Team Lead OT Health & Aging Unit

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 30 December 2024

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic team lead/aspiring team lead with proven skills in the management of older adult patients with acute and rehabilitation needs for the Health and Ageing Unit wards at Denmark Hill. This Band 7 OT role works alongside the Clinical Lead OT to support staff and service development across the clinical area, as well as supporting with patient flow.

Multi-disciplinary working is essential within the team and we are looking for an enthusiastic occupational therapist to influence the further development of occupational therapy in elderly care and frailty management, paying particular attention to continuity of care, early identification of barriers to discharge and implementation of service development initiatives in line with Trust and government policy development.

We are looking for someone with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as you will be teaching and developing more junior staff and students. Working in a department which offers a wide range of experiences, you will be encouraged and supported to develop your clinical, teaching, and managerial skills.

The post holder requires a flexible approach to working and will be required to work over weekends/bank holidays as and when needed.

Main duties of the job

As the team lead OT, you will oversee, coordinate and develop the health and ageing OT service at King's College Hospital. The post holder will provide specialist assessment, consultancy and intervention of patients' occupational needs within the inpatient wards as clinically indicated. They will carry a caseload of patients with complex health and social care needs using evidence based practise and client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. They will develop links with other departments and facilitate a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach.

The post holder will provide clinical and professional leadership to a team of qualified members of staff and assistants. The post holder will attend relevant meetings as a representative of health and ageing occupational therapy and will advise on service developments in line with government policy development. To lead on implementation of local clinical governance initiatives for the service, evidence-based practice, clinical audit and day-to-day running of the service.

We are looking for an enthusiastic OT with the following skills, experience and interests:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Interest in leading the development of an OT service
Skills and experience in the management of elderly patients with acute and rehab needs
Skills and experience to assess and treat patients with cognitive, physical and psycho- social needs and provide appropriate evidence based treatments

About us

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Date posted

02 December 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£54,320 to £60,981 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

213-PRUH-6811105-A

Job locations

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

1. To support the team to identify appropriate referrals, capacity and demand and prioritise workload across the team and other services within occupational therapy, particularly in relation to staff absence

2. To apply a high level of understanding of the effect of illness/ disability on occupational performance and provide training and advice on adaptations to technique and the patients social and physical environment.

3. To assess and treat patients with complex needs who would benefit from a coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, rehabilitation and discharge services.

4. To be competent in the development and implementation of remedial and preventative treatment programmes addressing motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychological needs and occupational performance.

5. To identify risks, complete risk assessments and implement risk management strategies and document this accurately.

6. To recognise any change in the condition of the patient and alter treatment accordingly or escalate to medical teams as required.

7. To work within local policies and procedures, national standards and guidelines and adhere to the Royal College of Occupational Therapy professional standards and ethics.

8. To support patients in setting their own goals, then implementing this and evaluating appropriately.

9. To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions, in collaboration with clients and carers, to achieve therapeutic goals.

10. To select evidence based techniques as part of a coordinated treatment program.

11. To assess and demonstrate to patients and carers the safe use of equipment and adaptations and recommend provision of equipment to support discharge.

12. To liaise with professionals in onward services to ensure continuity of care.

13. To respect the individuality, values, culture and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs, ensuring equity of service provision.

14. To make appropriate clinical observations and keep accurate electronic records and activity data in accordance with professional and trust standards.

15. To write occupational therapy functional and discharge reports for social services, onward inpatient services and community services.

16. To work as an autonomous practitioner and display appropriate problem solving, analytical and judgement skills.

17. To support occupational therapists and assists with their managing their patient caseloads to a high level, offering advice or practical support as required.

COMMUNICATION

1. To establish robust communication networks with patients, carers, multidisciplinary members and other agencies.

2. To promote awareness of the role of occupational therapy within the team, negotiating priorities where appropriate.

3. To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and trust standards and provide reports relevant to practice setting.

4. To represent occupational therapy at ward, departmental and service level meetings, including delegation for the clinical lead occupational therapist.

5. To be skilled in managing differences of opinions, conflict and difficult conversations.

MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

1. To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of occupational therapy services within a designated area/team, holding responsibility for defined projects

2. To assist in developing services and standards according to the occupational therapy objectives.

3. Contribute to the trusts clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.

4. To apply national guidelines/legislation relating to health and social care in the NHS service provision

5. To supervise, provide support and complete appraisals as appropriate for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, technicians and students.

6. To be aware of the importance of staff wellbeing, accessing trust support as required and raising any concerns.

7. To be responsible for competent use and maintenance of equipment, raising any concerns and reporting when further resources are needed.

8. To carry out administrative duties as required e.g. assisting in ordering, receiving and maintaining stock and managing petty cash.

9. To have good IT skills and use a variety of IT systems to input patient and staff data as required.

TRAINING, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

1. To monitor and advise in the allocation of students in the health and ageing occupational therapy team.

2. To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.

3. To promote development of occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, technicians and students according to their training and development needs as identified through supervision and appraisal.

4. To regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement.

5. To co-ordinate supervision and appraisal of senior and junior staff.

6. To contribute to the induction and training of students and other staff both within the Trust and where appropriate externally.

7. To participate in and present on the in-service training, preceptorship programmes, multi-disciplinary trainings and external conferences.

8. To undertake audit projects and take part in research projects, relevant to the service area, disseminating findings at local level.

9. To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local and / or national level.

10. To demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development through participation in internal and external development opportunities.

11. To keep in touch with new developments and changing trends in occupational therapy and participate in wider issues of providing an occupational therapy service i.e. quality assurance, public relations including liaison with the community; planning and policy making.

12. To undertake any other duties commensurate within the grade.