Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Purpose:

To undertake person-centred assessments and to empower people to make choices and promote their health, well-being and independence.

To work collaboratively with people who have complex needs to formulate support plans which maximise abilities, enable individuals to make choices to work towards their identified goals.

To formulate and implement intervention plans aimed at reducing the impact of disability and ill health.

To utilise OT skills in a variety of cases, analysing and adapting home environments to reduce the impact of disability and to promote function and social participation.

(For Occupational Therapists these will be complex or highly complex cases)

(For Occupational Therapy Preceptorship these will be non-complex cases or complex cases in collaboration with senior staff).

NOTE: Actual job tasks will vary depending on the team in which the post is located.

Context:

The service will be provided in accordance with legislation, national guidance, departmental procedures and protocols, quality assurance targets and timescales, and local partnership arrangements.

Accountabilities:

To manage a caseload of cases as allocated.

To undertake assessments under the Care Act and other legislation, using astrength-based approach relevant to you skill set and level of experience.

To co-ordinate and monitor OT outcomes and undertake reviews to ascertainwhether the desired outcomes are being achieved.This may includeadvocating on behalf of people or theircarers.

To work with individuals to assist them to assess risk and take decisionsrelated to their ability to function in the community environment.

To formulate and implement intervention plans including reablement plans,aimed at reducing the impact of disability and ill health: plans may includespecialist disability equipment, housing adaptations and graded plans ofactivities to be carried out by carers in reablement settings (Cases involvinghighly complex building alterations for OTs only).

To promote safeguarding awareness with service users and multi-agencypolicy and procedure.Keep updated on current safeguarding guidance andpractice and be vigilant in all activities.

To work with people and their carers to demonstrate and teach use ofequipment and other techniques and strategies to help maintain serviceusersindependence.

(OTPs to involve senior staff until level of skill and experience matchescomplexity of the task).

To use clinical skills to identify and arrange for the provision, installation andreview of specialist disability equipment and Assistive Technology inaccordance with Departmental guidance.

To advise on the structural adaptations required to meet identified needs andaccommodate required equipment (including that to maintain mobility, e.g.wheelchairs, and for complex moving and handling), to makerecommendations to the Housing Authority for Disabled Facilities Grantswhere appropriate and to work with housing professionals, architects, andcontractors to manage any changes needed during the process.

(OTPs to be involved in less complex adaptations or to work with senior staffwhere the needs of the service-user or technical constraints of the buildingdetermine that the adaptation task is complex.

To undertake where appropriate the supervision of competency-based staffand/or students including learners from other agencies in accordance withDepartmental Procedures and support, guidance, teaching and clinicalsupervision to others including Level 1 qualified staff and occupationaltherapy students. This includes ensuring (through the supervision process)that staff comply with the Departments requirements to record and maintainquality information and data.(OTs only).

To advise on the opportunities and constraints of particular types ofadaptations in regard to meeting functional needs and promotingindependence, for service users who are either not financially eligible for, orwho do not wish to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

To liaise with Health and Housing professionals and other statutory, privateand voluntary organisations, providing written reports, recommendations andreferrals as necessary.

To promote inter-disciplinary relationships and partnership working and toencourage integrated ways of working wherever possible.

To operate in accordance with NCC and departmental practice and guidanceincluding the maintenance of electronic social care records and relevantdepartmental and corporate administrative procedures.

Through the supervision process to ensure that staff comply with theDepartments requirements to record and maintain quality information anddata, including electronic social care records (Level 2 OccupationalTherapists only).

To undertake staff development and training in accordance with the teamplan and in line with Adult Social Services Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment Strategy and the relevant professional body.

To ensure service delivery meets the ethnic, religious, cultural and linguisticbackgrounds to challenge appropriately where this is not the case.

To undertake the necessary training to become a Practice Educator.

To successfully complete the Occupational Therapist PreceptorshipProgramme if you are newly qualified, new to social care or returning to socialcare after a long service break. This will be discussed in more detail ifappropriate at your interview.

To ensure that services are provided in accordance with departmentalstandards, equal of access, diversity and objectives of quality of assuranceare cost effective with due regard to Health and Safety requirements (andchallenge appropriate where this is not the case).

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of the relevant Health and Social Care legislation and current policy and practice within Health and Social Care
• Knowledge of electronic case management systems
• Knowledge of the specialist disability equipment
• Knowledge of building design and how buildings can be adapted for disabled people (OT)
• Demonstrate a knowledge and awareness of theory and models of practice and be able to draw on this knowledge in understanding the relationship between the human experience and the built environment
• Knowledge of good practice in moving and handling (OT)
• Knowledge of current policy and practice within Health and Social Care
• A commitment to and knowledge and understanding of Equal Opportunities policy and anti-discriminatory practice
• Experience of working with people in their own homes (OT)
• Experience of supervising others (OT)

Desirable

• Knowledge of building design and how buildings can be adapted for disabled people (OTP)
• Knowledge of good practice in moving and handling (OTP)
• Experience of working with people in their own homes (OTP)
• Experience of supervising others (OTP)

Aptitudes and Behaviours

Essential

• To be able to communicate clearly and appropriately with members of the public, colleagues and staff in other agencies verbally, on the telephone and in writing
• To be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills with a view to using various computerised and electronic case management systems
• Ability to exercise judgement and initiative in carrying out assessments of needs, problem solving and pursing outcomes to meet needs.
• An ability to develop and change in light of the changing health and social care policy environment
• Ability to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment
• Able to plan, manage, prioritise workloads, demonstrating good time management skills
• Able to prepare and present reports and other documents; contributing to teaching and to deliver presentations
• Able to work effectively under pressure and within departmental procedures effectively in a crisis
• To be able to adopt a learning attitude and have the ability to change
• Able to liaise effectively within the department and other agencies and voluntary organisations
• Able to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team as appropriate
• Ability to gather qualitive and quantitative information and analyse objectively
• Ability to assess risk and take appropriate action
• Ability to manage complex relationships

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma in OT/Degree in OT
• Registered with the Health Professions Council

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).