Job responsibilities
Paediatric Occupational Therapist Community Neurorehabilitation
Location: Community-based eg. client homes, clinics, remote work, South West England and South Wales
Hours - based on clients individual funding
Reports to - Paediatric Service Lead
Accountable to: Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors
Job Summary
The post holder will have their working base at home and will provide Occupational Therapy assessment and rehabilitation services to children and young people (CYP) with acquired and traumatic brain injury and neurological conditions, in the clients own homes, nursery/school/college settings, in the community, or at a designated clinic room.
The post holder will work in an interservice context across several systems including the child, family and wider caregiving network, case managers, legal services, allied health professionals both within and external to Totus, and with the NHS, education services and statutory agencies. The post holder will be supported by the Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors and the Paediatric Services Lead to provide a high-quality, specialist Occupational Therapy service to children and adolescents with neurological conditions (e.g., traumatic/ acquired brain injury, stroke, long-term neurological conditions) as part of a community-based multidisciplinary team. The post holder will work with autonomy to assess and treat clients with complex needs, using developmentally-informed practice to support participation and independence in daily living, school engagement, play and leisure, social routines, and transitions. Vocational rehabilitation may be relevant for older adolescents and young adults.
Key ResponsibilitiesKnowledge and Training
The post holder is required to hold a degree in Occupational Therapy.
The post holder must be registered as an Occupational Therapist with the Health Care Professions Council and be a member of RCOT.
The post holder must undertake the mandatory Continuing Professional Development hours specified by the RCOT/HCPC, and must seek and obtain supervision from senior professional colleagues, in order to maintain advanced specialist skills.
The post holder must have training in safeguarding children, paediatric assessment tools, education systems, and family-centred practice.
Clinical Duties
Independently manage a caseload of clients with complex neurological rehabilitation needs.
Undertake comprehensive OT assessments of functional, cognitive, and sensory needs.
Develop, implement, and evaluate individualised treatment programmes.
Support clients with daily living tasks, community access, equipment provision, and environmental adaptations, or refer on to appropriate specialist services as required.
Apply evidence-based interventions including cognitive rehabilitation, fatigue management, upper limb rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation.
Provide therapy in a range of settings including clients own home, residential settings, education settings, and remotely.
Evaluate outcomes using recognised measures and adjust therapy accordingly.
Complete risk assessments and ensure appropriate safety measures are in place.
Provide education to clients, family members and care teams on the clients needs and strategies.
Write comprehensive and detailed reports to summarise needs and treatment progress.
Write comprehensive and detailed goal plans alongside the MDT.
The post holder is responsible for confidential data stored at home and complying with guidelines issued by the Information Commissioners Office.
Communication Skills
Skills in communicating sensitive and distressing information to patients and families are required.
The capacity to summarise and interpret highly complex and sensitive data and write concise, accurate and readily understood reports and file notes that communicate the findings of the assessment and treatment progress.
IT skills to use the internet, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access, Gmail, library / literature search engines, and cloud-based software.
Multidisciplinary Working
Contribute to MDT assessments and goal planning.
Attend MDT meetings when required.
Work collaboratively with physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, dieticians, Case Managers, and care providers.
Liaise with family, carers, case managers, solicitors, and where appropriate, third-sector organisations and statutory services including schools, community paediatrics CAMHS and Social Care.
Supervision, Support and Training
Participate in peer review, clinical supervision, and reflective practice.
Provide education and advice to families, school teams, support workers, and other professionals.
Service Development and Clinical Governance
Ensure all practice complies with professional guidelines.
Maintain accurate and timely clinical records in line with HCPC and RCOT standards.
Participate in data collection for quality improvement.
Notify the Totus Directors on the requirement and development of clinical protocols and pathways.
Follow all clinical policies including safeguarding, risk, and infection control policies.
Identify and report risks or safeguarding concerns appropriately.
Key Relationships
Children and their families/carers
MDT members e.g., SLTs, PTs, Psychologists, Nurses, Support Workers
GPs, Community Paediatrics, CAMHS, education staff, social care professionals, voluntary sector, Case Managers and Solicitors
Working Conditions
The post holder will work primarily from home, but will be required to visit patients homes and school or college settings to conduct assessments and interventions. Clinic rooms may also be utilised as appropriate.
The post holder will be required to drive for up to 1.5 hours at a time, and often up to 4 hours in a day.
There is a frequent requirement for VDU and computer use, of varying times depending on the demands on the service.
The post holder is required to concentrate intensely for prolonged periods during individual assessment and family interviews, sometimes with challenging and emotional individuals on a one-to-one basis.
There may be some children requiring assessment who are confused, agitated or behaviourally disinhibited following brain injury.
Person Specification Summary
HCPC registered Occupational Therapist with a recognised OT qualification
Post-qualification experience in paediatrics, neurology, rehabilitation or community settings
Skilled in functional and cognitive assessment and intervention planning for children and young people.
Strong communication, time management, and teamworking abilities
Commitment to CPD, evidence-based practice, and service improvement
Capacity to work under changing and pressurised clinical timetables and to be organised management of clinical work.
Health and Safety, Confidentiality and Equal OpportunitiesHEALTH AND SAFETY/SECURITY
It is the duty of every employee to work in such a way that accidents to themselves and to others are avoided, and to co-operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimising risk. It is each persons responsibility to ensure a secure environment and bring any breaches of security to the attention of the Totus Directors.
NON-SMOKING POLICY
Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd operates a Non Smoking Policy which limits smoking in the workplace. Therapists are required to observe the rules laid down in the policy and failure to do so may result in disciplinary being taken.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd has given its full commitment to the adoption and promotion of the key principles of equal opportunities contained within current legislation and the Totus Equal Opportunities Policy.
All staff hold personal responsibility for the application of this policy on a day-to-day basis and should not undertake any acts of discriminatory practice during the course of their employment. Similarly, all staff have a responsibility to highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to the Directors and their supervisors.
Confidentiality
In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about patients, members of staff or other health service business. On no account must information relating to identifiable patients be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, medical, nursing or other professional staff, as appropriate, who are concerned directly with the care, diagnosis and /or treatment of the patient. If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to the authority of a person or body asking for information of this nature, you must seek advice from the Totus Directors. Similarly, no information of a personal or confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded by management as serious or gross misconduct which could result in disciplinary action being taken against you.
This job description will be reviewed in consultation with the post holder to reflect service needs and personal development.
