Occupational Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Team and administrative responsibilities:

1. To work cooperatively as a member of the interdisciplinary team assisting other team members in a flexible and co-operative manner.
2. To deliver a high quality service, and ensure that professional standards are evaluated, audited and modified as appropriate. To contribute to the strategic and operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within the service.
3. To be responsible for ensuring clinical governance at all times, quality assurance and Trust and own professional standards are met.
4. To communicate effectively with the line manager/clinical leads and wider BCFS team of working practice in areas for which the post holder is responsible.
5. Under the direction and supervision of senior clinicians, to communicate expert recommendations regarding BCFS treatment plans and other relevant information with outside agencies and as appropriate, referring to patients diagnosis and prognosis.
6. To pro-actively contribute to the Trust and BCFS Clinical Governance and Quality Assurance programmes.
7. To keep accurate, professional and up to date records of all professional judgements, decisions taken, and related statistical information. These should be kept and reported in accordance with HCPC, own profession, Trust, and BCFS policies.
8. To be responsible for maintaining own electronic diary to accurately reflect day to day activity.
9. To have joint responsibility with BCFS team members to ensure the smooth day- to- day running of the service.

Clinical Responsibilities:

1. To work co-operatively as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing group and individual interventions as appropriate.
2. To be responsible for continuously assessing, evaluating and modifying treatment aims, objectives and desired outcomes in collaboration with the patient, carers and team including external agencies as appropriate
3. To participate in the assessment and treatment of people with highly complex needs; to analyse verbal and physical behaviours and interactions and make judgements as to appropriate interventions.
4. To plan, prioritise and organise clinical and operational workload.
5. To plan sessions for patients that are responsive to clinical need and group process.
6. To give accurate, clear and concise feedback regarding individual patients progress to other members of the interdisciplinary team in clinical meetings and general discussions, so that safe, appropriate and consistent treatment aims and objectives can be formulated and enacted.
7. To provide accurate information and communicate effectively with external agencies as appropriate to ensure a joined up approach to service delivery e.g. Employment services, benefits agencies, community based services in a variety of sectors including higher education.
8. To educate and support patients in fatigue and lifestyle self-management skills in order to facilitate changes in behaviour and activity in all domains of day to day life which can be sustained in the patients own environments.
9. In groups and individual interactions to be able to:

• Deliver complex concepts and ideas in easily understood language and formats (written and verbal information). This may require tailoring/adapting the programme to suit individual learning abilities, e.g. dyslexia, English as a second language.
• Provide complex and sometimes unpalatable information in a sensitive and supportive manner.
• Provide information to patients in a professional manner that may be at variance with previously received information from health professionals pertaining to their physical and emotional status.

1. Managing group dynamics with support and guidance from other members of the interdisciplinary team:

• Deliver fatigue and lifestyle management in the context of a group setting, understanding and using the dynamics of the group to facilitate changes in behaviour.
• Be able to manage personal disclosure and emotional response and remain objective, calm and professional with patients who are frequently emotionally and physically distressed.

1. Where appropriate to plan and conduct domiciliary visits to support patients who are severely affected by fatigue.

1. To provide interventions via a variety of media including face to face, telephone, virtual and email as appropriate.
2. To commit to lifelong learning, evidence-based practice and to seek to be actively involved in service evaluation, audit and research opportunities to support the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

Other professional responsibilities:

1. To articulate and work to the value base and principles which underpin Occupational Science and to represent the unique role of their profession in interdisciplinary working for people with complex health needs.
2. To have a full and comprehensive understanding of the unique perspective and role of all interdisciplinary team members, and how these relate to, and compliment their role and theoretical underpinning of the BCFS. To be able to work across professional boundaries whilst retaining a clear understanding of areas of professional expertise and limitation within the interdisciplinary team.
3. To maintain and develop professional and active links within their own profession and other organisations and professional groups of relevance e.g. representation and/or participation in multidisciplinary forums and networks.
4. To disseminate information about the role of the team, BCFS treatment outcomes and research and developments to the wider health and social care community and academia.
5. To understand and apply national guidelines, policies and relevant legislation relating to this specialist practice and also contribute to protocol development through participation in local and national organisations.
6. To contribute to the training and supervision of under graduate and post graduate placement students from a variety of professional groups as appropriate.
7. To be responsible for own personal development and planning supervision sessions for themselves and others they have supervisory responsibility for and participate in the Appraisal and Development Scheme, including continuing professional development (CPD).

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy discipline recognised by their professional body. HCPC Registered Or for first time applicants can evidence completion of all HE academic work for registration purposes and is applying for and awaiting Occupational Therapy professional registration confirmation with HCPC

Desirable

• Evidence of continuous professional development if qualified for some time
• Completed Personalised Care Institute free online CPD Modules

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Have mapped knowledge and skills to RCOT Career Development Framework:

Desirable

• Interest in long term conditions management perhaps through final year under graduate research study or similar

specific skills

Essential

• Experience from placements across a variety of settings
• Demonstrates development of reflective practice skills.
• Demonstrates good verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrates good organisational and time management skills and a flexible and adaptable approach to work.

Desirable

• Additional skills from voluntary roles or transferable skills from previous work settings
• Demonstrates an awareness of leadership skills required within a team.
• Experience in working in the field of mental health

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

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal United Hospitals Bath

Combe Park

Bath

BA1 3NG

Employer's website

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