Job summary
We are seeking highly
skilled & dynamic Occupational Therapists to join the Acute Frailty Team at
UHND. We have 1 full-time permanent post & 1 full-time/part-time fixed-term
maternity cover available.
As an Advanced Therapy Practitioner, you will use expert
knowledge & advanced clinical reasoning to deliver comprehensive geriatric
assessments, develop evidence-based interventions, & implement safe,
effective management plans. You will work to support admission avoidance &
facilitate safe, timely discharges. The role spans the Emergency Department,
Frailty Assessment Unit, & Acute Medical Unit.
You will work as part of an MDT, including Consultant
Geriatricians, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, & Advanced Physiotherapists,
contributing to high-quality frailty care within fast-paced acute settings.
This post is ideal for an experienced OT with prior
knowledge of frailty identification & management. The successful applicant
will be expected to undertake additional training & competency development
to continue advancing their skills.
This is a 7-day service, covering
08:0020:00, & requires flexibility & commitment to delivering
excellent patient-centred care.
Main duties of the job
The frailty Advanced Therapy Practitioner works as an
autonomous practitioner with a variable caseload of complex patients,
supporting admission avoidance and safe prompt return to the community.
The Frailty Advanced Therapy Practitioner will have expert
knowledge and advanced clinical reasoning skills in the management of frailty,
providing specialist support and advice to the Emergency Department, Frailty
Assessment Unit, Acute Medical Unit and other healthcare staff as required.
They will have specialist skills in the assessment and
treatment of frailty, including completion of evidenced based assessments and
interventions, routinely carrying out the extended role of an Advanced Therapy
Practitioner working outside of traditional roles but within the agreed
competence-based framework once competencies have been achieved.
They will work alongside the medical teams and
the rest of the Acute Frailty Team to ensure every patient living with frailty
presenting with an acute health or social care need receives the most
appropriate care in the most appropriate setting in a timely manner.
About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.
Over reliance on
AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of
success.
For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.
From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have been employed for a minimum of two years
of as a HCA within the NHS for the Trust to consider
sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and
have a current visa expiring within 3 months).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Be responsible for the efficient, effective and safe
management of patients referred or identified to the Frailty Team.
Be able to manage your own caseload in response to
unpredictable patterns of work. Accept
referrals from other health care professionals and work unsupervised.
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects
of your own work, including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical
practice for patients under your management.
To work with medical, nursing, allied health professionals
and the wider MDT to provide the highest possible standards care for all
patients you come into contact with.
Use expert knowledge of frail patients with complex frailty
syndromes to provide a highly specialist assessment to acutely unwell patients
in acute medicine.
To ensure assessment is evidence based, detailed and
holistic. Ensuring patient preferences are incorporated and that physical,
psychological and social factors are considered.
To make professionally autonomous decisions and be
accountable for the direct delivery of care, exercising judgement on the
parameters of safe practice and guided by broad policies and guidelines e.g.
NICE guidelines. They are accountable for his/her actions or omissions. They can discuss / refer to other members of
the multidisciplinary team in circumstances where this is necessary and
appropriate.
To develop and deliver personalised, effective programs of
care, recording, documenting and maintaining these within trust policy.
Responsible for solving wide ranging routine and complex
problems and issues exercising highly developed specialist knowledge for
advanced judgments/decision making, demonstrating expanded and autonomous
knowledge and advanced skills within clinical practice.
To routinely carry out the extended role of an Advanced
Therapy Practitioner working outside of traditional role but within the
agreed competence-based framework once competencies have been achieved.
To contribute to the development and implementation of the
competence-based framework including training modules to ensure that
competencies are met.
To recognise and advocate the different strengths of team
members, to carry out agreed generic tasks identifying where tasks are
profession specific.
Provide highly specialised advice to patients, carers and
relatives to ensure compliance with the diagnosed condition, treatment and
interventions. Advise on health promotion and prevention of disease in
accordance with NHS policy and agendas in order to achieve optimum health and
independence.
To exercise highly developed skills to identify patients who
may be at potential risk e.g. vulnerable adults, self-neglect, patients at risk
of abuse or where abuse is suspected. To act accordingly within guidelines to
safeguard these patients.
Actively participate in ward huddles, communicating planed
patient care from Acute Frailty Team.
