Job summary
The Horsham based community Dementia and Older Persons Mental Health Service (DOPMHS), are looking for a full time Occupational Therapist to join their friendly multi-disciplinary team in this exciting new band 5-6 development role. The team office is based at New Park House, adjacent to the beautiful Horsham Park and a few minutes' walk from the town centre.
This post offers a Relocation package up to a maximum of £8000 for international applicants who are successfully recruited from outside of the UK. Please see attached documents for further details.
Main duties of the job
The team support people living with dementia (and their carers) who have complex presentations, such as high levels of distress, significant mood disturbance, concurrent hallucinations/ psychosis or paranoia or behaviours such as physical/ verbal aggression and agitation. The team also supports older adults with a range of mental health diagnosis.
The successful OT will be an integral member of the MDT and alongside lead practitioner duties, will have protected time to perform OT specific assessment and interventions including group work. They will be supported by their colleagues within the DOPMHS team as well as by the wider OT community where they will have regular OT led professional/ clinical supervision and will be invited to attend practice development groups and have access to other CPD opportunities.
About us
As a mental health trust Sussex Partnership places a huge focus on the wellbeing of our staff, as well as ensuring our reward packages reflect the immensely important work they do.
As a Mental Health OT in our team we can offer you:
- Access to a comprehensive Allied Health Professions Training and education programme
- Progression to band 6 Occupational Therapist within 12 months if competencies are achieved
- Access to full psychological and wellbeing support, via our internal wellbeing team
- Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development
- Free parking on-site
- Access to a host of discount schemes (including gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars)
- A position within a trust rated as 'Outstanding' for caring and 'Good' overall by the CQC
- Generous holiday entitlement (starting at 27 days + 8 bank holidays)
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Occupational Therapist to join our Dementia and Older Persons Mental Health Team based in Horsham. This community-based team supports people over the age of 75 years who have mental health difficulties, and also supports people of any age with dementia. The OTs working in the DOPMHS teams take referrals for OT specific assessment and intervention, but also hold a small caseload of individuals for whom they are lead practitioner. You will be an important part of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to Multi Disciplinary discussions and meetings.
This role will suit individuals with a passion for supporting older adult's mental wellbeing, and who enjoy the autonomy of working in a community role. Mental health experience is desirable, but we can offer you development opportunities including group planning and facilitation skill development, experience using a range of standardised assessments, embedding occupational formulation, and training in specific intervention approaches. As your career develops we can provide you with leadership experiences, and opportunities to develop specialist skills and interests.
We are striving to establish clear OT pathways and processes in our community teams, and to effectively articulate and communicate the unique contribution of OT in this setting. We are keen to continually develop and improve, and this role would suit someone who is motivated and enthusiastic to establish a strong OT offer in the team, and also participate more widely to OT development within the older adult service in West Sussex.
You will be supported by colleagues within the team as well as by the wider West Sussex older-adult OT team, which meet regularly for practice development CPD sessions. You will also have regular professional/clinical supervision, and have access to other CPD opportunities including the Trust's AHP training offer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Occupational Therapist to join our Dementia and Older Persons Mental Health Team based in Horsham. This community-based team supports people over the age of 75 years who have mental health difficulties, and also supports people of any age with dementia. The OTs working in the DOPMHS teams take referrals for OT specific assessment and intervention, but also hold a small caseload of individuals for whom they are lead practitioner. You will be an important part of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to Multi Disciplinary discussions and meetings.
This role will suit individuals with a passion for supporting older adult's mental wellbeing, and who enjoy the autonomy of working in a community role. Mental health experience is desirable, but we can offer you development opportunities including group planning and facilitation skill development, experience using a range of standardised assessments, embedding occupational formulation, and training in specific intervention approaches. As your career develops we can provide you with leadership experiences, and opportunities to develop specialist skills and interests.
We are striving to establish clear OT pathways and processes in our community teams, and to effectively articulate and communicate the unique contribution of OT in this setting. We are keen to continually develop and improve, and this role would suit someone who is motivated and enthusiastic to establish a strong OT offer in the team, and also participate more widely to OT development within the older adult service in West Sussex.
