Highly Specialist Neurodevelopmental Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Clinical

1. To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of a defined assessment caseload, as required. To ensure a high standard of clinical care (for the patients under your management) in order to maximise function and independence.

2. To act as an expert source of knowledge, offering specialist clinical advice and support to other healthcare professionals, families, and agencies across organisational boundaries, following a tiered system approach.

3. To work autonomously and demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning skills in the management of a defined highly complex patient caseload, whilst working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

4. To demonstrate the ability to carry out specialist occupational assessment and interventions supporting children with neuro-disability and neuro-developmental problems, including those with ASD, ADHD, assessing specific motor, perceptual and sensory difficulties.

5. Where appropriate exercise full responsibility and autonomy for the diagnosis of and discharge of clients, ensuring appropriate assessment, formulation and interventions, communicating with the referral agent and others involved with the care on a regular basis.

6. To demonstrate highly specialist assessment, diagnostic, treatment and management plans for families and support systems to implement.

7. To contribute to the delivery of the service in a variety of defined clinical settings, which may school and the patients home.

8. To develop and maintain good working relationships with other healthcare professions, social care, and other appropriate agencies, to ensure integrated and high-quality patient outcomes and to make timely and detailed referrals when appropriate.

9. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for other professionals on all aspects of risk assessment and management.

10. To refer, liaise and negotiate with other health and education professionals determining the best holistic approach in order to best meet the childs complex needs.

11. To provide highly specialist verbal and written advice to a range of professionals.

12. To maintain accurate documentation in line with professional standards and local policies and procedures.

13. To write highly specialist reports, as required, including those for the EHCP Process.

14. To provide accurate and timely written information and reports to referring agents and other agencies where appropriate.15. To record and submit clinical activity data as required by the Trust in an accurate and timely manner.

16. Where appropriate communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and diagnosis of clients under their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni and multi-disciplinary care.

Professional

1. To act in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct and Standards of practice set by the Royal College of Occupational therapy (RCOT) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

2. To maintain own continuing professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work. Being responsible for maintaining written evidence within CPD portfolio.

3. To be an active member of the in-service training programme available via staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions, external courses and reflective practice by regular attendance and participation in the former including the delivery of presentations.

4. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme, personal development review (PDR) and clinical supervision.

5. In common with all practitioners to receive regular clinical supervision and professional management, according to good practice guidelines, from a senior clinician and where appropriate clinical supervision from other senior professional colleagues.

6. Where appropriate provide specialist clinical placements for trainees or students ensuring that they acquire the necessary clinical and diagnostic skills to achieve their competencies

7. To participate in service development and review, taking into account the views of service users i.e. parents, carers and other professionals.

8. To participate in evidence-based projects/audits contributes to the implementation of these changes within designated team/area.

9. To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), social services, education colleagues and voluntary organisations to ensure delivery of a timely and co-ordinated multi-agency service. This will include the identification of issues and attendance of patient reviews in variety of settings and the planning of ongoing care.

10. To demonstrate a sound understanding of Trust values, Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to the work situation.

11. To attend Mandatory Training and incorporate these within working practices.

12. To attend Safeguarding training and work in accordance within the local and national guidelines.

13. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both children and families and neurodevelopmental conditions.

14. To attend and contribute to service meetings and development and articulation of best practice in ASD across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflective practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of ASD and related disciplines.

15. To be aware of Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of your work area, including your prompt recording and reporting of accidents and incidents (in line with policy), and ensuring that equipment use is safe.

16. To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out occupational therapy duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure its safe use by others through, teaching, training and supervision of practice

Education and Training

Essential

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy, recognised by HCPC
• Member of HCPC
• Post Graduate courses relevant to Clinical Specialty

Desirable

• Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
• Occupational therapy specific post-graduate courses in paediatrics up to Masters level

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of experience working within a community paediatric setting.
• Post graduate experience working with children within specialist area.
• Evidence of CPD, post registration educational and training
• Wide knowledge of specialist equipment for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Knowledge of specialist paediatric approaches and high standard of performance in a range of general paediatric skills.

Desirable

• Experience of supervising junior staff and students
• Experience of audit

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Essential

• Evidence of delivering training packages and workshops to a range of audiences.
• Evidence of knowledge of a wide range of approaches used within occupational therapy.
• Evidence of occupational therapy assessment techniques.
• Proven Physical ability to carry out any therapeutic handling required.
• Evidence of knowledge of current trends within occupational therapy.
• Evidence of good communication skills, written and verbal, ensuring effective communication with service users and other professionals.
• Demonstrate ability to work flexibly when necessary.

Desirable

• Computer skills at an appropriate level for report writing and data collections.
• Proven knowledge of Safeguarding procedures.
• Knowledge of paediatric standardised assessment tools relevant to clinical speciality

Management and Organisation

Essential

• Proven ability to prioritise and organise caseload, underpinned by sound time management skills
• Evidence of experience of positive working as part of a multi-disciplinary/multiagency team
• Evidence of monitoring and recording outcomes and data

Desirable

• Evidence of experience of supervising and teaching junior occupational therapists
• Proven experience of the delegation of tasks to other staff, with a firm understanding of the process of delegation

Professional

Essential

• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development, with current portfolio.
• Evidence of self-directed learning, including reflective practice.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current pertinent issues affecting therapy provision both locally and nationally.
• Commitment to improving the quality of occupational therapy services.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Proven ability to complement the dynamics of the existing team

Other

Essential

• Ability to travel between community sites

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).