Rotational Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Post:

Responsibility for People Management.

To co-ordinate the day-to-day activities of junior and admin staff where applicable.

To attend and actively contribute to Band 5 peer supervision meetings.

To attend Student educator training and actively support student placements within the team.

To participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities, work experience and training staff and students from other units/disciplines/schools/colleges and training schemes as agreed with supervising Therapist and Occupational Therapy Lead.

To plan, organise and lead when delegated both formal and informal treatments and health education groups for both patients and carers.

To educate patients and carers regarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect patient safety and independence in the hospital and home, leisure and workplace.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

To follow policy and guidance around the security, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipment utilised in the clinical setting.

To ensure new and replacement equipment is not used by self or staff until it has been commissioned in accordance with Livewell SW policy. Defective equipment is reported and made safe without delay in accordance with Livewell SW procedures.

On the rare occasion you may handle patient valuables as part of a home visit or community assessment, that you follow Livewell SWs policy Cash & Cheque Handling Procedures, section 6 Patient Money, section 7 Patient Travel.

Professional Practice and Responsibility for administrative functions.

To maintain high professional standards at all times and to comply with standards of practice as stipulated in the Royal College of Occupational Therapys Professional standards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics and HCPCs standards of practice.

To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.

To prioritise and to be responsible for the day-to-day management of own caseload and patients in your care, delegating activities as appropriate. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.

To work as an autonomous practitioner, seeking guidance where necessary.

To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager:

-All staff are required to ensure knowledge regarding health and social care legislation is up to date. Namely, the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) at a level deemed essential for their role.

-The level of training required, and subsequent assessment tools used to apply legislation, will be role dependent. It is important that staff understand and comply with local policies and procedures relating to the MCA to ensure Livewell SW can act in an individuals best interest when providing care. This helps to ensure ongoing adherence to our legal obligations and ensuring we put the needs of our patients first.

To ensure all leave is requested in line with Livewell SW policy.

To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/or apps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.

To review and reflect on own practice through effective use of professional and clinical supervision in line with Livewell SW policies, procedures and to maintain an up-to-date CPD portfolio.

To develop skills and knowledge through participation in the Preceptorship programme and to go on to support future preceptees, in the capacity as a Preceptor.

To take responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development and statutory training demonstrating the ability to apply acquired complex skills/knowledge and maintaining fitness to practice.

To demonstrate understanding and application of professional, local and national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care provision.

To maintain an up-to-date record of all patient contact, MDT care plans, Occupational Therapy assessments and reports whilst ensuring confidentiality at all times in line with Professional and Livewell SW policies and procedures.

To provide written communication with outside agencies and charitable bodies to support the need for services and equipment on discharge or when transferred.

To refer to follow up services to ensure treatment programmes are in place to progress functional independence based on identified needs at discharge. Demonstrating to and informing community staff re ongoing patient needs in the community i.e., home carers and reablement assistance.

Clinical Role & Responsibility for people who use our services.

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and providing comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment, and evaluation based on sound knowledge and evidence-based practice.

To ensure the patient is aware of the role and philosophy of Occupational Therapy and components of the Occupational Therapy treatment programme.

To respect the individuals values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.

To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods with patients, who may have difficulty in understanding or communicating and who may be low in mood or lack insight.

To impart sensitive information and advice to patients and carers which could have life changing consequences. To provide an opportunity for patients and carers to express their feelings whilst encouraging acceptance and adjustment to their new circumstances.

To demonstrate an understanding of conditions relevant to the diagnostic area and those patients presenting with multi pathology.

To use a selection of both standardised and non-standardised assessments (relevant to the rotation setting), to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial, and social functioning, e.g., COTNAB and CAMS.

To assess, prescribe and authorise equipment and make recommendations for minor and major adaptations to increase/enable or compensate for independent function, teaching compensatory techniques as required.

To assess seating and positioning needs and treat as appropriate including assessment for and prescription of standard wheelchairs and accessories when accredited referring on to AJM Wheelchair Service as required for assessment of complex and specialist mobility and seating needs.

To identify the need for splinting and positioning to prevent and manage deformity and improve function for the upper limb, and subsequently referring to specialist services or colleagues to meet this need.

To carry out environmental home assessments, pre discharge home assessments discharge home visits and follow up as required. The assessment involves reviewing ergonomic layout of the property to maximise patient functional ability within the home, assessment of disabled access, equipment needs recommendation for minor and major house adaptations, risk and safety review and referring to other agencies and Social Services as necessary.

To record and report regularly on patients progress and treatment to the multi-disciplinary team or supervising OT in individual clinical areas.

To be responsible for goal planning, reviewing treatment programmes and applying outcome measures used in the clinical area. To share in close liaison with all members of the multi-disciplinary team, patients carers and family in accordance with consent given.

To ensure continuation of care in the community, or transfer of patients to other hospital settings, by establishing a comprehensive discharge plan and completing onward referrals, with good communication to statutory and voluntary services.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To attend and contribute to staff meetings and attend relevant professional meetings appropriate to the clinical setting (ward MDTs, case conferences, clinical meetings).

To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.

To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within your area.

To take an active role in audit, research and interdisciplinary development within the unit as required.

To be responsible for collecting and reporting statistical data in line with the Livewell policies and procedures.

To actively contribute to service development and contribute to Livewell SWs clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.

To maintain competence in the use of manual handling techniques and equipment including the prescriptions of manual handling equipment for use in the home, demonstrating the use to formal and/or informal carers.

To ensure the use of appropriate and robust risk assessments in all areas of your work are undertaken and documented in a timely manner in accordance with Livewell SW policy.

To adhere to Livewell SW policies and procedures including Health and Safety at work.

Other Responsibilities

To use, maintain and be responsible for the security of issued IT equipment in line with Livewells Information Governance & Data Protection policies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Degree/MSc in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of on-going education and professional development
• Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if this is not first language.

Desirable

• Clinical Educator

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of current best practice in OT and the application of the OT process.
• Use of functional assessment and activity analysis.
• Experience of working and dealing with vulnerable patients.
• Knowledge of multi-pathology assessment, home assessment, rehabilitation treatment and discharge planning.
• Ability to work single handed with individuals and groups.
• Understanding of the MDT, team dynamics and ability to work flexibly as a member of a team.
• Basic knowledge of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service provision.
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literate.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice.
• Documented evidence of CPD.

Desirable

• Experience of risk assessing patients in an in-patient rehabilitation setting.
• Assessing for standard equipment, seating and pressure care products.
• Supervision skills.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Commitment to client centred, non-discriminatory practice.
• Commitment to lifelong learning.
• Willingness to participate in rotation scheme.
• Willingness to work flexibly - clinical settings on the rotation may be altered willingness to work across range of community and inpatient settings essential.
• Current valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle to enable you to travel across the region in a timely fashion, in order to manage daily caseload.
• The post holder will need to travel and attend to service users based across Plymouth and other geographical areas.

Desirable

• Membership of professional body and/or specialist interest groups.
• Awareness of health, safety and risk.

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).