Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Sport for Confidence CIC is a pioneering and award-winning Social Enterprise which has the strategic aim of addressing inequalities in sport and physical activity participation. Our vision is that Everyone Gets to Play.

Our specific aims are to:

Make it easier for anybody irrespective of their background to take part in sport and physical activity in a leisure centre environment.

Champion inclusive practice and help other organisations to improve their own practice in terms of supporting the least active in society to move more.

Influence every Occupational Therapist in the country with the principles of practice from the Sport for Confidence way of working.

Leisure Centres are community assets that should be accessible to everyone, as a focal point of community-based engagement. In its simplest form, the existing Sport for Confidence CIC model is concerned with placing allied health professionals (AHPs) directly into leisure centre environments, with the overall aim of improving the experiences and opportunities for people facing barriers to participating in sport and physical activity. Making these reasonable adjustments helps to create inclusive sporting opportunities to people who face barriers to participation, including those with learning disabilities, mental health issues, people living with dementia, autism, physical impairment or disability, homelessness, and many other complex health needs.

Sport for Confidence has grown from 1 individual using sporting activities as part of Occupational Therapy assessment to becoming a model which has seen over 19,000 interactions over a 12-month period and been adopted in many leisure centres, across 8 local authorities in Greater Essex and 2 London boroughs. Each centre has their own health professional and coach in place working together to deliver the strategic outcomes and offer a programme of activities for absolutely anyone who may be facing barriers to accessing sport and physical activity opportunities.

We are looking for a motivated and reliable individual to join our team of Occupational Therapists. You would join an innovative organisation and work as a member of an experienced team.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Duties

General

To liaise with sport for confidence staff in MDT meetings as required.

To liaise with external agencies including health care professionals, charities, community groups and other health and social care organisations.

Create and provide tailored and specialist workshops to internal and external agencies.

Provide outreach sessions and presentations to local organisations to promote service.

To keep up to date clinical records in line with professional RCOT and HCPC standards and policies.

Make decisions on level of intervention required.

Manage complex caseload.

Leisure Centre Provision

Lead SFC Contract at Hornchurch Leisure Centre and support the Basildon Prevention and Enablement model in partnership with Essex County Council.

Parent and carer liaison

Informal supervision of the coaching team.

Manage the relationship with the key personnel at leisure facilities and across Active Networks

Client interaction - signposting to relevant external services

Collaborate with local learning disabilities and mental health teams

Attendance at relevant meetings, conferences and events (locally and nationally)

Develop outcome measures relevant to health and wellbeing

Engagement with other allied health professionals

Data management and reporting

Case study production

Design and delivery of training interventions

Social media promotion

Involvement with our Service User Involvement Group Team Create (Virtual)

Non-Clinical Duties

Promote service within the local area through networking.

To attend weekly MDT meeting with Sport for Confidence staff.

To complete participation numbers for statistical purposes.

To participate in audits, data collection, research and evidence-based practice.

To promote the occupational therapy role to external agencies.

To contribute to service development through innovative ideas and creation of resources.

To initiate and lead projects to meet identified service needs.

To seek out funding opportunities and complete funding applications where appropriate.

Professional Duties

To attend professional meetings as required.

To attend appropriate training events as required.

To maintain a continuing professional development portfolio.

To engage in regular supervision.

To supervise and support students when appropriate.

To provide day to day operational management of coaches and volunteers.

To comply with policies and procedures regarding annual leave, sick day and time owing.

Additional Responsibilities

Complete all mandatory training.

To keep updated on all matters relating to company policies and guidelines.

Keep outlook calendar up to date.

To participate in staff appraisal process.

Attend peer supervision and CPD opportunities.

Sport for Confidence Values

Each member of staff is responsible for adhering to the five Sport for Confidence values in daily practice whilst communicating and engaging with clients and carers.

Passionate We maintain strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to access physical activity within a mainstream community environment.

Caring To provide kindness and support to every client and their support system.

Person Centred To provide personalised meaningful interventions which help clients achieve their chosen goals.

Inclusive To provide choices and opportunities to engage in physical activity whilst making reasonable adjustments to the physical and social environment.

Innovative To be creative and dynamic in our approach to treatment planning and interventions whilst keeping the client at the centre of what we do.

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of Safeguarding issues and requirements/legislation and how these apply to the role
• In-depth knowledge of working with people with varying conditions including physical disabilities, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, autism and dementia.
• In depth knowledge of wider policy and service issues relating to disabilities and relevant legislation
• An awareness of how sport can impact a client holistically

Desirable

• Relevant experience working as an Occupational Therapist
• Experience of lone working

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• Registered with HCPC
• Evidence of Continuing professional and personal development.

Skills/Experience

Essential

• Ability to assess clinical situations effectively and use own initiative and apply an appropriate treatment intervention accordingly.
• Experience of developing and working closely with other internal and external agencies.
• Integration of theory and practise to demonstrate creative problem-solving ideas.
• Able to adapt communication skills according to the audience.
• Ability to supervise coaches and volunteers with day-to-day activities

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously within the leisure centre environment.
• Ability to manage and adapt to unpredictable work schedules and changing environments.
• Ability to empathise with clients, carers and families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved and maintained.
• Negotiation skills with external staff for reasonable adjustments for access to the leisure centre. Also required in the management of conflict, including the resolution of complaints which may involve diffusion of aggression.
• Ability to prioritise workload.
• Ability to deal with exposure to emergency and highly distressing situations.
• Ability to deal with stressful situations.
• Takes responsibility for own developmental needs.
• Able to take initiative and work pro-actively face to face or virtually.

Additional requirements

Essential

• Keyboard and computer literacy skills including Zoom/Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Uphold Sport for Confidences 5 key values

Desirable

• Car driver

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).