Living Well Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

ST. MARYS HOSPICE

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Living Well Occupational Therapist

Reports to:

Living Well Sister/Clinical Lead

Accountable to:

Head of Clinical Care & Education

Job Purpose:

To work as part of St Marys Hospice specialist palliative multi-professional team, contributing to the effective provision of holistic care to patients with advancing illness, with the emphasis on offering symptom control, rehabilitation and promoting/ maintaining independence and quality of life through therapy interventions and support. This role does not replace the need for patients to be referred to statutory Community Occupational Therapy as required, such as for the support for discharge planning or equipment provision.

To undertake holistic occupational therapy assessment, care and treatment of patients as an autonomous practitioner.

To provide lifestyle and health coaching, working with patients to form and achieve personal goals.

To deliver non-pharmacological symptom management for individuals or groups with advancing illness.

Working closely with the Clinical Lead, to coordinate the hospice living well therapies delivered at the Living Well Centre, the hospice and elsewhere. These may be delivered by internal staff or external agencies.

To work and liaise with other organisations and agencies who deliver supportive and/or therapeutic services or groups, especially at the Living Well Centre.

Working with and supporting hospice volunteers.

Dimensions:

St. Marys Hospice is a charity, providing specialist palliative and supportive care for people living with advancing illness, and their families. We have two main bases: the hospice building in Ulverston and the St Marys Living Well Centre in Barrow in Furness. We also provide care in the home setting.

We aim to enable and support people with advancing illness to live their lives as fully as possible, with an emphasis on quality of life and individualised care, and a family approach to care.

The Living Well services include a range of individual and group therapy, and these are adapted in response to client and population need.

We aim to work closely with other organisations and agencies which deliver services within the Living Well Centre.

The delivery of Living Well services is supported by a team of hospice volunteers.

Other hospice services include an 8-bedded In-Patient Unit, Hospice at Home Nursing Service, Family & Bereavement Support Service and specialist education.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Clinical:

Ensure a responsive therapeutic approach, with effective management of referrals into the service.

Undertake comprehensive holistic occupational therapy patient/client assessments. Assessments may take place in different settings including in group therapy environments, in home settings or on the In-Patient Unit.

Deliver a range of therapeutic activities for patients with advancing illness on a group or individual basis, and their family carers, supported as required by Living Well staff and volunteers.

Utilise lifestyle and health coaching approaches with patients/clients to enhance their health and wellbeing, self-management and quality of life.

• Assist patients with basic personal care if required during the day hospice/ group therapy sessions.

Ensure the forward planning of therapeutic provision based on referrals and identified need.

Provide advice, education and support to individual patients and carers, and to groups, to self-manage symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, pain and anxiety, and to enhance functional ability and coping strategies through non- pharmaceutical techniques.

• Through the provision of direct intervention, teach specific symptom and lifestyle management techniques (e.g. for pain, relaxation, anxiety, breathlessness, fatigue).
• Promote a culture of patient enablement in the multidisciplinary team.

Provide advice to the clinical team on the In-Patient Unit, including appropriate referral to the Community Occupational Therapy service.

Maintain confidentiality in line with confidentiality guidelines, and support staff and volunteers to understand and abide by these.

• Maintain accurate and professional records, including use of EMIS, the electronic patient record system, complying with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

Communication, Administration and Quality

Work closely with the Clinical Lead and Community Engagement Team to ensure Living Well group therapies are planned and coordinated, working with colleagues and external agencies as required to achieve an effective service which meets a wide range of need.

Organise and manage own workload, and co-ordinate/oversee the work of junior staff, apprentices, other learners and volunteers within the team as required.

Work with patients and family carers to identify and work towards achievement of personal goals.

Develop effective communication with patients and families/others, including in emotionally charged situations, using sensitivity, tact and empathy.

Provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.

Positively encourage and support client participation using motivation and negotiation skills, reassurance and active listening.

