Job summary
We are looking for dynamic and inspiring Occupational Therapists to join the Surgical and Orthopaedic Team at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.
This will be an exciting opportunity for two Band 6 Occupational Therapists within our team. One Full time position and one part time position.
You will become part of a supportive team and service as well as working within a cohesive multi-disciplinary team.
These are new roles within our team with an emphasis on Falls management and frailty. You'll work alongside a Band 7 Occupational Therapist, using your Occupational Therapy skills to provide comprehensive assessment, advice and creative solutions, conducting home visits when needed.
For consistency of patient care, you will be responsible for the transition of patients from the Surgical Decision Unit to the surgical and orthopaedic wards. This places emphasis on early assessments and interventions for timely discharges.
We are committed to providing a workplace that helps you thrive, supporting you to continually develop and enjoy using your Occupational Therapy skills for the benefit of patients.The Acute Occupational Therapy service has been dedicated to transforming our services to facilitate our Occupational Therapists to use their skills to maximum potential.
You will have access to peer support forums and a specific band 6 core skills training programme.
Main duties of the job
To provide a specialist assessment and treatment service for patients with life changing surgical and orthopaedic conditions by working in close collaboration with the surgical and orthopaedic team to provide the best outcome for patients.
To be responsible for managing a complex caseload of patients with a variety of diagnoses and pathologies.
To assist in the development of the service and develop and review clinical protocols for specialised clinical areas.
To be responsible for own workload as an autonomous practitioner, ensuring that patients are seen according to clinical need.
Oversee the caseload delegated to other staff within the speciality, providing supervision in the form of formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, peer review and case studies as necessary.
To provide a specialist resource for the surgical and orthopaedic team, other clinicians and colleagues within the Trust.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will assess patients to ensure they understand the Occupational Therapy treatment process and their participation within this process and gain valid, informed consent. The post holder will have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment. e.g. patients confused due to brain injury and will be expected to participate in the assessment of capacity, where relevant.
The post holder will be in a static role in Surgical and Orthopaedic team. They may be required to offer advice and clinical support to these client groups on out-lying wards.
Clear learning objectives and development opportunities will be set.
The post holder will undertake comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessments of patients by using both standardised and non-standardised assessments to identify deficits and assess the patients occupational performance. The timing of the assessment will be driven by clinical need and with an awareness of targets. The post holder will be expected to use this assessment information to formulate treatment plans/early intervention for patients and allocate treatment sessions as appropriate for both themselves and support staff. These decisions will take into account National standards for Treatment, Trust priorities and Occupational Therapy Department priorities.
They will use highly developed and specialist skills to treat patients on their caseload/ Individualised treatment programmes could include a range of different modalities and clinical approaches e.g. functional activities such as kitchen and washing and dressing tasks, remedial activities to treat cognitive and perceptual problems and trials of postural seating to meet the positioning and seating needs of patients with changing muscle tone. The patients will usually present with diverse, complex or multiple pathologies.
Treatment plans will consider patients own goals and those of the multi-disciplinary team to predict achievable outcomes and recommend the best course of intervention. It will frequently require advanced communication and problem-solving skills. The post holder will be expected to evaluate treatment plans and make adaptation to the individual treatment programme as indicated.
They will be required to work flexibly across wards, to take a key role on the ward in implementing early intervention model of assessment and treatment and discharge planning, this will involve making recommendations about timing of assessments, interventions and discharge, discharge destinations, advising the patient/family/team about safety/risk issues and identifying needs prior to and immediately post discharge from hospital. As part of this process, the post holder will make recommendations and implement an action plan to facilitate an appropriate discharge, taking positive risks when required. The post requires specialist knowledge supported by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.
The post holder will be expected to advocate for the needs of the patients under their care.
The post holder will also be responsible for advising and training patients, relatives and carers how to manage their long-term conditions. The post holder will have to have high level communication and interpersonal skills to deal with these issues sensitively and may be subject to patients who challenge their decision making or who need specialist intervention to enable them to understand concepts. The post holder may have to deal with these issues autonomously or with the team. These issues often cause significant distress to patients and their families and can also affect the post holder.
The post requires highly developed physical skills, mental effort and concentration to therapeutically handle patients for example with poor sitting balance or decreased tone.
The post holder must be skilled in the use of specialist equipment used for manual handling and therapeutic activities including use of plinths, wheelchairs, specialised seating, hoists, standing aids and adaptive equipment.
The post holder will have exposure to bodily fluids and human waste on a daily basis whilst treating incontinent patients on the ward. They may come into contact with vomit when carrying out various Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment activities. The post holder will adhere to Trust standards and protocols in the course of dealing with bodily fluids to minimise the risk of infection.
The post holder will be expected to carry out home and community assessments as required. They will plan and implement the assessment of a patient within the home environment in accordance with departmental and trust policies. During the assessment the post holder will have sole responsibility for the patients. The post holder is involved with the clinical evaluation of the patients performance, including treatment goals and discharge planning. This may include advising patients and carers of the inability to return home or supporting a person home with managed risks, which can be distressing for all concerned. The post holder may be alone during home assessments in unpredictable environments where there may be an element of risk. This may include working in unclean surroundings and coming into contact with dirt, fleas and lice.
The post holder may undertake daily therapeutic moving and handling with patients. This can include long term immobile and bariatric patients weighing up to 30 stone.
