Job summary
Join a pioneering role within the Allied Health Professions (AHP) specialty, focused on preventing deconditioning in acute hospital wards. This unique position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on patient recovery by leading and supporting advanced assessments across a broad spectrum of clinical conditions.
As a key member of the Prevention of Deconditioning Team, you will spearhead patient care initiatives, guiding individuals through their reconditioning process and ensuring optimal outcomes.
Collaboration is central to this role. You will work closely with nursing, therapy, and medical teams, providing education and practical expertise to enhance their capacity in preventing deconditioning--whether directly on the ward or through targeted training programs.
Furthermore, you will lead and champion innovative projects hospital-wide, addressing the increasing challenge of deconditioning. Through rigorous auditing and continuous service development, you will drive improvements that enhance patient care and support multidisciplinary teams.
This role offers a rewarding opportunity to contribute strategically and creatively to transformational change benefiting both patients and healthcare professionals.
Main duties of the job
The Prevention of Deconditioning Team is working across various wards at Bedford Hospital South Wing to understand how and why patients are deconditioning, and to develop projects that address the culture around immobility and inactivity in a hospital setting.
As an Occupational Therapist within this team, you will be responsible for completing complex assessments to support patients' ongoing reconditioning and rehabilitation goals, as well as supporting Band 5 staff within the hospital and assisting with the use of our new Therapy Assessment Suite.
You will need to be able to work autonomously in some situations, as the role may require you to work across multiple ward areas without constant direct supervision. You will also be required to support ward teams with their clinical caseloads as needed for ongoing rehabilitation and, in some instances, to assist with patient discharges.
You will be expected to build effective relationships with colleagues from different areas of the MDT to help reduce the impact of deconditioning in our hospitals. There will be opportunities to be involved in delivering training and education as part of a broader educational initiative throughout the hospital and to external partners where required.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.
Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your work including management of patient caseloads. Formulate and develop individual treatment programmes underpinned by sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and using a range of treatment options. Use clinical reasoning skills and evaluate outcomes of treatments to continually reassess and develop treatment programmes. Establish an accurate prognosis and recommend best course of treatments in addition to developing comprehensive treatment and discharge plans. Use a large range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate with patients to progress and gain participation with rehabilitation treatment programmes. This will include patients who have difficulties in understanding and communicating. To be responsible for management of clinical risk of your own caseload. To work within Trust and Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) guidelines, have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and other working practices in liaison with Senior Occupational Therapists To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment. To be responsible for maintaining own competencies through CPD activities. To be responsible for teaching student occupational therapists to graduate level on knowledge and skills within your department.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your work including management of patient caseloads. Formulate and develop individual treatment programmes underpinned by sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and using a range of treatment options. Use clinical reasoning skills and evaluate outcomes of treatments to continually reassess and develop treatment programmes. Establish an accurate prognosis and recommend best course of treatments in addition to developing comprehensive treatment and discharge plans. Use a large range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate with patients to progress and gain participation with rehabilitation treatment programmes. This will include patients who have difficulties in understanding and communicating. To be responsible for management of clinical risk of your own caseload. To work within Trust and Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) guidelines, have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and other working practices in liaison with Senior Occupational Therapists To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment. To be responsible for maintaining own competencies through CPD activities. To be responsible for teaching student occupational therapists to graduate level on knowledge and skills within your department.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- HCPC Registered
- BSC Hons Occupational Therapy or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
Desirable
- Leadership course
- Manual handling qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience within an acute NHS setting
- Understanding and ability to apply process OT
- Experience of MDT working
- Variety of relevant clinical experience
- Experience of deconditioning initiatives
Desirable
- Supervising practice placements for O.T. students
- Previous audit experience
Knowledge
Essential
- IT literate including knowledge of Microsoft office tools
- Demonstrate a pragmatic approach to a range of unpredictable situations
- Professional and customer care skills
- Able to deal with variety of environmental factors
- Ability to prioritise work load and delegate tasks appropriately
Desirable
- Experience of service development
- Mentions specific evidence or national initiatives re. POD
Other
Essential
- Communicating sensitive information to staff, patients or carers.
- Be able to undertake moderate physical effort throughout day
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- HCPC Registered
- BSC Hons Occupational Therapy or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
Desirable
- Leadership course
- Manual handling qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience within an acute NHS setting
- Understanding and ability to apply process OT
- Experience of MDT working
- Variety of relevant clinical experience
- Experience of deconditioning initiatives
Desirable
- Supervising practice placements for O.T. students
- Previous audit experience
Knowledge
Essential
- IT literate including knowledge of Microsoft office tools
- Demonstrate a pragmatic approach to a range of unpredictable situations
- Professional and customer care skills
- Able to deal with variety of environmental factors
- Ability to prioritise work load and delegate tasks appropriately
Desirable
- Experience of service development
- Mentions specific evidence or national initiatives re. POD
Other
Essential
- Communicating sensitive information to staff, patients or carers.
- Be able to undertake moderate physical effort throughout day
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
