Job summary
A exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our integrated Therapy team, supporting the Trauma and Orthopaedics service at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
This dynamic role focuses on acute cognitive, physical, and functional assessments for trauma patients, including upper/lower limb fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and polytrauma. The post holder will play a key role in ensuring optimal post-op outcomes and supporting patients to regain independence.
The post holder will provide professional and operational leadership to the team, supporting them in delivering high standards of care. The post holder will act as a visible role model for the Trusts values, championing patient-centred care.
The post holder will contribute to teaching, supervision, and staff development and also support service evaluation and improvement, ensuring therapy provision remains responsive and effective.
We are committed to developing a skilled and forward-thinking workforce. This post offers a great opportunity to grow your clinical reasoning, leadership, and teaching skills within a supportive, multi-professional team.
We are seeking a motivated, compassionate practitioner with strong clinical knowledge and excellent communication skills. The post holder will be supported by experienced Therapy Leads who are committed to both patient outcomes and staff growth.
As part of our 7 day service, the role will include participation in the trauma weekend rota.
Main duties of the job
Job Purpose:
The post holder will be working as an highly specialist autonomous practitioner, professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including provision of patient care, documentation and use of specialist equipment.
To deliver advanced Occupational Therapy/ assessment and treatment of trauma & orthopaedic patients within an acute ward setting including the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness. To act as a source of expertise to fellow clinicians, Trust managers, Healthcare Professionals and other services internal and external to the Trust as required.
To manage, supervise and appraise staff and students within the Trauma & Orthopeadics service.
To lead in training and development of clinical practice and service, working alongside with the Therapy Service Lead and wider Therapy leadership team.
To undertake clinical audits and evaluation of evidence based practice, initiating/participating in research within specialist area.
For a full list of key duties please refer to the attached Job Description.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large
acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute
services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a
larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from
three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our
caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred
care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to
work with us.
Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our
everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do. Our Values are:
-
Being open and honest
-
Ensuring people feel cared for
-
Showing respect to everyone
Timewise Accreditation
We are proud to have achieved Timewise
accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working
within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a
DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check
(at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting
Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full list of key duties, please refer to the attached job description.
Key Duties:
-
To act as a source of expertise, identifying, analysing, evaluating, and problem-solving to support the development and delivery of individualised intervention and treatment programmes across a variety of settings.
-
To provide a consultative role for relatives and staff, offering advice, recommendations, support, training, and instruction as required.
-
To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, managing and prioritising your own caseload and time. Maintain accurate records and ensure timely data entry.
-
To provide daily leadership and management to the therapy team within your specialist area, including supervision, appraisal, and staff development. Participate in the recruitment process for these roles.
-
To supervise, educate, and assess the performance of students as required, and liaise with universities to ensure that practice and teaching standards meet the expectations of degree-level qualifications.
-
To contribute to the education of students from other disciplines.
-
To deliver training to multidisciplinary team members, ensuring competence in performing duties within their agreed scope of practice.
-
To undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further your own and the teams clinical practice, making recommendations for change. Lead the implementation of specific changes to practice and contribute to service protocols within your specialist area.
-
To take a lead role within the Trauma & Orthopaedics team, providing highly specialist Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions, in both acute and community settings.
-
To use specialist skills to effectively manage caseloads and work priorities, including service delivery and professional demands.
Clinical and Professional:
- To be invloved in the planning and leadership of the Trauma & Orthopaedics Therapy service countywide, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective, efficient service.
- To ensure the efficient and safe management of care for Trauma & Orthopaedics patients as part of the multidisciplinary team, including risk assessments.
- To be responsible for the development, implementation, and delivery of Occupational Therapy interventions, including assessment, treatment planning, and the treatment of your own patient caseload.
- To monitor and advise on the clinical input of others, ensuring patients receive the highest level of care.
- To develop and implement treatment programmes and initiate discharge planning. You must be skilled in assessing and interpreting a range of complex factors, including diagnosis and prognosis.
- Highly specialist skills in the assessment and provision of Occupational Therapy for patients who have undergone orthopaedic surgery are essential.
