Highly Specialist SEND Occupational Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Solent Integrated Children's Therapy service is for children aged 0-19 who experience challenges with Physical disability, daily functional activities, eating and drinking skills, speech, language and communication.

This is a community service delivered in children's homes, pre-school settings, Children's Centres, mainstream schools, special schools, and community clinics.

Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists work together with children and their families as part of multi-agency teams with Health Care professionals across acute and community services, Education, social care colleagues and equipment providers, to enable children to achieve their therapy goals.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical and Professional

*To work autonomously, being accountable for direct delivery of the OT service within the specialty, including implementation of local and national policies and procedures and the evaluation of service delivery.

*Critically analyse complex situations and clinical data to inform decision making, to offer best physical and emotional support to the child/young person and their families/carers.

*Working in partnership with young people, and their support; provide specialist, evidence based Occupational Therapy interventions to a caseload to ensure good clinical outcomes. The post holder will be required to work with the client to assess their needs using specialist tools and identify goals for the Occupational Therapy intervention, to evaluate the outcome and maintain clinical records (paper and electronic). This will require the use of advanced clinical reasoning skills, investigative and analytical skills as an autonomous practitioner.

*To facilitate the delivery of therapeutic interventions with children and young people that have unpredictable physical limitations and difficulties with understanding, due to physical, psychological, cognitive, or social situations

*Provide Mentorship and Support and Specialist Occupational Therapy advice as required.

*Advise and support families and carers and assess those for whom further support is required.

*Collaborate and liaise with other professionals and agencies in the community to achieve maximum advantage from planned coordinated care.

*Contribute to and participate in multidisciplinary working with site-specific groups to ensure care needs of children and young people are identified and met.

*Identify the potential for service development in collaboration with Team leads, assessing risks and service gaps making recommendations based on specialist knowledge to inform quality improvement and maintain safe service delivery.

*Identify workforce and skill mix needs and participate in the recruitment and development of staff.

*Work as an effective member of the multi-professional care team, participate in multidisciplinary working initiatives and contribute to the development of organisational change as appropriate.

*Provide professional expertise and clinical leadership, acting as a resource to other professionals.

*Ensure the recording and reporting of clinical statistical activity as a base for contract information.

Management and Leadership

*To line manage staff as required for the role

*Provide Leadership to the team

*To support inductions of new staff as required for the role

*Improve and develop Occupational Therapy services in line with National, Clinical, Professional and Local guidelines, supporting the evidence base for Occupational Therapy.

*Staff are managed and standards of work are maintained and Trust policies for the management of staff performance are adhered to.

*Appraisals of staff directly managed are undertaken and that the appraisal process is maintained throughout the team.

*Identify and challenge poor performance and poor practice

*To work with the professional heads to ensure that flexibility is maintained within the Occupational Therapy contribution to the service, covering service priorities and staff absence

Communication

*To deal with complex communications with young people, carers and other service users where there may be barriers to understanding

*Communicate effectively with young people, carers, colleagues, and relevant agencies in a range of matters, some of which are sensitive and require negotiation or persuasive skills.

*Adapt approach when information may be sensitive, confidential, or distressing or where there may be difficulties with understanding due to physical, cognitive, psychological or social problems. To be able to deal with verbal aggression. To recognise potential areas of conflict and know channels to refer to.

*To communicate potentially complex information effectively to facilitate collaborative working with a range of people and organisations to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated service

Knowledge, Education and Training

* Actively participate in the formal and informal educational programmes using in-depth knowledge of specialist and current evidence to support practice.

*To identify learning needs for occupational therapy staff in line with service line priorities and wider AHP workforce requirements of the local health economy, liaising with Trust Practice Educators as appropriate

*Evaluate learning and feedback to the team following attendance of educational events.

*To be responsible for planning and delivery of induction and competency programmes for new starters

*Consistently critically analyses and refers to research findings and literature to support practice.

*Identifies sources to keep up to date with evidence-based practice.

*Collaborate in research projects within the team and with other care services and other agencies, both locally and nationally as required for the role

*To have a detailed working knowledge of current legislation, clinical standards, and national policies in order to prioritise and deliver a therapeutic programme

*To demonstrate a working knowledge of legislation and guidelines appropriate to the scope of practice including (but not limited to): Equality Act, Chronically Sick and Disabled Person's Act, Children and Families Act and SEN reforms.

Administration

*To provide data and other statistical information as required.

*To be responsible and accountable for own clinical equipment.

*In the designated area of work, ensure:

*Appropriate records are maintained ensuring compliance with the agreed record keeping systems of the Trust.

*Informed consent to treatment is obtained and documented in accordance with Trust procedures.

*Appropriate risk and other assessments are completed and documented in a timely manner in accordance with Trust policy.

*New and replacement equipment is not used until it has been commissioned in accordance with Trust policy.

*Defective equipment is reported and made safe without delay in accordance with Trust procedures.

*Equipment is maintained in accordance with Trust policy.

*To support with Equipment ordering including booking appointments, supporting ordering process, setting up and review/ monitoring of equipment

Quality and Service Improvement

*Identifies situations of clinical risk and takes appropriate action to ensure a safe environment for patients/clients/families and staff.

*Contributes to evidence-based practice in speciality areas.

*Demonstrates commitment to quality improvements, risk management and resource utilisation participating in monitoring and evaluation activities including audit and research activities

*Provides input into clinical standards/protocols and policies and undertakes clinical audits as required.

*Evaluates the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of clinical practice contributing to service improvement initiatives.

*Participates in the implementation of models of care appropriate to client population needs.

*Contributes to and participates in Solent NHS policy development providing own expertise where relevant and feedback on proposed polices based on relevant experience and expertise where applicable.

*Participates in case review and debriefing activities as required.

*Participates in group/unit discussions that review current practice.

*Contributes to the development of programmes of care/care packages providing specialist advice where relevant.

*Promote patient and public involvement in activities designed to inform service improvement

*Actively participate in clinical audit and service improvement activity to improve patient care and patient outcomes (privacy, dignity and duty of candour).

*Fully adheres to the Solent NHS trust Integrated Clinical and Safeguarding Supervision policy along with Safeguarding Children and adult policies, and information sharing protocols to ensure the health and well-being of children and adults at risk.

*Familiarity with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and maintains MCA mandatory training.

Health and Safety, Security and Equality

*Works in accordance with the relevant Health and Safety Trust policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy
• Current Health Care Professional Council registration as an Occupational Therapist
• Evidence of study at Masters' level or working towards this qualification relevant to area of practice.
• Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
• Member of an appropriate Special Interest Group

Experience

Essential

• Experience
• Post-registration experience in relevant setting.
• Able to demonstrate ability to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations and deal with verbal or physical aggression on occasions
• Proven Clinical Leadership and presentation skills
• Able to take personal responsibility, work autonomously and manage time effectively

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Solent NHS Trust

Address

Adelaide Health Centre, Western Community Centre

William Macleod Way

Southampton

Hampshire

SO16 4XE

Employer's website

https://www.solent.nhs.uk/join-us/ (Opens in a new tab)