To formulate and deliver an individual discharge plan based
on advanced clinical knowledge of current practice, evidence based practice and
community support options. To identify and coordinate appropriate transfers to
community hospital sites, rehabilitation and step down beds, and complete
trusted assessor pathway where local agreements are in place.
Liaise with colleagues in other areas of the hospital and in
other hospitals and Trusts to ensure the safe, smooth transfer of patients to
and from the department.
Assist the department team to develop innovative and
flexible approaches to care.
Ensure that personal performance meets the job requirements,
professional codes and standards, trust and post competency standards at all
times.
To be aware of and respond to operational pressures,
supporting operational management across the acute site as appropriate.
Responsibility for recording and evaluating
patient outcomes and agreeing on and recording quality metrics for the
evaluation of service provision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Be responsible for the efficient, effective and safe
management of patients referred or identified to the Frailty Team.
Be able to manage your own caseload in response to
unpredictable patterns of work. Accept
referrals from other health care professionals and work unsupervised.
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects
of your own work, including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical
practice for patients under your management.
To work with medical, nursing, allied health professionals
and the wider MDT to provide the highest possible standards care for all
patients you come into contact with.
Use expert knowledge of frail patients with complex frailty
syndromes to provide a highly specialist assessment to acutely unwell patients
in acute medicine.
To ensure assessment is evidence based, detailed and
holistic. Ensuring patient preferences are incorporated and that physical,
psychological and social factors are considered.
To make professionally autonomous decisions and be
accountable for the direct delivery of care, exercising judgement on the
parameters of safe practice and guided by broad policies and guidelines e.g.
NICE guidelines. They are accountable for his/her actions or omissions. They can discuss / refer to other members of
the multidisciplinary team in circumstances where this is necessary and
appropriate.
To develop and deliver personalised, effective programs of
care, recording, documenting and maintaining these within trust policy.
Responsible for solving wide ranging routine and complex
problems and issues exercising highly developed specialist knowledge for
advanced judgments/decision making, demonstrating expanded and autonomous
knowledge and advanced skills within clinical practice.
To routinely carry out the extended role of an Advanced
Therapy Practitioner working outside of traditional role but within the
agreed competence-based framework once competencies have been achieved.
To contribute to the development and implementation of the
competence-based framework including training modules to ensure that
competencies are met.
To recognise and advocate the different strengths of team
members, to carry out agreed generic tasks identifying where tasks are
profession specific.
Provide highly specialised advice to patients, carers and
relatives to ensure compliance with the diagnosed condition, treatment and
interventions. Advise on health promotion and prevention of disease in
accordance with NHS policy and agendas in order to achieve optimum health and
independence.
To exercise highly developed skills to identify patients who
may be at potential risk e.g. vulnerable adults, self-neglect, patients at risk
of abuse or where abuse is suspected. To act accordingly within guidelines to
safeguard these patients.
Actively participate in ward huddles, communicating planed
patient care from Acute Frailty Team.
To formulate and deliver an individual discharge plan based
on advanced clinical knowledge of current practice, evidence based practice and
community support options. To identify and coordinate appropriate transfers to
community hospital sites, rehabilitation and step down beds, and complete
trusted assessor pathway where local agreements are in place.
Liaise with colleagues in other areas of the hospital and in
other hospitals and Trusts to ensure the safe, smooth transfer of patients to
and from the department.
Assist the department team to develop innovative and
flexible approaches to care.
Ensure that personal performance meets the job requirements,
professional codes and standards, trust and post competency standards at all
times.
To be aware of and respond to operational pressures,
supporting operational management across the acute site as appropriate.
Responsibility for recording and evaluating
patient outcomes and agreeing on and recording quality metrics for the
evaluation of service provision.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Comprehensive experience at senior level incorporating experience within a range of specialisms in acute inpatient care.
- Experience of completing detailed person centred assessment, taking into account the physical, psychological and social aspects that impact on the individual and their ability to function.
- Highly experienced in the therapeutic management of frailty including the implementation of evidence based interventions.
- Experience in the discharge planning and management of highly complex patients with the ability to problem solve and make complex decisions.
- Experience of acting as an advocate for patients, helping to ensure patient is at the centre of all decisions made about their care and support.