Communicate effectively with other internal and external teams and professionals to ensure an effective service and continuity of care.

Actively participate in multidisciplinary team, professional and family meetings and offer specialist input and advice and advocate for patients and families when appropriate.

Liaise and work with other agencies and organisations who use the Living Well Centre to enable a joined up and connected approach.

Maintain contemporaneous records and work closely with clinical administrators and colleagues to ensure effective record keeping and administrative processes.

Actively support the recruitment, training, support and supervision of Living Well team volunteers.

Support the development of policies and procedures for the service.

Undertake service evaluation, outcome measures and audit in line with national, regional and local standards. Maintain accurate data on service provision, referrals and patient numbers.

Actively participate in supervision for staff and volunteers.

Reach out and network with the professional and lay community to make our Living Well services known and to encourage referrals.

Respond to initial patient/client/family complaints or concerns and report to senior staff as appropriate.

Report any near misses or untoward incidents/accidents in a timely manner. Participate in undertaking investigations and root cause analysis as appropriate.

Actively participate in annual performance and development reviews and setting of team and individual objectives, aligned to the hospice higher level objectives.

Education, Practice Development and Research

• Develop and maintain knowledge of the evidence base to support practice within our palliative and supportive care environment and take responsibility for continuing own professional development and the requirements of any professional body/affiliation
• Participate as required in the teaching and support of newly appointed staff, learners and volunteers.
• Contribute to the professional development of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Participate as appropriate, in any relevant national/local research initiatives in which St Marys may be involved.

Undertake education and training for internal and external staff, as required, aligned to own knowledge and skills.

Use professional networks to connect to services and organisations external to the hospice and promote shared learning.

Equality and Diversity

• Promote a culture which respects and values diversity, and supports patients, visitors and staff in exercising their rights.
• Foster an environment and service which strives to reflect the diversity of individual needs within the Hospice.
• Promote and demonstrate awareness of anti-discriminatory practice or behaviour which undermines equality and diversity in accordance with organisational policies and current legislation.

General Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with policies and procedures and Health and Safety requirements Fire, Moving and Handling and other mandatory updates.
• Public Relations represent the Hospice and uphold its reputation in the community and public domain as appropriate.
• Actively promote and implement Hospice policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other duties as delegated, designed to improve both patient/client care and the service provided by St Marys Hospice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Occupational Therapy degree or diploma.
• Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.

Desirable

• Professional development in:
• onon-pharmacological approaches to symptom management (e.g. fatigue management)
• omental health
• olifestyle & health coaching
• opalliative care
• odelivery of group activities

Experience

Essential

• Experience of:
• Holistic assessment of need
• Planning and delivering appropriate individual and group therapies
• Non- pharmaceutical therapy techniques (for fatigue, anxiety, pain, breathlessness)
• Enhancing self-management and coping strategies for people with advancing illness.
• Delivering therapeutic activities in a group setting.
• Working in a multi-professional team setting

Desirable

• Working in a palliative care or mental health environment.
• Working with volunteers.
• Supervising / supporting others

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Working knowledge of occupational therapy as applied in a therapeutic setting.
• Goal setting
• Approaches to delivering groups
• Adapting therapeutic approaches based on individual need
• Health / lifestyle coaching
• A positive professional attitude.
• Personal and professional commitment to deliver high quality care.
• Warm, kind and sensitive, able to use tact and empathy in emotionally charged situations.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to build relationships and work within a multi-professional team.
• Emotional maturity to deal with exposure to emotional/ distressing situations and circumstances.
• Good level of written and IT skills.
• Ability to manage personal stress.
• Must be a car driver with valid driving license.
• Ability to work outside core hours on occasions to meet service requirements (evenings and weekends).

Desirable

• Knowledge of palliative rehabilitative care
• Fatigue management
• Anxiety management
• Teaching and mentoring
• Teaching and mentoring skills

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).