Community Palliative Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Clinical Practice

• Autonomously provide a highly specialised occupational therapy service to a diagnostically-varied and highly-complex caseload of those under the care of hospice services - patients with cancer, long term neurological conditions and other progressive life-limiting / terminal conditions other than cancer.
• Work flexibly and be accountable for effective and efficient time management and prioritisation across the service.
• Be able to work alone in the community, independent of multi-disciplinary support whilst in direct contact with patients and their carers, adhering to lone worker policies.
• Demonstrate sound specialist clinical skills and knowledge in the assessment, treatment and management of patients with life limiting illnesses.
• Undertake specialist physiological and/or psychological assessments of patients function, and develop dynamic, strengths-based care plans and goals through discussion, negotiation and agreement with patients/carers and professionals.
• Implement and deliver highly specialist therapeutic input to patients focusing on maximising function, engagement with their lives, and optimising selfmanagement of symptoms, where possible, with a risk-confident approach.
• Identify and work with patients as early as possible to maintain or develop independence in activities of daily living and daily routines.
• Work as part of the local system MDT in assessing patients and their accommodation to facilitate remaining at home, if preferred place of care or death. This will include organising provision of assistive equipment, assessing for minor/major adaptations, and moving and handling techniques through adult social care systems and community health services.
• Demonstrate clinical effectiveness reflecting on evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
• Actively involve patient and carer in developing treatment/discharge plans, providing education and support as needed.
• Refer patients on for external statutory and/or voluntary sector support where required.
• Act as a source of occupational therapy expertise, consultancy and advice within the MDT, providing written and verbal information to other professionals on the management and care of patients, whilst also accessing specialist services in the community.
• Act as an advocate on behalf of patients and their families by adopting a client centred approach.
• Carry out clinical risk assessments and complete risk management plans relevant to the clinical group.
• Be responsible for safe moving and handling of patients during mobility and transfers, including use of available equipment; liaising with a specialist advisor as indicated.
• Identify potential safeguarding concerns and escalate in line with local procedure and/or policy.
• Adapt practice to meet individual patients circumstances, including due regard for cultural and linguistic differences.
• Delegate appropriate tasks to rehab and wellbeing assistants and volunteers where appropriate and relevant, and the ensure direction, guidance and management of these tasks.
• Maintain confidentiality consistent with local policy and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) code of ethics.
• Be accountable for own professional actions and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking and acting upon advice as appropriate.
• Keep up-to-date clinical notes and records in accordance with policy and with the RCOT standards and also write comprehensive discharge and progress reports to referrers and service users.
• Be flexible in the undertaking of any other duties as requested by line managers to meet the changing needs of the service, and accept responsibility for delegated departmental clinical and administrative duties.

Communication

• Employ advanced interpersonal, communication and counselling skills with patients and carers with highly complex needs including those related to terminal illness.
• Communicate with patients and their families in emotionally charged situations using tact and empathy when sharing difficult and challenging information whilst encouraging client participation in therapy by using negotiation, reassurance and sympathy.
• Convey complex and sensitive information relating to clients using skills in situations where there may be barriers to communication i.e. use of interpreters, receptive/cognitive pathologies or excess noise.
• Work effectively with patients and families requiring a language interpreter and ensure effective input for all patients regardless of their spoken language or communication status.
• Promote and foster positive working relations with all members of the system organisations involved in service provision through regular liaison across different settings of practice.
• Use formal and informal communication mechanisms including telephone, face to face, SystmOne, MOSAIC, RiO, Teams, Zoom (and others as required) both written and electronic to a wide variety of staff and people within and outside the departments, hospice and external community.
• Both clinical and non-clinical information is to be shared, with patient consent, to ensure that effective communication is maintained between the therapy team and all other agencies (health, social care and voluntary) to enhance patient care.
• Act as an ambassador for the hospice, communicating key messages with patients and external professionals so they understand the nature of its charitable status.

