Urgent Community Response Team Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

The post holder will deliver high quality Occupational Therapy interventions to patients in their own homes, and provide short term reablement/ rehabilitation programmes with effective short term goal setting for vulnerable adults with acute health needs. This will involve using health coaching skills to effectively engage with the patient and their family to ensure expectations are appropriately managed.

The post holder will demonstrate a flexible approach, being able to adapt and respond effectively and efficiently in potentially stressful case scenarios. The post holder will use their therapy diagnostic skills within their assessment to determine need for further investigations, and to support the MDT with ongoing patient management.

Main Duties & Responsibilities.As part of the Urgent Community Response (UCR) Team you will be required: To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to preventunnecessary admission to hospital. To make risk assessments, establishing the safety or otherwise of a patientsability to stay at home, or return safely from another care setting, providingand arranging as necessary supportive packages of care. To provide evidenced based clinical/therapeutic interventions based on bestpractice in order to improve health outcomes and promote choice. To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to assess andprescribe care pathways for patients in a crisis situation with long termconditions, the frail and elderly, palliative and end of life care and/orrehabilitation needs, to achieve quality of life and independence wherepossible. To provide in-reach to inpatient units and step up beds where required. To act as the patients advocate, facilitating choice and patient empowerment. To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non statutoryagencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users. To Triage referrals on a rotational basis for the Urgent Community Response Team.

Clinical.The post holder will:1. Undertake comprehensive occupational therapy assessments of patientsincluding those with a complex presentation, using investigative, analytical and clinical reasoning skills, and formulate a graded treatment plan.2. Formulate and execute individualised occupational therapy treatment plans for patients including those with complex presentation, in collaboration with the Urgent Community Response Team, other agencies and the patient, utilising a wide range of treatment skills.3. Provide assessment of functional ability and safety of patients in thecommunity, to identify care, equipment, adaptation and therapy needs.4. Assess and plan treatment including teaching patients to utilise techniques and equipment to maximise their functional ability.5. Be aware of Assistive Technology and make referrals for this as required.6. Assess patients holistic needs, communicating complex and sensitiveinformation to patients and carers as to their assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan.7. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.8. Communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation and treatment potential, and to aid motivation and understanding throughout the treatment process.9. Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building to enable patients to engage in their treatment/care/management plan.10.Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health careprofessionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.11.To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.12.Ensure activity data and clinical information is recorded on Systm One and is completed on a daily basis.13.Plan and organise specialist services within the Urgent Community Response Team.14.Demonstrate dexterity and co-ordination when using specialist equipment and fine tools, manual and mobilising skills.15.Order equipment and supplies via electronic ordering systems for use within the team.16.Ensure informed consent is obtained prior to initiating interventions.17.Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.

ProfessionalThe post holder will:1. Be responsible for ensuring workload for self and others is planned andprioritised according to the Urgent Community Response Team targets andneeds.2. Be accountable for work delegated to others.3. Be required to undertake risk assessments and act upon them appropriately.4. Ensure own records are maintained and those maintained by the Team.5. Contribute to the staff rota on a monthly basis.6. Contribute to the supervision of workload within the integrated team.7. Actively contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings and other meetings where appropriate.8. Support all team members within the Urgent Community Response Team, respecting them, their roles and contributions.9. Actively participate and attend in-house training as required to develop current job role.10.Maintain own continuous professional development.11.Be able to make own travel arrangements to patients homes, clinics, base and meetings etc, as required.12.Be responsible for safe use and maintenance of equipment and supplies.13.Remain accountable for own professional actions as determined by theprofessional bodies.14.Be required to demonstrate own duties to students, new starters and/or less experienced staff.15.Provide mentorship for students undertaking pre/post registration courses.16.Mentor existing staff and provide training in specialist area as appropriate.17.Provide advice/training to less experienced staff and supervise and support band 3, band 4 and band 5 staff, and students where appropriate, and contribute to the induction process for new staff/students.18.Demonstrate leadership skills within own competence.19.Be aware of budget and ensure all effort is made to work within this.20.Demonstrate basic IT/standard keyboard skills.

OrganisationalThe post holder will:1. Undertake mandatory training as required.2. Participate in a Personal Development Review process.3. Undertake Personal Development Plans for other staff members.4. Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.5. Follow Trust policies, and local procedures, and use discretion in interpreting them according to the setting and circumstances.6. Comment on draft policies.7. Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.8. Contribute to clinical audit as required.9. Complete the staff survey as required.10.Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or 1st Level degree in Occupational Therapy
• Current HCPC registration
• Clinical educators course completion

Skills

Essential

• Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses
• Highly motivated
• Flexible and Resilient

Experience

Essential

• Good observational and reporting skills
• Evidence of working at a relevant level
• Good interpersonal skills
• Concentrate when undertaking patient care and inputting data / patient records
• Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs
• Demonstrate good IT and standard keyboard skills

Desirable

• Experience in complex moving and handling

Communication

Essential

• Tact and diplomacy
• Empathy and sensitivity
• Ability to use own initiative
• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language

Personal and People development

Essential

• Ability to manage stressful situations
• A team player

Personal Attributes/Behaviours

Essential

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults

Other

Essential

• Be able to: (1)Kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments. (2)Manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg (3)Manoeuvre patients using handling aids
• Must have a full UK driving license and have access to a vehicle

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).