Occupational Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Principle Duties

• To clinically and professionally lead and line manage AHP staff in the Forensic and Rehabilitation service line.
• To provide supervision to AHPs and vocational staff.
• To participate in the governance, development, and evaluation of occupational therapy and vocational services within designated areas/teams.
• Hold responsibility for and lead defined projects as agreed with service managers and/or professional leads.
• To oversee the referral process for occupational/vocational interventions and management of resources, including AHP staffing.
• Work with the clinical team manager to recruit AHP posts.
• To support/manage a small complex clinical caseload using evidence based, OT and vocational assessments and interventions.
• To provide leadership and supervision, for AHP staff and vocational staff.
• To lead, develop and implement service changes and act as a specialist resource for AHP staff, and the wider trust.
• • Provide training and consultation to the MDT and AHP staff, in line with evidence-based practice, offering regular development opportunities.
  • To oversee co-ordination of occupational therapy students placements and supervision within designated community mental health teams.
  • To coordinate and develop service user networks and opportunities within designated teams.

  To be a member of the CERT leadership team.

  Clinical

  To select and apply occupational therapy assessments for a small caseload of people with complex needs which address occupational performance and recovery goals, and enables the service user in areas of self-care, productivity, and leisure.

  To use investigative and analytical skills to formulate individualised care and treatment plans.

  To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment plans for service users with multiple needs to measure progress and ensure the effectiveness of intervention.

  To promote evidence-based practice in occupational therapy.

  To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of work.

  To plan and implement service user centred, individual and/or group interventions, using clinical reasoning and a wide range of treatment interventions to achieve therapeutic goals.

  To contribute to the development of multi-disciplinary best practice guidelines and protocols.

  To champion occupational and recovery approaches within the service area.

  To apply a good level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service users social and physical environment where applicable.

  To provide occupational therapy services in working conditions which may be hazardous e.g., exposure to body fluids, aggressive persons, visits to high-risk areas and associated travel risks and report to line manager for further guidance.

  To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent, and work within a legal framework with service users who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

  To undertake therapeutic moving and handling of service users and equipment, within clinical and non-clinical settings

  To work with service users, carers and relatives who may have distressing social/clinical circumstances.

  Communication

  To establish effective communication networks with service users, carers, other professionals, and services/agencies.

  To communicate complex sensitive and contentious information to service users and carers/families.

  To promote awareness of the role of occupational therapy within the team, locally and nationally.

  To use presentation skills in a variety of settings.

  To liaise regularly with the clinical lead AHP on professional and service issues and developments.

  Documentation

  To ensure up to date electronic patient records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and trust standards.

  To provide specialist occupational therapy reports relevant to practice setting.

• Professional Ethics

  To comply with the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and local policies and procedures.

  To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of service users, colleagues, and carers, and provide a service sensitive to these needs.

  To provide guidance to staff as necessary.

  Leadership, Supervision and Appraisal

  In line with local guidelines review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional/ operational supervision and appraisal.

  To provide effective leadership, supervision, and appraisal for staff.

  To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.

  To ensure appropriate and safe levels of staffing are maintained and to escalate any areas of concern.

  To support staff through change, encouraging problem solving and leadership skills.

  Training Staff and Students

  To contribute to the induction and training of students and staff

  To provide specialist advice and support to AHP colleagues in other clinical areas.

  To provide specialist advice and training to carers, service users and other professionals.

  To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of occupational therapy students on practice placement within the trust.

  Service Development and Delivery

  To participate in the operational planning, and implementation of policy and service development within the service.

  To lead on the delivery of delegated areas of the AHP development/business plan.

  Professional Development

  To demonstrate a high level of continuing professional development

  Clinical Governance, Quality, Standards

  To contribute to the service clinical governance arrangements, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.

  To apply national guidelines/legislation relating to health and social care service provision.

  To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation.

• Management

  To have good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.

  To provide advice on resources necessary to maintain and develop the service.

  To decide priorities for own work area balancing other patient related and professional demands and ensuring that these remain in accordance with those of the service area.

  To be actively involved in the collation of appropriate data and statistics as required.

  Research and Practice Development

  To undertake research and/or audit projects relevant to occupational therapy and/or service area, disseminating findings at local level.

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Extensive clinical knowledge including skills in individual and group work within an inpatient or community rehabilitation setting.
• Understanding and application of occupational therapy outcome measures
• Ability to work with people from a variety of cultures

Desirable

• oKnowledge of change management

Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/degree in occupational therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Post graduate training relevant to the post including L'APPLE accreditation

Desirable

• Leadership qualification

Experience

Essential

• Team working
• Supervision of staff/students

Desirable

• oLeadership and first line management experience

Other

Essential

• Commitment to service user-centred, recovery focused, non-discriminatory practice

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

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Michael Carlisle Centre

65 Osborne Road

Sheffield

S11 9BF

Employer's website

https://www.shsc.nhs.uk/working-us (Opens in a new tab)