You will be supported by colleagues within the team as well as by the wider West Sussex older-adult OT team, which meet regularly for practice development CPD sessions. You will also have regular professional/clinical supervision, and have access to other CPD opportunities including the Trust's AHP training offer.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
- Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
- Evidence of successful completion of a COT standard preceptorship programme
Desirable
- Practice education training
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
- Experience working as part of a team
- Experience running groups/activities
- Experience of being supervised
Desirable
- Experience of training others in technical/leisure/creative skills
- Lived experience of mental health issues
- Experience of supervising or delegating work to others
- Member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists
Communication/Relationship Skills
Essential
- Establish and maintain both verbal and written communication with people on routine and operational matters
- Provide and receive confidential client information of a sensitive and often complex nature.
- Able to communicate in a sensitive and reassuring manner.
- Able to report to the OT supervisor and wider team in meetings and reviews, on progress with clients personally working with.
- Liaise with other teams and services including external agencies to promote occupational activities for individuals in their communities.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- To undertake assessment tasks related to individuals health and wellbeing including functional observation assessments.
- Collect, collate and report routine data and information
People Management/Leadership/Resources
Essential
- Able to delegate work to others in clinical team
IT Skills
Essential
- Ability to use IT systems including word, internet and e-mail
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential
- To plan and deliver straightforward OT interventions and assessments to meet people's health and wellbeing needs
- Ability to prioritise workload with support
Physical Skills
Essential
- Able to support individuals in their personal occupational needs which can include supporting them in their creative and physical activities within the service or in community settings.
- Additional technical skills able to use with individuals e.g. gardening, cooking, art or sport
Mental Effort
Essential
- Ability to be able to concentrate on complex client assessment and intervention
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands
- Ability to deal with a range of clients presenting with mental health difficulties, their supporters and the clinical team on a daily basis.
- Ability to be able to concentrate on specific activities for up to an hour at a time.
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands in an unpredictable work pattern.
- Ability to work flexibly and adapt to each person as appropriate to their needs in a variety of settings.
Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to deal directly with distressing or emotional circumstances when they arise.
- Ability to deal with distressing or emotional circumstances due to complex nature of work with service users
- Ability to report untoward incidents.
Approach/Values
Essential
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
- Team working
- Ability to travel across sites
- Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
Working Conditions
Essential
- Ability to work in a variety of settings dependent on client need including the community and clients home which may include occasional unpleasant working conditions
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
- Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
- Evidence of successful completion of a COT standard preceptorship programme
Desirable
- Practice education training
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
- Experience working as part of a team
- Experience running groups/activities
- Experience of being supervised
Desirable
- Experience of training others in technical/leisure/creative skills
- Lived experience of mental health issues
- Experience of supervising or delegating work to others
- Member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists
Communication/Relationship Skills
Essential
- Establish and maintain both verbal and written communication with people on routine and operational matters
- Provide and receive confidential client information of a sensitive and often complex nature.
- Able to communicate in a sensitive and reassuring manner.
- Able to report to the OT supervisor and wider team in meetings and reviews, on progress with clients personally working with.
- Liaise with other teams and services including external agencies to promote occupational activities for individuals in their communities.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- To undertake assessment tasks related to individuals health and wellbeing including functional observation assessments.
- Collect, collate and report routine data and information
People Management/Leadership/Resources
Essential
- Able to delegate work to others in clinical team
IT Skills
Essential
- Ability to use IT systems including word, internet and e-mail
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential
- To plan and deliver straightforward OT interventions and assessments to meet people's health and wellbeing needs
- Ability to prioritise workload with support
Physical Skills
Essential
- Able to support individuals in their personal occupational needs which can include supporting them in their creative and physical activities within the service or in community settings.
- Additional technical skills able to use with individuals e.g. gardening, cooking, art or sport
Mental Effort
Essential
- Ability to be able to concentrate on complex client assessment and intervention
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands
- Ability to deal with a range of clients presenting with mental health difficulties, their supporters and the clinical team on a daily basis.
- Ability to be able to concentrate on specific activities for up to an hour at a time.
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands in an unpredictable work pattern.
- Ability to work flexibly and adapt to each person as appropriate to their needs in a variety of settings.
Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to deal directly with distressing or emotional circumstances when they arise.
- Ability to deal with distressing or emotional circumstances due to complex nature of work with service users
- Ability to report untoward incidents.
Approach/Values
Essential
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
- Team working
- Ability to travel across sites
- Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
Working Conditions
Essential
- Ability to work in a variety of settings dependent on client need including the community and clients home which may include occasional unpleasant working conditions
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).