- To take responsibility for your own professional actions, demonstrating the knowledge and skills to manage a caseload including complex and specialist cases. This includes high-level problem-solving, clinical reasoning, and independent judgement.
- To apply a deep understanding of the impact of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the clients social and physical environment, both in hospital and in the community. Consideration should be given to how these changes affect family and carers.
- To provide highly specialist Occupational Therapy that includes physical, cognitive, perceptual, and visual assessments and treatments, particularly for patients recovering in critical care.
- To demonstrate highly developed clinical reasoning skills to undertake risk assessments for patients, carers, and therapists in both hospital and community settings. This includes assessment of the home environment (with or without the patient present), identifying and recommending preparations needed for discharge and continuing care.
- To establish and maintain a high standard of clinical expertise and care for patients under your management and support junior staff to do the same.
- To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, and work within the legal framework for patients who lack capacity to consent.
- To undertake highly specialist clinical programmes and treatments, aligned with evidence-based practice and national guidelines, assessing the functional ability of patients, including those with complex needs. This may involve using standardised or non-standardised assessment tools.
- To formulate accurate evaluations and clinical deductions based on the interpretation of clinical and non-clinical data, recommending appropriate interventions.
- To evaluate treatments to measure progress, ensure clinical effectiveness, and adapt interventions as necessary. Set up reviews as appropriate and use recognised outcome measures.
- To educate and train patients, carers, and support workers in the safe use of specialist equipment, e.g. hoists. This involves handling and manoeuvring patients and equipment, often in confined spaces.
- To use highly developed specialist knowledge to respond to urgent requests from staff, patients, and relatives to expedite rapid assessment and discharge in the acute setting.
- To work across a variety of clinical areas, including wards and home environments, where there may be exposure to highly unpleasant conditions such as odours, body fluids, faeces, infestations, and verbal aggression.
- To work on the Trauma & Orthopaedics ward and Critical Care Unit, delivering and demonstrating interventions that align with evidence-based practice and national guidelines. These patients are often acutely unwell and require specialist care.
- To manage and support other team members who may lack experience in working within the Critical Care Unit.
Communication:
- To communicate effectively with all patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and build therapeutic relationships. Involve patients in decision-making throughout their care.
- To communicate clearly and confidently at a variety of procedural and operational meetings, using negotiation and persuasion skills, and representing your speciality, team, or the wider Therapy department.
- To produce clear and effective written reports for all patients on your caseload and support junior staff in doing the same.
- To communicate with internal and external agencies (e.g. CCGs, community therapy teams) to support discharge planning.
- To handle complex and challenging situations with clear verbal communication across various organisational and clinical meetings.
- To adapt communication appropriately for patients, families, and carers with a range of communication, cognitive, or behavioural impairments.
- To cascade operational information to therapy and MDT team members, with sensitivity and awareness of their prior knowledge and experience.
- To motivate and persuade others through effective, respectful communication.
- To liaise with local networks and groups, sharing knowledge and supporting the implementation of evidence-based practice.
- To contribute to the future development of Occupational Therapy services, particularly in Trauma & Orthopaedics countywide, in close collaboration with the Occupational Therapy Manager and the Strategic Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- To evaluate and integrate evidence-based practice, ensuring alignment with national standards and frameworks.
- To regularly evaluate your own and your teams work through audits, quality and performance reviews, and evidence-based projects. Share outcomes and recommendations with the Strategic Clinical Lead, specialist colleagues, and the Occupational Therapy Manager, to ensure continuous service improvement and high-quality clinical care.
- To work closely with the Therapy service leads and the Therapy service Managers to advise on recommendations for service development and improvements.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full list of key duties, please refer to the attached job description.
Key Duties:
-
To act as a source of expertise, identifying, analysing, evaluating, and problem-solving to support the development and delivery of individualised intervention and treatment programmes across a variety of settings.
-
To provide a consultative role for relatives and staff, offering advice, recommendations, support, training, and instruction as required.
-
To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, managing and prioritising your own caseload and time. Maintain accurate records and ensure timely data entry.
