Job summary
This is an exciting role for an experienced Occupational Therapist to work within the multidisciplinary frailty team. The Frailty Team is responsible for providing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments and advice to older people attending the acute hospital trust with a frailty syndrome (e.g., falls, reduced mobility, altered cognition, new incontinence, and polypharmacy). You will work collaboratively with, and be supported by, the Frailty team leads, Consultant Geriatricians, in-reach GPs and a team of multidisciplinary frailty practitioners that includes nurses, medics, and a pharmacist).
You will work within the Frailty Same Day Emergency Department and the main Emergency Department assessing older patients who have experienced a frailty crisis leading to hospital admission, and also within the hospital on the wards.
This post would suit an Occupational Therapist with experience of elderly care, emergency medicine and/or a rehabilitation background. The frailty service operates 7 days a week, currently 07:30-19:30. The post holder will be required to work within these operating hours, including sharing weekend and bank holiday cover with the other members of the team.
Main duties of the job
- To work closely with the Frailty team leads, the Frailty Practitioners, medics and Consultant Geriatricians to proactively identify and manage patients with frailty and support them in the development of supportive management plans.
- To undertake Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments for individuals presenting with a frailty crisis and their carers where needs are highly complex. This will involve planning, implementing, and evaluating the care delivery according to changing healthcare needs.
- To provide evidence-based holistic assessment and treatment planning for patients with frailty referred to the service, without direct supervision.
- To work in conjunction with a wide range of clinical colleagues, specifically primary care and community teams and Social Care professionals, to lead and facilitate a patient focused, co-ordinated case management approach across primary and secondary care for people who are most vulnerable to, and at high risk of repeat admissions to hospital.
- To provide expertise in their own discipline to the wider team and seek professional supervision from colleagues within their professional discipline.
- To complete onward referrals to specialist teams, assess for and order any necessary equipment as appropriate for the longer-term maintenance and prevention of further frailty crises.
About us
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
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Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To provide evidence-based holistic assessment and treatment planning for patients with frailty referred to the service, without direct supervision.
- Use assessment tools/skills that will ensure an appropriate level of recovery intervention so that patients who present with highly complex needs are timely referred to the appropriate clinicians/teams.
- Complete complex risk assessments, both as an independent clinician and drawing on the wider MDT as appropriate.
- Complex manual handling including urgent prescription of specialist equipment to manage immediate risks to patients during a crisis situation.
- Profession-specific assessments, generalist assessments and, where appropriate and within scope of extended practice, cross-profession assessments to maintain patient safety during acute medical / social crisis.
- Refer to appropriate clinical services to ensure patient safety is maintained.
Non-clinical
- Line-management of other members of the Frailty team, and be involved in management tasks, for example recruitment, retention and education.
- Promote and contribute to our open reflective learning culture by supporting and educating others within the multidisciplinary team, particularly those from different professional backgrounds.
For more information please see attached job description and person specification
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To provide evidence-based holistic assessment and treatment planning for patients with frailty referred to the service, without direct supervision.
- Use assessment tools/skills that will ensure an appropriate level of recovery intervention so that patients who present with highly complex needs are timely referred to the appropriate clinicians/teams.
- Complete complex risk assessments, both as an independent clinician and drawing on the wider MDT as appropriate.
- Complex manual handling including urgent prescription of specialist equipment to manage immediate risks to patients during a crisis situation.
- Profession-specific assessments, generalist assessments and, where appropriate and within scope of extended practice, cross-profession assessments to maintain patient safety during acute medical / social crisis.
- Refer to appropriate clinical services to ensure patient safety is maintained.
Non-clinical
- Line-management of other members of the Frailty team, and be involved in management tasks, for example recruitment, retention and education.
- Promote and contribute to our open reflective learning culture by supporting and educating others within the multidisciplinary team, particularly those from different professional backgrounds.
For more information please see attached job description and person specification
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in occupational therapy
- Registered Occupational Therapist HCPC registration.
- Post registration qualification or equivalent experience gained by undertaking on-going personal development and training focused on older adults / frailty advanced practice skills.
- Teaching and assessing qualification / mentorship qualification.
- Evidence of delivering education and training in practice.
Desirable
- Master's level or working towards an equivalent training in specialist area or evidence of significant practical experience.
- Management/ Leadership qualification/ development programme.
Experience
Essential
- Relevant post registration experience
- Experience of caseload management including responsibility for complex care packages for vulnerable people (OT specific)
- Experience, underpinned by knowledge of working with and understanding the complex needs of patients in a primary care / community setting.
- Experience of developing specialist programmes of care for an individual or groups of patients / clients and of highly providing specialist advice.
- Confident in the use of computer systems, spread sheets, databases, data collection, word processing and report writing.
Desirable
- Involved in the implementation and management of change
- Experience of initiation of participating in clinical audit. Research relating to clinical practice.
- Experience of working with long-term conditions and frailty
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Broad range of enhanced clinical skills
- Good knowledge of health and safety and risk management
- Effective written communication skills
- Knowledge and understanding of the Trust Strategy relevant to the role.
- Demonstrates an understanding and insight into current issues and developments within the NHS
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in occupational therapy
- Registered Occupational Therapist HCPC registration.
- Post registration qualification or equivalent experience gained by undertaking on-going personal development and training focused on older adults / frailty advanced practice skills.
- Teaching and assessing qualification / mentorship qualification.
- Evidence of delivering education and training in practice.
Desirable
- Master's level or working towards an equivalent training in specialist area or evidence of significant practical experience.
- Management/ Leadership qualification/ development programme.
Experience
Essential
- Relevant post registration experience
- Experience of caseload management including responsibility for complex care packages for vulnerable people (OT specific)
- Experience, underpinned by knowledge of working with and understanding the complex needs of patients in a primary care / community setting.
- Experience of developing specialist programmes of care for an individual or groups of patients / clients and of highly providing specialist advice.
- Confident in the use of computer systems, spread sheets, databases, data collection, word processing and report writing.
Desirable
- Involved in the implementation and management of change
- Experience of initiation of participating in clinical audit. Research relating to clinical practice.
- Experience of working with long-term conditions and frailty
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Broad range of enhanced clinical skills
- Good knowledge of health and safety and risk management
- Effective written communication skills
- Knowledge and understanding of the Trust Strategy relevant to the role.
- Demonstrates an understanding and insight into current issues and developments within the NHS
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).
Additional information
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).