-
- Evidence of the ability to autonomously manage a highly complex caseload of patients.
- Experience of working within multidisciplinary cross-agency teams.
- Evidence of the use of outcome measures in order to evaluate interventions or service provision, leading to service improvements and improved quality standards.
-
- Experience of providing clinical supervision and training for students, support staff, peers and members of the MDT.
- Extensive experience in the application of the mental capacity act in practice completing mental capacity assessment and best interest decisions as appropriate.
- Experience of assessing, managing, and reducing risks where able. Discussing identified risks with patients to enable them to make informed decisions about their care and support
Desirable
- Evidence of working on strategic planning and development
- Experience of completing comprehensive geriatric assessment and formulation of treatment plans following assessment.
- Experience in the use of the Clinical Frailty Scale in practice.
- Experience of working in a generic role.
- Experience of working within a Front of House department or admissions avoidance role.
- A working knowledge of the local area, community services available within CDDFT and other local patient/client support services particularly those relevant to frail older patients.
- Experience of leading on audits and interpreting findings.
- Involvement in project teams for developing and implementing departmental business plans and/or organisation wide developments.
- Evidence of being highly efficient in time management and highly organised in order to minimise waste of resources within a team.
- Experience of line management, including performance management and completion of processes required by HR.
- Experience of managing patients who are palliative or end of life, helping to ensure that their needs are met and the needs of their family and carers are also taken into consideration.
Statutory Registration
Essential
- Professional UK registration - HCPC
- Membership of relevant professional body.
Special Requirements
Essential
- A proactive ability to represent the profession and the Trust with positive enthusiasm.
- Commitment, motivation and adaptability.
- Ability to meet travel demands of the post including travel between sites during working hours and travel to patients properties to complete follow up or assessment visits as required.
- Good levels of general fitness with the ability to carry out patient handling.
- Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and to work within an environment with competing demands.
- Ability to participate in 7 day working between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to carry out comprehensive patient centered assessment.
- Ability to develop specialist programmes of care for individuals or groups of patients providing high quality evidence based interventions and advice.
- Ability to demonstrate specialist clinical skills underpinned by current evidence and appropriate to the relevant speciality.
- Willingness to work across multi-disciplinary boundaries, recognising where additional training and competencies are required to enable safe & high quality care.
- Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner
- Good level of competence in the use of Information technology including use of electronic patient records.
- Evidence of ability to lead in service developments, adequate experience to support the initiation and development of a new team recording and interpreting outcomes.
- Experience of teaching in clinical practice. Including the development of members of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Adherence to current statutory requirements, standards and regulations. Ability to demonstrate how standards of proficiency relevant to own profession are being met, understating of extended-scope roles.
- Broad awareness and understanding of current health issues and ability to demonstrate a good understanding of DOH plans and recent initiatives and local strategy, particularly in relation to frailty.
- Understanding of effective clinical governance including implications, quality, outcomes and audit.
- Demonstrable knowledge of legislation relevant to area of clinical practice.
- Ability to manage risk and complete comprehensive risk assessments as appropriate.
- Advanced communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation and with staff, patients, visitors, or external organisations both verbally and in writing in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require the use of negotiation and/or persuasive skills.
Desirable
- An understanding of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction, achievements and NHS standing.
- Evidence of ability to be innovative and proactive
- Evidence of change management
- Knowledge, evidence and application of audit and research.
- Evidence of the ability to interpret medical findings and their relevance in the management of frail older patients.
- Understanding of wider health policy and legislation including, clinical, human resources, equality and diversity, governance, health and safety etc.
- Understanding of local demographics and local strategic planning for the current population of County Durham and Darlington.
- Understanding of the issues faced by frail older patients within the local community.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
- Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development including evidence of reflective practice, training and clinical experience.
- Evidence of post-graduate study/learning relevant to the role.
Desirable
- Post-graduate qualifications to MSc level.
- Membership of special interest group or specialist society relevant to the role/specialism.
- Additional training/competencies to enable safe generic working.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Comprehensive experience at senior level incorporating experience within a range of specialisms in acute inpatient care.
- Experience of completing detailed person centred assessment, taking into account the physical, psychological and social aspects that impact on the individual and their ability to function.
