Job summary
Harrow MHST works with young people with mild to moderatemental health presentations attending school/college within the Borough of Harrow.
TheMHST has three core functions:
To deliver evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health issues;
To support the senior mental health lead (where established) in each school or college to introduce or develop the whole school or college approach and;
To give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.
The role for the Occupational Therapy Assistant is to support the delivery of MHST interventions. The MHST utilises a wide range of evidence-based interventions, including CBT principles to support young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties at an early stage. The post holder will need to be flexible with a clear understanding of THRIVE and how all providers and organisations build on collaborative working with children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.
The post involves a combination of clinical and administrative duties and the post holder will assist Occupational Therapists in delivering a service across mainstream schools and special schools (may have input in clinics or centres in the community).
Main duties of the job
To plan and facilitate activity based groups, guided by the MHST Occupational Therapist.
To work individually with service users on specific tasks and therapeutic activities, guided by the MHST Occupational Therapist.
To promote a culture of engagement in meaningful occupation within school settings, in order to enhance quality of life of children and young people.
To provide interventions in the manner that is consistent with Trust standards and values.
To provide feedback to the team regarding observed occupational performance during sessions which will contribute to assessment and therapeutic interventions.
To maintain clinical records using the electronic patient record system.
To liaise with carers, school staff and other professionals.
To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
To attend mandatory training.
To undertake relevant activities to meet training objectives, as identified with your supervisor.
To keep a record of your training and development activities. To keep up to date with mandatory training.
About us
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust expects all staff to act in a way which shows you understand our core values and are willing to put them into practice with service users, their friends family and carers and also other staff members.
As a Band 4 Occupational Therapy Assistant we expect you to show COMPASSION, contribute to a caring and kind environment and recognise that what you do and say helps can make the lives of others better
We expect you to RESPECT everyone and acknowledge and welcome people's differences rather than ignore them or see them as problematic.
We expect you to EMPOWER others and continually try to provide information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs.
We expect you to work in PARTNERSHIP and behave in a way that shows that you recognise that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and pay for our work.
As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
To find out more about working in CAMHS,CLICK HEREfor our video.
Job description
Job responsibilities
**Please see full job description for further information**
To work effectively as a member of a team in providing therapeutic activities, using a client-centred and occupation/activity based approach.
To support in the delivery of Whole School Approach interventions, 1:1 and or group interventions.
To provide Occupational Therapy advice, intervention and support to service users and their carers, under the guidance of an Occupational Therapist.
To be actively involved in setting up training for school staff and delivering training as appropriate.
To provide accurate and timely feedback to the multi-disciplinary team regarding the service users wellbeing and occupational performance.
To use technical/creative skills to engage service users in meaningful and appropriate activities, to promote independence, recovery and wellbeing.
Job description
Job responsibilities
**Please see full job description for further information**
To work effectively as a member of a team in providing therapeutic activities, using a client-centred and occupation/activity based approach.
To support in the delivery of Whole School Approach interventions, 1:1 and or group interventions.
To provide Occupational Therapy advice, intervention and support to service users and their carers, under the guidance of an Occupational Therapist.
To be actively involved in setting up training for school staff and delivering training as appropriate.
To provide accurate and timely feedback to the multi-disciplinary team regarding the service users wellbeing and occupational performance.
To use technical/creative skills to engage service users in meaningful and appropriate activities, to promote independence, recovery and wellbeing.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Education and Training
Essential
- 5 GCSEs grades 9-4 (A*-C) or equivalent including English and Maths
- A-levels and/or Health and Social Care NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
- Knowledge of Occupational Therapy role within setting
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office and associated packages
Desirable
- Undergraduate degree in relevant subject
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a therapy assistant or discipline specific assistant in an educational/health setting
- Experience of working with people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Experience of leading groups and 1:1 interventions
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and risk management
- Experience of using clinical systems to record service user information
Desirable
- Experience of working within an Occupational Therapy related setting
- Experience of service user and carer involvement in the development of services
- Knowledge of Recovery principles
- Functional Assessment Training
- Experience of using electronic patient record systems
Skills, Knowledge and Ability
Essential
- Ability to use a variety of methods to teach occupational skills to students/carers and staff
- Ability to deliver presentations/workshops
- Understanding of team dynamics and ability to work as part of a team
- Ability to work autonomously
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to provide and receive sensitive information regarding service users' care and social situations
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to understand, respond and adjust appropriately to service users' changing needs
- Ability to concentrate, respond appropriately to interruptions and meet deadlines
- Knowledge of and ability to use a range of communication formats
- Knowledge of different types of mental health difficulties and learning disabilities
- Good observational skills
- Willingness to travel to different sites during the working day (schools, clinics and early help sites) within the borough of Harrow
- Awareness of basic health, safety and risk issues within the workplace
Desirable
- Strong presentation skills
- Second language (other than English)
- Knowledge and experience of using Occupational Therapy assessment tools
- Car driver
Other
Essential
- Appropriate level of fitness to undertake moving and handling tasks required for the role (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
- Ability to deal regularly with distressing or emotionally charged situations
- Committed to client-centred, non-discriminatory practice
- Commitment to life-long learning
- Willingness to learn specific Occupational Therapy techniques
- Demonstrably kind, approachable, positive and respectful, with enthusiasm, integrity and sound motivational skills
Person Specification
Qualifications, Education and Training
Essential
- 5 GCSEs grades 9-4 (A*-C) or equivalent including English and Maths
- A-levels and/or Health and Social Care NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
- Knowledge of Occupational Therapy role within setting
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office and associated packages
Desirable
- Undergraduate degree in relevant subject
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a therapy assistant or discipline specific assistant in an educational/health setting
- Experience of working with people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems
- Experience of leading groups and 1:1 interventions
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and risk management
- Experience of using clinical systems to record service user information
Desirable
- Experience of working within an Occupational Therapy related setting
- Experience of service user and carer involvement in the development of services
- Knowledge of Recovery principles
- Functional Assessment Training
- Experience of using electronic patient record systems
Skills, Knowledge and Ability
Essential
- Ability to use a variety of methods to teach occupational skills to students/carers and staff
- Ability to deliver presentations/workshops
- Understanding of team dynamics and ability to work as part of a team
- Ability to work autonomously
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to provide and receive sensitive information regarding service users' care and social situations
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to understand, respond and adjust appropriately to service users' changing needs
- Ability to concentrate, respond appropriately to interruptions and meet deadlines
- Knowledge of and ability to use a range of communication formats
- Knowledge of different types of mental health difficulties and learning disabilities
- Good observational skills
- Willingness to travel to different sites during the working day (schools, clinics and early help sites) within the borough of Harrow
- Awareness of basic health, safety and risk issues within the workplace
Desirable
- Strong presentation skills
- Second language (other than English)
- Knowledge and experience of using Occupational Therapy assessment tools
- Car driver
Other
Essential
- Appropriate level of fitness to undertake moving and handling tasks required for the role (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
- Ability to deal regularly with distressing or emotionally charged situations
- Committed to client-centred, non-discriminatory practice
- Commitment to life-long learning
- Willingness to learn specific Occupational Therapy techniques
- Demonstrably kind, approachable, positive and respectful, with enthusiasm, integrity and sound motivational skills
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.
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).
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.
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).
