Job summary
A great opportunity for an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or healthcare scientist to join the Oxfordshire Wheelchair Service. We are a multi-disciplinary team of therapists, engineers, technicians and administrators working together to provide wheelchairs and wheelchair seating to Oxfordshire.
You will be based at the Oxford Centre of Enablement at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. Appointments are carried out in clinic and in the community at patients' homes, schools and day centres.
Driving license essential, but pool vehicles are provided so no need for access to your own car.
Full-time preferred, but part time will be considered.
Main duties of the job
To work within the multi-disciplinary team as a wheelchair clinician offering high quality, user-focused wheelchair and seating provision to adults and children registered with an Oxfordshire GP.
To assess for, prescribe, supply and evaluate seating and mobility equipment to adults and children, many of whom will have complex problems.
To work within professional standards and clinical guidelines, promote best practice and undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
To act as a resource for all Health Care Professionals within Oxfordshire, providing ongoing support and advice on seating prescription and provision, pressure management, posture management and related issues.
To supervise junior staff and students as required.
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles
Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.
If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
1. Adhere to and comply with relevant professional bodys Professional Codes of Conduct and Professional Standards and HCPC registration requirements.
2. Maintain and develop own clinical competence through clinical supervision, reflective practice, training and membership of appropriate special interest groups.
3. Take responsibility for personal and service objectives identified in IPR and supervision sessions.
4. Autonomously undertake wheelchair/seating assessments and offer advice for individuals, many of whom will have complex disabilities, taking into account individual client needs, circumstances and choices.
5. Sensitively discuss contentious or distressing issues with service users, relatives, carers and other relevant professionals.
6. Be a source of clinical advice in an area of specialist practice, providing advice to the OWS team and multidisciplinary colleagues both within the Trust and externally.
7. Responsible for maintaining comprehensive contemporaneous clinical records ensuring compliance with professional, NHS and local standards and Caldicott requirements.
8. Responsible for safe provision of mobility equipment and specification of prescription choices and custom-made devices, ensuring all risks are minimised and documented appropriately.
9. Ensure prescription choices are cost effective, underpinned by sound clinical reasoning and compliant with OWS eligibility criteria, ensuring provision of high quality, cost effective and fair and equitable clinical care.
10. Lone working in a variety of environments, including private homes, nursing care and residential homes and hospital settings.
11. To respond rapidly to clients with acute or urgent problems such as pressure ulcers or rapidly deteriorating conditions and to provide clinically appropriate solutions within a short time-frame, reprioritising routine work accordingly.
12. Gain the support and advice of senior staff in all situations where you do not have the skills or experience to proceed.
13. Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals; gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment,
Administration
1. To clinically supervise more junior staff and students as required.
2. To contribute to the service development of OWS.
3. Support the Clinical Lead and Operational Lead with day to day management of OWS as required
4. To maintain accurate and evaluative client documentation, fulfilling both professional and legal requirements, and to facilitate audit and research.
5. To operate within OWS policy and budgetary constraints with regard to prescription and provision and to ensure effective use of resources by advising on supply of the most cost effective wheelchair and mobility equipment to meet each individual clients needs.
Governance
1. Contribute to implementing changes within the team to meet governance standards on patient focus and experience, safety and quality.
2. Adhere to appropriate governance and risk management.
3. Make known to the Operational Wheelchair Service Lead any concerns about the provision of the service.
4. To be committed to, and participate in, the individual staff performance and development review process.
Physical
1. Carry out appointments that involve:
provision of physical assistance to service users, including hoisting and manual adjustments and transfers,
kneeling, crouching, twisting and maintaining awkward or static postures for short periods of time,
transporting, moving and adjusting wheelchairs and associated equipment
2. Carry out appointments (at OWS or other locations) that may involve exposure to unpleasant working conditions such as:
Exposure to bodily fluids, cigarette smoke and unhygienic surroundings,
Exposure to anger, verbal aggression or threatening behaviour
3. Drive a variety of vehicles, often in busy or adverse conditions and transport wheelchairs and equipment in vehicles, including loading and unloading.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
1. Adhere to and comply with relevant professional bodys Professional Codes of Conduct and Professional Standards and HCPC registration requirements.
