Job summary
Care Home Liaison Occupational Therapist
Are you a qualified Occupational Therapist with a passion for improving the lives of people with a mental health or dementia diagnosis living in care homes? Innovative post with scope to shape a growing area of expertise within the occupational therapy profession. Determination and drive in making a difference, developing multi-agency working. Experienced and keen to work with older people. Playing a key role in enhanced health in care homes MDT.
Ability to develop rapport with staff across multiple sites, building relationships based on shared enthusiasms. Provision of staff training to support and build confidence. Sound knowledge of concept of activity and its use in maintaining occupational function. Working knowledge of dementia and behaviours that challenge and older adults mental health presentations and the impact of physical health on mental health and dementia. The Impact of the social and physical environment on behaviour and wellbeing.
Innovation (innovative) creative thinking. Enjoy a level of autonomy within a dedicated framework of support. Regular supervision, training opportunities, Occupational Therapy and primary care liaison team meetings. Support from the wider integrated care mental health liaison team. You will be working alongside a band 7 care home specialist Occupational Therapist.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as part of the Tower Hamlets Older People's Mental Health Service to provide a specialist in-reach service to care homes and extra-care housing settings for people with behaviours that challenge associated with dementia or mental health conditions.
The post holder will work with the Tower Hamlets care homes and extra-care sheltered housing schemes, supporting with the development and delivery of dementia and mental health care for their residents. They will apply a biopsychosocial approach to assessment and intervention, and advocate for non-pharmacological approaches to supporting people with behaviours that challenge. The post holder will assist with the design and delivery of dementia and mental health training for the care settings.
They will be required to work independently and will have sufficient experience to perform at a high level with minimal supervision
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- oDegree in Occupational Therapy
- oProfessional registration with HCPC
- oSubstantial post-registration experience
- oShort specialist courses relating to dementia and/or older adult mental health
Desirable
- oRCOT membership
- oPost-graduate diploma level equivalent training (ie., Dementia Care Mapping or Best Interest Assessor)
- oStudent Educator Training
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of autonomous caseload management, including assessment, intervention planning and evaluation
- oExperience of assessment and intervention planning for older adults with dementia and/or mental health conditions
- oExperience of working in partnership or liaising with care homes
- oExperience of being involved in a service or quality improvement project
- oExperience of providing training/education and presentations
- oDocumented evidence of CPD
- oDemonstrable experience of having received and engaged with clinical supervision
Desirable
- oExperience of supervising staff and/or students
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- oAbility work autonomously, and manage a complex caseload with minimal supervision
- oAbility to communicate with a wide range of professionals
- oAbility to effectively prioritize workload
- oAbility to collect biopsychosocial information from a variety of sources and independently make clinical judgments and create care plans based on the analysis of the information
- oUnderstanding of biopsychosocial issues that can impact the health and wellbeing of older people
- oEffective written, oral and communication skills
- oKnowledge of specific legislation and policies pertinent to older adult mental health and dementia
- oUnderstanding of team dynamics and ability to work effectively as part of a team
- oKnowledge of word-processing, powerpoint and spreadsheet applications, and electronic record-keeping systems
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- oDegree in Occupational Therapy
- oProfessional registration with HCPC
- oSubstantial post-registration experience
- oShort specialist courses relating to dementia and/or older adult mental health
Desirable
- oRCOT membership
- oPost-graduate diploma level equivalent training (ie., Dementia Care Mapping or Best Interest Assessor)
- oStudent Educator Training
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of autonomous caseload management, including assessment, intervention planning and evaluation
- oExperience of assessment and intervention planning for older adults with dementia and/or mental health conditions
- oExperience of working in partnership or liaising with care homes
- oExperience of being involved in a service or quality improvement project
- oExperience of providing training/education and presentations
- oDocumented evidence of CPD
- oDemonstrable experience of having received and engaged with clinical supervision
Desirable
- oExperience of supervising staff and/or students
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- oAbility work autonomously, and manage a complex caseload with minimal supervision
- oAbility to communicate with a wide range of professionals
- oAbility to effectively prioritize workload
- oAbility to collect biopsychosocial information from a variety of sources and independently make clinical judgments and create care plans based on the analysis of the information
- oUnderstanding of biopsychosocial issues that can impact the health and wellbeing of older people
- oEffective written, oral and communication skills
- oKnowledge of specific legislation and policies pertinent to older adult mental health and dementia
- oUnderstanding of team dynamics and ability to work effectively as part of a team
- oKnowledge of word-processing, powerpoint and spreadsheet applications, and electronic record-keeping systems
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