-
To provide daily leadership and management to the therapy team within your specialist area, including supervision, appraisal, and staff development. Participate in the recruitment process for these roles.
-
To supervise, educate, and assess the performance of students as required, and liaise with universities to ensure that practice and teaching standards meet the expectations of degree-level qualifications.
-
To contribute to the education of students from other disciplines.
-
To deliver training to multidisciplinary team members, ensuring competence in performing duties within their agreed scope of practice.
-
To undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further your own and the teams clinical practice, making recommendations for change. Lead the implementation of specific changes to practice and contribute to service protocols within your specialist area.
-
To take a lead role within the Trauma & Orthopaedics team, providing highly specialist Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions, in both acute and community settings.
-
To use specialist skills to effectively manage caseloads and work priorities, including service delivery and professional demands.
Clinical and Professional:
- To be invloved in the planning and leadership of the Trauma & Orthopaedics Therapy service countywide, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective, efficient service.
- To ensure the efficient and safe management of care for Trauma & Orthopaedics patients as part of the multidisciplinary team, including risk assessments.
- To be responsible for the development, implementation, and delivery of Occupational Therapy interventions, including assessment, treatment planning, and the treatment of your own patient caseload.
- To monitor and advise on the clinical input of others, ensuring patients receive the highest level of care.
- To develop and implement treatment programmes and initiate discharge planning. You must be skilled in assessing and interpreting a range of complex factors, including diagnosis and prognosis.
- Highly specialist skills in the assessment and provision of Occupational Therapy for patients who have undergone orthopaedic surgery are essential.
- To take responsibility for your own professional actions, demonstrating the knowledge and skills to manage a caseload including complex and specialist cases. This includes high-level problem-solving, clinical reasoning, and independent judgement.
- To apply a deep understanding of the impact of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the clients social and physical environment, both in hospital and in the community. Consideration should be given to how these changes affect family and carers.
- To provide highly specialist Occupational Therapy that includes physical, cognitive, perceptual, and visual assessments and treatments, particularly for patients recovering in critical care.
- To demonstrate highly developed clinical reasoning skills to undertake risk assessments for patients, carers, and therapists in both hospital and community settings. This includes assessment of the home environment (with or without the patient present), identifying and recommending preparations needed for discharge and continuing care.
- To establish and maintain a high standard of clinical expertise and care for patients under your management and support junior staff to do the same.
- To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, and work within the legal framework for patients who lack capacity to consent.
- To undertake highly specialist clinical programmes and treatments, aligned with evidence-based practice and national guidelines, assessing the functional ability of patients, including those with complex needs. This may involve using standardised or non-standardised assessment tools.
- To formulate accurate evaluations and clinical deductions based on the interpretation of clinical and non-clinical data, recommending appropriate interventions.
- To evaluate treatments to measure progress, ensure clinical effectiveness, and adapt interventions as necessary. Set up reviews as appropriate and use recognised outcome measures.
- To educate and train patients, carers, and support workers in the safe use of specialist equipment, e.g. hoists. This involves handling and manoeuvring patients and equipment, often in confined spaces.
- To use highly developed specialist knowledge to respond to urgent requests from staff, patients, and relatives to expedite rapid assessment and discharge in the acute setting.
- To work across a variety of clinical areas, including wards and home environments, where there may be exposure to highly unpleasant conditions such as odours, body fluids, faeces, infestations, and verbal aggression.
- To work on the Trauma & Orthopaedics ward and Critical Care Unit, delivering and demonstrating interventions that align with evidence-based practice and national guidelines. These patients are often acutely unwell and require specialist care.
- To manage and support other team members who may lack experience in working within the Critical Care Unit.
Communication:
- To communicate effectively with all patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and build therapeutic relationships. Involve patients in decision-making throughout their care.
- To communicate clearly and confidently at a variety of procedural and operational meetings, using negotiation and persuasion skills, and representing your speciality, team, or the wider Therapy department.
- To produce clear and effective written reports for all patients on your caseload and support junior staff in doing the same.
