Job summary
Would you like to join an innovative team committed to ensuring those living with Dementia receive the best possible care. The Care Home Function Team is looking for a compassionate and enthusiastic Occupational therapist (OT) with experience in either a physical or a mental health setting. The post holder will part of a multi-professional team consisting of Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and Psychology. The team works closely with other teams under older adult mental health services, as well social care, GP's, voluntary sector, and other organisations.
The team's aim is to enable care home staff to feel more confident and equipped to manage complex presentations associated with dementia. The Team is building a growing service providing training and support to care homes across the county to positively impact the lives of adults living with dementia and the staff supporting them. We support care homes with training around dementia care, activity engagement and life history work. We offer a range of other services including environmental assessments, advice lines, staff wellbeing support clinics and a forum.
Travel across the county is required, however all visits/activities are planned to ensure minimum travel and optimum productivity. Access to car needed (unless exempt).
Main duties of the job
In the team you will apply your core OT skills, the team work collaboratively, respecting and utilising each team members expertise. The team are passionate about applying research and evidence to support the holistic therapy interventions they provide to achieve below;
- Prevent hospital admissions when appropriate and safe to do so.
- Help facilitate early discharge from mental health in-patient care by empowering care homes to manage the transition period of person being in an unfamiliar setting.
- Identify meaningful occupation for residents and enable their families and carers to maintain and facilitate their ongoing participation, roles and routines.
- Improve the knowledge and confidence of the care home staff to use non-pharmacological interventions with service users.
- Provide information and training in an effective way to care home staff, residents and their families, including advising on adaptations, equipment, the environment, and using assistive technologies and behavioural support plans.
- Provide education to improve quality of life and reduces agitation and distress through sensory modulation.
- Work closely with GPs, families and other community agencies.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Then please read on...
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The Teams working hours are Monday to Friday 9 5, the hours and start and finish times can be flexible according to individual needs.
- The care Home Team, works across Hertfordshire to support the staff working in the nursing homes and the residents.
- The role will involve county-wide travel.
- Travel expenses are paid from base to the location of travel. The Base is Rosanne House, Welwyn Garden city but others bases can be considered
As our new Occupational Therapist, you will receive a comprehensive induction to enable a good grounding and understanding of your role and the wider teams roles. You will be welcomed into a safe and supportive staff team, who empower and encourage one another in being the best version of ourselves for the benefit of those we care for. One of our current Band 4 staff says that they are very fortunate to be always learning and developing in a knowledgeable and supportive team.
Please see the Job Description and Person Specification documents provided below titled About Us for further detail on the position.
If you would like to join us and work in the Care Home Function Team, we would be very interested in receiving your application.
For more information on this post, visiting or shadowing or any other opportunities in the Mental Health Care of Older Peoples Service please contact;
Sian Mills Team Lead Tel:07971992193
Amanda Stratford Head Occupational Therapist Tel 07775546850
Jenny Miller Integrated Care Manager Tel: 07393 763529
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The Teams working hours are Monday to Friday 9 5, the hours and start and finish times can be flexible according to individual needs.
- The care Home Team, works across Hertfordshire to support the staff working in the nursing homes and the residents.
- The role will involve county-wide travel.
- Travel expenses are paid from base to the location of travel. The Base is Rosanne House, Welwyn Garden city but others bases can be considered
As our new Occupational Therapist, you will receive a comprehensive induction to enable a good grounding and understanding of your role and the wider teams roles. You will be welcomed into a safe and supportive staff team, who empower and encourage one another in being the best version of ourselves for the benefit of those we care for. One of our current Band 4 staff says that they are very fortunate to be always learning and developing in a knowledgeable and supportive team.
Please see the Job Description and Person Specification documents provided below titled About Us for further detail on the position.
If you would like to join us and work in the Care Home Function Team, we would be very interested in receiving your application.
For more information on this post, visiting or shadowing or any other opportunities in the Mental Health Care of Older Peoples Service please contact;
Sian Mills Team Lead Tel:07971992193
Amanda Stratford Head Occupational Therapist Tel 07775546850
Jenny Miller Integrated Care Manager Tel: 07393 763529
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION TRAINING
Essential
- BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages.
- Completion of preceptorship and/or evidence of having met the full KSF Gateway for Band 5 OT's
- Evidence of relevant post grad training.
Desirable
- Membership of RCOT, including specialist section
- First line management training
- Solution Focussed Brief Therapy training
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training
- Practice Placement qualification/A PPLE accreditation
- AMPS/ESI/SI training
- Broad base of clinical experience
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Post registration experience in relevant clinical setting
- Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions.
- Specialist knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation assessment tools, or others appropriate to area.
- Experience of other specialist Occupational Therapy assessment tools, e.g. AMPS, Pool Activity Levels
- Documented evidence of continuing professional development
- Experience in providing advice, support and clinical supervision to junior staff and/or students
- Applied knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability in a variety of health and social care settings
- Previous experience of having worked at Band 6 level
- Experience in research or audit
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION TRAINING
Essential
- BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages.
- Completion of preceptorship and/or evidence of having met the full KSF Gateway for Band 5 OT's
- Evidence of relevant post grad training.
Desirable
- Membership of RCOT, including specialist section
- First line management training
- Solution Focussed Brief Therapy training
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training
- Practice Placement qualification/A PPLE accreditation
- AMPS/ESI/SI training
- Broad base of clinical experience
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Post registration experience in relevant clinical setting
- Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions.
- Specialist knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation assessment tools, or others appropriate to area.
- Experience of other specialist Occupational Therapy assessment tools, e.g. AMPS, Pool Activity Levels
- Documented evidence of continuing professional development
- Experience in providing advice, support and clinical supervision to junior staff and/or students
- Applied knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability in a variety of health and social care settings
- Previous experience of having worked at Band 6 level
- Experience in research or audit
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
