Occupational Therapist- ASD & Learning Disabilities Division

Career Level B

Location: Northampton

Salary:From £24,750 - £31.000 per annum, pro rata

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week, Fixed Term Contract until May 2021

We are currently looking for an energetic, enthusiastic and ambitious Occupational Therapist to join our established team.The Division specialises in care for men and women of working age (18-65yrs) with either a primary diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders or a primary diagnosis of Learning Disability.

“Our patients and your colleagues will expect you to live the St Andrew’s CARE values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence every single day.”

You can achieve more at St Andrew’s Healthcare

A top 20 UK charity, St Andrew’s is a unique provider of specialist care in mental health and learning disability. We aspire to deliver truly world class, holistic services within our outstanding, modern facilities. Our independence means we can always put patients’ interests at the heart of decision making, while re-investing surpluses in frontline services. We are currently transforming the Charity to deliver ‘Value Based Healthcare’. This will ensure our patients consistently get the best possible outcomes and local teams gain more control and responsibility.

We arerecruiting for our well-established world class Forensic Autism Psychiatric Service to meet the clinical needs of adults with autism who enact serious violent crime. The heart of our service is our multidisciplinary team of dedicated specialist clinicians that integrates knowledge and skills for autism, psychiatry and forensics to provide outstanding care and treatment for our patients. Our research interests mirror this and we actively encourage our team members to pursue research interests at the intersection of autism and forensic psychiatry to improve our clinical outcomes. Your research interests may build upon on our current national and international collaborations.

The Person and Role

As a registered Occupational Therapist, you would be joining a highly motivated, knowledgeable and innovative OT team. Experience will be gained as part of a multi-disciplinary team, taking responsibility for a clinical caseload, and offering OT specific assessment and treatment to groups and individuals within your care. As an employee of St Andrews you will adopt an inclusive and ‘can do’ attitude in approaching your work.

You will demonstrate good understanding of OT within secure services, including an application of risk assessment skills. In sharing your experience of applying the OT process, you should also emphasise how you promote our specialism as a profession.

Continued professional development is supported, with access to a range of in-house CPD events, as well as an expectation to be involved in the development and training of OT students. Further opportunities include networking opportunities with colleagues of the same and different grades within the service and The Charity.

You should have:

• Experience working within a secure setting.
• Sound knowledge and experience of working with individuals who have a diagnosis of learning disability and mental health conditions.
• An interest, knowledge and understanding of a range of theoretical frameworks and approaches which guide practice and clinical reasoning. For example Model of Human Occupation, occupational science, occupational diagnosis and sensory approaches.
• Knowledge and experience in using occupational assessment tools to support clinical reasoning, treatment planning and evaluation of interventions.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to develop good professional relationships with members of the MDT and patient group, and the ability to liaise with a variety of outside agencies (within and outside of the hospital).

Rewards and Benefits

• We offer an excellent benefits package including:
• Excellent professional and career development and training opportunities
• ‘Transform’ our Leadership development program
• Relocation allowance (eligibility criteria applies)
• Pension and life assurance
• Sickness policy on par with the NHS
• 35 days annual leave, increasing further after service (including bank holidays)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Healthcare cash plan
• Free parking
• Paid DBS application

If you have any questions regarding the post or want to arrange a visit please contact: Rachel Harwood, Lead Occupational therapist, rharwood@standrew.co.uk or tel. 01604 533646

Closing Date: 31st Janauary 2021