This can take place in confined awkward spaces, e.g. confined spaces around beds on wards, ward toilets, in/out of cars. The post holder will use moving and handling equipment, specialist therapeutic equipment as part of treatment programmes on a daily basis. The post holder will be responsible for completing their own risk assessment and documentation relating to equipment use and issue and must ensure other team members are aware of and comply with procedures related to equipment prescription.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will assess patients to ensure they understand the Occupational Therapy treatment process and their participation within this process and gain valid, informed consent. The post holder will have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment. e.g. patients confused due to brain injury and will be expected to participate in the assessment of capacity, where relevant.
The post holder will be in a static role in Surgical and Orthopaedic team. They may be required to offer advice and clinical support to these client groups on out-lying wards.
Clear learning objectives and development opportunities will be set.
The post holder will undertake comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessments of patients by using both standardised and non-standardised assessments to identify deficits and assess the patients occupational performance. The timing of the assessment will be driven by clinical need and with an awareness of targets. The post holder will be expected to use this assessment information to formulate treatment plans/early intervention for patients and allocate treatment sessions as appropriate for both themselves and support staff. These decisions will take into account National standards for Treatment, Trust priorities and Occupational Therapy Department priorities.
They will use highly developed and specialist skills to treat patients on their caseload/ Individualised treatment programmes could include a range of different modalities and clinical approaches e.g. functional activities such as kitchen and washing and dressing tasks, remedial activities to treat cognitive and perceptual problems and trials of postural seating to meet the positioning and seating needs of patients with changing muscle tone. The patients will usually present with diverse, complex or multiple pathologies.
Treatment plans will consider patients own goals and those of the multi-disciplinary team to predict achievable outcomes and recommend the best course of intervention. It will frequently require advanced communication and problem-solving skills. The post holder will be expected to evaluate treatment plans and make adaptation to the individual treatment programme as indicated.
They will be required to work flexibly across wards, to take a key role on the ward in implementing early intervention model of assessment and treatment and discharge planning, this will involve making recommendations about timing of assessments, interventions and discharge, discharge destinations, advising the patient/family/team about safety/risk issues and identifying needs prior to and immediately post discharge from hospital. As part of this process, the post holder will make recommendations and implement an action plan to facilitate an appropriate discharge, taking positive risks when required. The post requires specialist knowledge supported by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.
The post holder will be expected to advocate for the needs of the patients under their care.
The post holder will also be responsible for advising and training patients, relatives and carers how to manage their long-term conditions. The post holder will have to have high level communication and interpersonal skills to deal with these issues sensitively and may be subject to patients who challenge their decision making or who need specialist intervention to enable them to understand concepts. The post holder may have to deal with these issues autonomously or with the team. These issues often cause significant distress to patients and their families and can also affect the post holder.
The post requires highly developed physical skills, mental effort and concentration to therapeutically handle patients for example with poor sitting balance or decreased tone.
The post holder must be skilled in the use of specialist equipment used for manual handling and therapeutic activities including use of plinths, wheelchairs, specialised seating, hoists, standing aids and adaptive equipment.
The post holder will have exposure to bodily fluids and human waste on a daily basis whilst treating incontinent patients on the ward. They may come into contact with vomit when carrying out various Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment activities. The post holder will adhere to Trust standards and protocols in the course of dealing with bodily fluids to minimise the risk of infection.
The post holder will be expected to carry out home and community assessments as required. They will plan and implement the assessment of a patient within the home environment in accordance with departmental and trust policies. During the assessment the post holder will have sole responsibility for the patients. The post holder is involved with the clinical evaluation of the patients performance, including treatment goals and discharge planning. This may include advising patients and carers of the inability to return home or supporting a person home with managed risks, which can be distressing for all concerned. The post holder may be alone during home assessments in unpredictable environments where there may be an element of risk. This may include working in unclean surroundings and coming into contact with dirt, fleas and lice.
The post holder may undertake daily therapeutic moving and handling with patients. This can include long term immobile and bariatric patients weighing up to 30 stone.
This can take place in confined awkward spaces, e.g. confined spaces around beds on wards, ward toilets, in/out of cars. The post holder will use moving and handling equipment, specialist therapeutic equipment as part of treatment programmes on a daily basis. The post holder will be responsible for completing their own risk assessment and documentation relating to equipment use and issue and must ensure other team members are aware of and comply with procedures related to equipment prescription.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/Degree in Occupational TherapyHCPC RegistrationCPD in relevant clinical areasBasic management/supervision training
Desirable
- Accredited Practice Placement EducatorRCOT MembershipSupervision TrainingRecruitment and Selection TrainingAppraisal Training
Experience
Essential
- Documented evidence of continuing professional developmentExperience in the supervision of junior and assistant staffExtensive clinical experience in a relevant specialty. (minimum of 2 years post qualification)Ability to work autonomously and set priorities for the team and service in the absence of the Team Leader.Implementing a range of standardised and/or non-standardised assessments
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/Degree in Occupational TherapyHCPC RegistrationCPD in relevant clinical areasBasic management/supervision training
Desirable
- Accredited Practice Placement EducatorRCOT MembershipSupervision TrainingRecruitment and Selection TrainingAppraisal Training
Experience
Essential
- Documented evidence of continuing professional developmentExperience in the supervision of junior and assistant staffExtensive clinical experience in a relevant specialty. (minimum of 2 years post qualification)Ability to work autonomously and set priorities for the team and service in the absence of the Team Leader.Implementing a range of standardised and/or non-standardised assessments
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).