2. Maintain and develop own clinical competence through clinical supervision, reflective practice, training and membership of appropriate special interest groups.
3. Take responsibility for personal and service objectives identified in IPR and supervision sessions.
4. Autonomously undertake wheelchair/seating assessments and offer advice for individuals, many of whom will have complex disabilities, taking into account individual client needs, circumstances and choices.
5. Sensitively discuss contentious or distressing issues with service users, relatives, carers and other relevant professionals.
6. Be a source of clinical advice in an area of specialist practice, providing advice to the OWS team and multidisciplinary colleagues both within the Trust and externally.
7. Responsible for maintaining comprehensive contemporaneous clinical records ensuring compliance with professional, NHS and local standards and Caldicott requirements.
8. Responsible for safe provision of mobility equipment and specification of prescription choices and custom-made devices, ensuring all risks are minimised and documented appropriately.
9. Ensure prescription choices are cost effective, underpinned by sound clinical reasoning and compliant with OWS eligibility criteria, ensuring provision of high quality, cost effective and fair and equitable clinical care.
10. Lone working in a variety of environments, including private homes, nursing care and residential homes and hospital settings.
11. To respond rapidly to clients with acute or urgent problems such as pressure ulcers or rapidly deteriorating conditions and to provide clinically appropriate solutions within a short time-frame, reprioritising routine work accordingly.
12. Gain the support and advice of senior staff in all situations where you do not have the skills or experience to proceed.
13. Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals; gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment,
Administration
1. To clinically supervise more junior staff and students as required.
2. To contribute to the service development of OWS.
3. Support the Clinical Lead and Operational Lead with day to day management of OWS as required
4. To maintain accurate and evaluative client documentation, fulfilling both professional and legal requirements, and to facilitate audit and research.
5. To operate within OWS policy and budgetary constraints with regard to prescription and provision and to ensure effective use of resources by advising on supply of the most cost effective wheelchair and mobility equipment to meet each individual clients needs.
Governance
1. Contribute to implementing changes within the team to meet governance standards on patient focus and experience, safety and quality.
2. Adhere to appropriate governance and risk management.
3. Make known to the Operational Wheelchair Service Lead any concerns about the provision of the service.
4. To be committed to, and participate in, the individual staff performance and development review process.
Physical
1. Carry out appointments that involve:
provision of physical assistance to service users, including hoisting and manual adjustments and transfers,
kneeling, crouching, twisting and maintaining awkward or static postures for short periods of time,
transporting, moving and adjusting wheelchairs and associated equipment
2. Carry out appointments (at OWS or other locations) that may involve exposure to unpleasant working conditions such as:
Exposure to bodily fluids, cigarette smoke and unhygienic surroundings,
Exposure to anger, verbal aggression or threatening behaviour
3. Drive a variety of vehicles, often in busy or adverse conditions and transport wheelchairs and equipment in vehicles, including loading and unloading.
Person Specification
Short-listing
Essential
- Relevant professional diploma or first degree
- Current valid Health and Care Professions Council registration in a relevant profession
- A valid UK driving licence
- Experience of working in a wide variety of clinical settings, including neurology or rehabilitation with a range of age groups
- Ability to communicate sensitive or contentious information to service users, their families, carers and other clinicians
Desirable
- Experience of working with wheelchair users and their families
- Experience of working with individuals with complex disabilities such as MS, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury
- Previous supervision of students or junior staff
Person Specification
Short-listing
Essential
- Relevant professional diploma or first degree
- Current valid Health and Care Professions Council registration in a relevant profession
- A valid UK driving licence
- Experience of working in a wide variety of clinical settings, including neurology or rehabilitation with a range of age groups
- Ability to communicate sensitive or contentious information to service users, their families, carers and other clinicians
Desirable
- Experience of working with wheelchair users and their families
- Experience of working with individuals with complex disabilities such as MS, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury
- Previous supervision of students or junior staff
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