- To communicate with internal and external agencies (e.g. CCGs, community therapy teams) to support discharge planning.
- To handle complex and challenging situations with clear verbal communication across various organisational and clinical meetings.
- To adapt communication appropriately for patients, families, and carers with a range of communication, cognitive, or behavioural impairments.
- To cascade operational information to therapy and MDT team members, with sensitivity and awareness of their prior knowledge and experience.
- To motivate and persuade others through effective, respectful communication.
- To liaise with local networks and groups, sharing knowledge and supporting the implementation of evidence-based practice.
- To contribute to the future development of Occupational Therapy services, particularly in Trauma & Orthopaedics countywide, in close collaboration with the Occupational Therapy Manager and the Strategic Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- To evaluate and integrate evidence-based practice, ensuring alignment with national standards and frameworks.
- To regularly evaluate your own and your teams work through audits, quality and performance reviews, and evidence-based projects. Share outcomes and recommendations with the Strategic Clinical Lead, specialist colleagues, and the Occupational Therapy Manager, to ensure continuous service improvement and high-quality clinical care.
- To work closely with the Therapy service leads and the Therapy service Managers to advise on recommendations for service development and improvements.
Person Specification
Other Job Requirements
Essential
- Able and willing to commute between sites (we are a multi site Trust).
- Able to work across 7 days.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of the role.
- Commitment to working in Worcestershire.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Evidence of flexibility and ability to manage change.
- Evidence of on-going engagement in wider current health care topics and willingness to promote the Occupational therapy profession.
- A drive to empower and promote excellent performances within the team and wider organisation through role modelling.
Experience
Essential
- Significant post graduate working experience at Band 6 level or above in Trauma and Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of significant knowledge & experience of MDT working within an acute setting.
- Experience of service improvements/audits and implementation of recommendations.
Desirable
- Experience of working within an integrated therapy service.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist knowledge of Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Significant experience of working with patients within Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of high level clinical knowledge in assessments and treatment within Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of leadership and supervisory skills.
- High level communication skills To a wide range of professionals both internal and external to the organisation
- Knowledge of current national Guidelines & standards relevant to area.
- Advanced organisation & time management skills.
- Able to evidence a high level clinical reasoning skills and the ability to manage complex clinical needs.
- Experience of teaching to develop specialist practice underpinned by clinical reasoning to various members of the MDT.
- Able to identify and implement novel ways to meet national targets.
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/BSc (hons) in Occupational Therapy.
- Current HCPC Registration.
- Evidence of relevant post graduate training.
Desirable
- A relevant Masters or post graduate qualification (completed or working towards).
Person Specification
Other Job Requirements
Essential
- Able and willing to commute between sites (we are a multi site Trust).
- Able to work across 7 days.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of the role.
- Commitment to working in Worcestershire.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Evidence of flexibility and ability to manage change.
- Evidence of on-going engagement in wider current health care topics and willingness to promote the Occupational therapy profession.
- A drive to empower and promote excellent performances within the team and wider organisation through role modelling.
Experience
Essential
- Significant post graduate working experience at Band 6 level or above in Trauma and Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of significant knowledge & experience of MDT working within an acute setting.
- Experience of service improvements/audits and implementation of recommendations.
Desirable
- Experience of working within an integrated therapy service.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist knowledge of Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Significant experience of working with patients within Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of high level clinical knowledge in assessments and treatment within Trauma & Orthopaedics.
- Evidence of leadership and supervisory skills.
- High level communication skills To a wide range of professionals both internal and external to the organisation
- Knowledge of current national Guidelines & standards relevant to area.
- Advanced organisation & time management skills.
- Able to evidence a high level clinical reasoning skills and the ability to manage complex clinical needs.
- Experience of teaching to develop specialist practice underpinned by clinical reasoning to various members of the MDT.
- Able to identify and implement novel ways to meet national targets.
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/BSc (hons) in Occupational Therapy.
- Current HCPC Registration.
- Evidence of relevant post graduate training.
Desirable
- A relevant Masters or post graduate qualification (completed or working towards).
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).