Quality

• Take an active role in identifying and evaluating potential improvements and developments to the service following discussion with appropriate people.
• Ensure accurate data entry and play an active part in the continuous improvement of quality of data in order to represent activity undertaken.
• Identify, undertake/contribute to audit and research projects pertinent to occupational therapy, rehabilitation and the AHP teams.
• Support the Hospice Leadership Team in environmental audits and risk assessments to improve accessibility and patient / user / visitor experience.
• Support the investigation of complaints and act of user feedback to continuously improve services.
• Be accountable for ensuring for the safe recommendation and review of Occupational Therapy equipment.
• Exercise good personal time management, punctuality and maintain consistent and reliable attendance.
• Engage in evidence-based practice by ensuring the most up to date and evidence-based treatments and protocols are used.
• Be actively involved in own annual appraisal; both in setting annual objectives and by being responsible for meeting said objectives throughout the following year.
• Evaluate draft policies and strategies, feeding back thoughts on impact on users and the public.
• Be responsible for the maintenance and development of own CPD: regularly receiving supervision, and actively seeking to develop skills and knowledge through reading, reflection and attending both internal and external teaching courses.
• Attend specialist short courses and advanced training in order to maintain and develop specialist skills and knowledge and maintain up-to-date Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and RCOT registration.
• Participate in relevant meetings and in-service training sessions including mandatory training, and annual updates provided by the hospice and other partner organisations.
• Provide line management to junior team members where required to do so.
• Attend and facilitate support groups organised for Occupational Therapists and other Health Professionals in order to offer/receive support and keep up-to-date with new developments.
• Keep up-to-date with developments for the promotion and maintenance of practise in Occupational Therapy in palliative care, for example, through reading, attendance at courses, conferences, meetings and Special Interest Groups.
• Use validated outcome measures to evidence the impact of their work.

Education & Training

• Identify own learning needs, liaising with line manager to attend training, seminars, courses and study days, as appropriate.
• Promote awareness of the role of OT at all times during one-to-one communication and meetings with rehab staff and other members of the multidisciplinary teams.
• Support colleagues in developing appropriate skills in rehabilitation and end of life care through practice, modelling, teaching, and mentorship.
• Be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of OT students on fieldwork education, as required.
• Take an active role in developing and providing teaching both within the departments and to wider staff on issues around rehabilitative palliative care.
• Deliver teaching courses to healthcare professionals, including those external to the organisation, in collaboration or consultation with the Rehabilitation and Wellbeing team lead. For example, those organised by Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, our Hospice Education and Learning Partnership with St Christophers Hospice, or within the wider Integrated Care System and other partners.

If you would like a full job description, please email: recruitment@gbch.org.uk

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including with clients with significant barriers to understanding.
• - Computer literacy with knowledge of Windows based applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams), and clinical systems, e.g. SystmOne, with ability to adapt to and learn new systems.
• - Ability to work with patients facing life limiting illnesses and their carers.
• - Ability to demonstrate insight into ones own resilience, especially when working with those experiencing death and dying.
• - Ability to transfer learnt skills to a practical environment.
• - Ability to work independently and as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
• - Able to demonstrate effective working with members of a variety of professional groups across different organisations
• - Ability to plan and manage own workload.
• - In-depth knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and its application within therapy.

Desirable

• - A knowledge of current legislation and policy relevant to end of life care
• - Working knowledge of relevant statutory and voluntary agencies and organisational structures
• - Ability to run groups

Qualifications

Essential

• - Recognised qualification in Occupational Therapy
• - Current HCPC registration
• - Membership of RCOT
• - Evidence of further study and/or experience in Long Term Conditions or Palliative Care

Desirable

• - Member of relevant Clinical Interest Group
• - Advanced Communications Skills Course (Maguire or similar)

Experience

Essential

• - Significant clinical experience across a range of specialist areas, i.e. general medicine, oncology, neurology, respiratory, frailty, social care etc.
• - Post-graduate experience at a senior level, including experience of palliative care and/or hospice
• - Experience of working with clients with complex healthcare or rehabilitation needs
• - Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting
• - Experience of using highly skilled moving and handling to facilitate client movement and/or rehabilitation
• - Experience with and knowledge of provision of assistive equipment and minor/major adaptations.
• - Experience of working in the community setting, including as a lone worker
• - Experience of research, audits and service development implementation.
• - Experience in supervisions and appraisal of staff and students.
• - Experience of developing and delivering teaching/ training.

Desirable

• - Experience of working with volunteers

Personal Attributes

Essential

• - Flexible, motivated and self-directed
• - Demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities
• - Highly professional manner
• - An understanding of the mission and values of Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice
• - Excellent problemsolving skills
• - Approachable and adaptable
• - Commitment to providing high quality, individualised holistic care to patients and their relatives/ carers
• - Ability to undertake training and direct own learning

Other Requirements

Essential

• - Clear enhanced DBS
• - Car driver / owner to undertake duties in the community setting
• - Valid UK driving licence

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).