- Highly experienced in the therapeutic management of frailty including the implementation of evidence based interventions.
- Experience in the discharge planning and management of highly complex patients with the ability to problem solve and make complex decisions.
- Experience of acting as an advocate for patients, helping to ensure patient is at the centre of all decisions made about their care and support.
-
- Evidence of the ability to autonomously manage a highly complex caseload of patients.
- Experience of working within multidisciplinary cross-agency teams.
- Evidence of the use of outcome measures in order to evaluate interventions or service provision, leading to service improvements and improved quality standards.
-
- Experience of providing clinical supervision and training for students, support staff, peers and members of the MDT.
- Extensive experience in the application of the mental capacity act in practice completing mental capacity assessment and best interest decisions as appropriate.
- Experience of assessing, managing, and reducing risks where able. Discussing identified risks with patients to enable them to make informed decisions about their care and support
Desirable
- Evidence of working on strategic planning and development
- Experience of completing comprehensive geriatric assessment and formulation of treatment plans following assessment.
- Experience in the use of the Clinical Frailty Scale in practice.
- Experience of working in a generic role.
- Experience of working within a Front of House department or admissions avoidance role.
- A working knowledge of the local area, community services available within CDDFT and other local patient/client support services particularly those relevant to frail older patients.
- Experience of leading on audits and interpreting findings.
- Involvement in project teams for developing and implementing departmental business plans and/or organisation wide developments.
- Evidence of being highly efficient in time management and highly organised in order to minimise waste of resources within a team.
- Experience of line management, including performance management and completion of processes required by HR.
- Experience of managing patients who are palliative or end of life, helping to ensure that their needs are met and the needs of their family and carers are also taken into consideration.
Statutory Registration
Essential
- Professional UK registration - HCPC
- Membership of relevant professional body.
Special Requirements
Essential
- A proactive ability to represent the profession and the Trust with positive enthusiasm.
- Commitment, motivation and adaptability.
- Ability to meet travel demands of the post including travel between sites during working hours and travel to patients properties to complete follow up or assessment visits as required.
- Good levels of general fitness with the ability to carry out patient handling.
- Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and to work within an environment with competing demands.
- Ability to participate in 7 day working between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to carry out comprehensive patient centered assessment.
- Ability to develop specialist programmes of care for individuals or groups of patients providing high quality evidence based interventions and advice.
- Ability to demonstrate specialist clinical skills underpinned by current evidence and appropriate to the relevant speciality.
- Willingness to work across multi-disciplinary boundaries, recognising where additional training and competencies are required to enable safe & high quality care.
- Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner
- Good level of competence in the use of Information technology including use of electronic patient records.
- Evidence of ability to lead in service developments, adequate experience to support the initiation and development of a new team recording and interpreting outcomes.
- Experience of teaching in clinical practice. Including the development of members of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Adherence to current statutory requirements, standards and regulations. Ability to demonstrate how standards of proficiency relevant to own profession are being met, understating of extended-scope roles.
- Broad awareness and understanding of current health issues and ability to demonstrate a good understanding of DOH plans and recent initiatives and local strategy, particularly in relation to frailty.
- Understanding of effective clinical governance including implications, quality, outcomes and audit.
- Demonstrable knowledge of legislation relevant to area of clinical practice.
- Ability to manage risk and complete comprehensive risk assessments as appropriate.
- Advanced communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation and with staff, patients, visitors, or external organisations both verbally and in writing in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require the use of negotiation and/or persuasive skills.
Desirable
- An understanding of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction, achievements and NHS standing.
- Evidence of ability to be innovative and proactive
- Evidence of change management
- Knowledge, evidence and application of audit and research.
- Evidence of the ability to interpret medical findings and their relevance in the management of frail older patients.
- Understanding of wider health policy and legislation including, clinical, human resources, equality and diversity, governance, health and safety etc.
- Understanding of local demographics and local strategic planning for the current population of County Durham and Darlington.
- Understanding of the issues faced by frail older patients within the local community.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
- Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development including evidence of reflective practice, training and clinical experience.
- Evidence of post-graduate study/learning relevant to the role.
Desirable
- Post-graduate qualifications to MSc level.
- Membership of special interest group or specialist society relevant to the role/specialism.
- Additional training/competencies to enable safe generic working.
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).
