close liaison with the multi-disciplinary team and community
based health and social care providers.
Refer
to Section 9 for specific details of responsibilities.
Team
Responsibilities
1. To manage, supervise and support
Occupational Therapists, Support Staff and Students
2. To deputise for the Head Occupational
Therapist
3. To represent Occupational Therapy on
working parties and multi-agency meetings
4. To act as a resource of clinical
expertise and advice within the clinical specialty
for colleagues, patients and carers
5. To be responsible for routine
organisation and maintenance of the department/section
6. To initiate, lead and contribute to
service development
7. To support the team in meeting local
and government targets
8. To lead and participate in projects
9. To lead and participate in in-service
training
10. To initiate, promote and implement
changes to policies, procedures and practices within the clinical area as
identified in team plan
11. To be responsible for financial and
physical resources, for example, the use of equipment store systems such as
Leeds Equipment Service, petty cash
12. To be responsible for checking and
cleaning equipment in line with Trust and service Health and Safety Policies
Professional
Responsibilities
1. To support Trust objectives and
business plan
2. To lead and promote Service
objectives and business plan
3. Specialist knowledge of Modernisation
Agenda/Government Initiatives
4. To ensure clinical governance,
quality assurance and professional standards are adhered to.
5. Membership of COT specialist section
relevant to post
6. Awareness of COT initiatives
7. To initiate, promote and lead changes
to policies, procedures and practice within the clinical speciality which may
impact on other disciplines.
5. Core Values
1. Listening to patients and carers in
order to understand their needs, values, interests and aspirations.
2. Promoting personal identity and
empowerment by giving information and choices to patients.
3. Working together in a supportive
environment that values the contribution and proactivity of every team
member.
4. Respecting each persons
individuality, and treating others with the highest degree of dignity and
equality.
5. Welcoming social and cultural
diversity in patients, within teams and other colleagues.
6. Delivering high quality and equitable
services for all service users.
7. Committing to the provision of the
best practice underpinned by a sound evidence base.
8. Embracing personal learning
experiences.
6. Core Behaviours and Skills
To
a highly specialist level:
1. Communication Skills - Written and
Verbal Skill
2. Computer skills
3. Ability to maintain clear lines of
appropriate communication
4. Ability to work as part of a Team (OT
and MDT)
5. Interpersonal Skills
6. Problem-Solving Skills
7. Clinical Reasoning
8. Analytical Skills
9. Investigative Skills
10. Presentation Skills
11. Facilitation Skills
12. Coaching Skills
13. Time Management and ability to
prioritise
14. Ability to Delegate
15. Ability to motivate others
16. Effective Supervision
17. Ability to work within flexible hours
18. Ability to initiate and take
responsibility for personal development
19. Ability to ensure that others take
responsibility for their personal development
20. Links with relevant specialist section
and other networks
21. Ability to work in a changing
environment
22. Negotiation within limitations of
service
23. Ability to work under pressure
24. Assertiveness Skills
25. Ability to move and handle patients
26. Complex discharge planning
27. Ability to promote Occupational
Therapy
28. Adaptability
29. Initiative
30. Empathy and Sensitivity
31. Ability to influence and persuade
32. Patient-focused
33. Strive to empower
34. Ability to maintain confidentiality
35. Ability to promote and practice
clinical governance
36. Involvement in relevant specialist
groups and networks.
8. Core Knowledge and Understanding
To
a highly specialist level:
1. Occupational Therapy process - screen
referrals, assess and plan treatment programmes, implement and evaluate
treatment programmes, monitor and plan discharge
2. Assess motor, perceptual, cognitive,
emotional and psycho-social components of occupational performance.
3. Apply relevant theory and models of
Occupational Therapy
4. Awareness of Risk Assessment and
Management
5. Complex discharge Planning
6. Understanding of functional
implications of illness and disability
7. Disability Rights and Legislation
8. Awareness of the matrix of agencies
involved in the delivery of services
9. Awareness of the facets of clinical
governance
10. Understanding of research methodology
11. Organisational Awareness
12. Diversity Awareness
13. Current relevant legislation
14. Relevant national and professional
guidelines, standards and frameworks
15. Relevant clinical conditions and
prognosis
16. Specialised treatment techniques
17. Relevant standardised assessment
18. Provision and fitting of adaptive
equipment
19. Fieldwork Education Training
9. Principal Duties and Areas of
Responsibility
Clinical
1. To accept clinical responsibility for
a designated caseload of patients and to identify patients who can be
delegated to others.
2. To support with the general caseload
in the team as service needs dictate.
3. To deliver a service using the
Occupational Therapy process (screen referrals, assess and plan treatment
programmes, implement and evaluate treatment programmes, monitor and plan
discharge) and core skills.
4. To establish capacity, gain valid
informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with
patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
5. To assess individual patients, plan
and carry out effective Occupational Therapy intervention to a highly
specialist level, in the most appropriate environment taking into account
each patients individual physical, social and emotional needs.
6. To research evidence and lead in
evidence based practice.
7. To work autonomously, with mostly
indirect supervision.
8. To interpret and analyse at an
advanced level clinical and non-clinical information across a range of
conditions.
9. To use advanced investigative and
analytical skills regarding patients and services.
10. To use clinical reasoning, critical
thinking and analysis to develop individual goals and interventions which
optimise functional ability.
11. To plan and prioritise clinical work.
12. To delegate work to support staff and
obtain feedback from delegated tasks.
13. To use a range of verbal and
non-verbal communication tools/strategies to communicate complex information
effectively to patients/carers.
