Paediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

1. To undertake specific work independently as identified by the registered Occupational Therapist.
2. To assist the Occupational Therapist within assessments, reviews, and treatment sessions.
3. To appropriately conduct assessments and treatment for patients under the guidance of the Occupational Therapist.
4. To assess for standard basic equipment with guidance from the Occupational Therapist adhering to relevant competencies.
5. Assist Occupational Therapy staff in activities related to non-direct patient contact, for example equipment maintenance, clerical and administrative.
6. To plan, organise and prioritise own day-today tasks, meeting deadlines and within the time constraint as per service demands.
7. With support from the Occupational Therapist: plan, organise, and implement recommendations for delegated patients; specific to their needs collaborating appropriately and effectively alongside other professionals, the childs relevant family members/guardians and education staff.
8. Support the Occupational Therapists in monitoring stock levels in own service area and requesting new equipment as appropriate, maintaining records for equipment and supplies.
9. To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained including equipment loaned to clients.
10. To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out Occupational Therapy duties, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training, and supervision of practice.

Communication:

1. Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, families, carers, the public and all members of the extended health services, social services, and education teams. This involves using a range of verbal, non-verbal, written and presentation skills as required.
2. Use communication skills that are age appropriate to overcome language and cultural diversity issues/barriers to effective communication which will regularly be evident, including: English as a second language, cognitive impairment, expressive and receptive communication difficulties, embarrassment, anxiety, pain, fear, and visual/hearing impairment. To implement strategies to overcome these barriers.
3. Report effectively on observations of childs performance/progress in areas of self-maintenance, productivity, and leisure both in written and verbal form.
4. Liaise with other professionals, support staff, parents, and carers, ensuring they understand a childs therapy programme, as agreed with the childs Occupational Therapist observing data protection guidelines.
5. Attend relevant case meetings on behalf of Occupational Therapists to pass on/collect and relay prearranged information.

Key Relationships:

• Countywide Paediatric Occupational Therapy Team
• Children and their families/carers
• Multi-agency teams
• Education staff within special and mainstream school and pre-school settings
• Social Services staff
• Wheelchair Services
• Acute hospitals
• Voluntary organisations e.g. REMAP
• Seating companies

NB/ This is an illustration of the key relationships and is not an exhaustive list

Budgetary Responsibility

1. This post holds no budget responsibility.

People Management

1. Ensure that own clinical practice meets the required professional standards of Occupational Therapy practice.
2. Provide peer support to other Assistant Practitioners.
3. Be involved in the induction of newly employed therapists and unqualified staff, demonstrating own duties. This includes carrying out aspects of training according to pre-designed plan in conjunction with therapists.
4. Participate in supervision to enable reflection on practice and subsequent enhancement of professional skills.
5. Exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.
6. Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process

Clinical and Practice Governance

1. Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
2. Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies.
3. The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes
4. The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures
5. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
6. The post holder must participate in clinical and other audits as required
7. Participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis.
8. The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.
9. Maintain up-to-date and accurate, comprehensive case notes (including treatment records) in line with professional standards, local trust policies and medico-legal criteria including what equipment has been issued.
10. Take live action logs within meetings as appropriate.
11. Participate in Clinical Governance/Audit projects within the local service. This includes assisting the Occupational Therapists in undertaking audit/research projects and see them through to completion within agreed time scale.
12. Provide a high quality, evidence based service, within current legislation and guidelines that meets the requirements of clinical governance.
13. Work and travel alone at times in the community setting to see children at home, in mainstream and special nurseries and schools; in line with the CCS Paediatric Occupational Therapy Lone Working Policy.
14. Manage and prioritise own specified caseload, with support from the Occupational Therapists, balancing other clinical, non-clinical demands. Often working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
15. Be accountable for own actions and recognise own boundaries, working within a clear supervisory framework, where supervising therapist is available for reference.
16. Plan and provide individually tailored programmes of therapy activities within sphere of competence to meet the treatments aims set by the Occupational Therapist working with some independence and flexibility with clients with a range of complex physical and learning disabilities and health needs.
17. Book seating assessments with company representatives for the Occupational Therapists.
18. Assist with clerical duties when required e.g. collection of data, appointment booking, maintaining an up to date waiting list, sending out letters.
19. Observe a childs response to activities and use judgement to modify and adapt activities, whilst maintaining the level of intervention. To decide on the appropriate action e.g. to advise the relevant Occupational Therapist, summon assistance. To report back to therapists at defined intervals to enable modification of level of intervention and specialist equipment adaptation.
20. Have an understanding of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on local service provision.
21. Comply with all relevant Trust policies and procedures and guidelines, including those related to equal opportunities, health and safety and confidentiality of information and attend all mandatory training, e.g. moving and handling, infection control, lone worker.
22. Participate in the Paediatric Occupational Therapy teams clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
23. Undertake any other duties, which may be considered appropriate by the Occupational Therapy Team Lead.
24. Adhere to and apply the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice, Conduct and Ethics (Royal College of Occupational Therapists 2021).

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Practical and teaching knowledge to NVQ level 3 / B Tech level 3 or equivalent.
• Knowledge and skills development in the area of working with children.

Desirable

• NVQ qualification modules within the area of working with children.
• IT qualification e.g. word processing, internet access

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with children or adults with a physical or learning disability.
• Understanding the importance of learning through play.
• Ability to be creative, imaginative, and adaptable within the play setting.

Desirable

• Work experience within the NHS
• Work experience in a school setting (mainstream or special needs), or experience of working with children individually or in groups
• Knowledge of the role of the Occupational Therapist in the paediatric field.
• Experience of basic Counselling skills.

Skills

Essential

• Demonstrates a good standard of spoken and written English.
• Ability to modify communication with children, young people, and their carers where there are barriers to understanding and acceptance.
• Keeps accurate and complete records of activities and communications consistent with legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Able to plan and organise workload, groups, equipment demonstrations, speakers.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of working with people of different ages and/or from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
• Identifies and actions when own or others behaviour undermines equality and diversity.
• Standard keyboard skills and ability to communicate through IT using packages such as Word and Outlook for data entry
• Taking live action logs at staff meetings.

Desirable

• Experience managing challenging behaviours.
• Ability to demonstrate awareness of the role's other professionals.
• Able to explain the role of the POTAP to colleagues.
• Ability to provide written and verbal advice regarding Occupational Therapy intervention.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Address

Child Development Centre, Kempston

Hill Rise

Kempston

MK42 7EB

Employer's website

https://www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk/careers (Opens in a new tab)