Mental Health Occupational Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Professional Leadership and Development

• Maintain own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities and participate in the review and appraisal process. To adhere to the individual Professional code of conduct and practice at all times.

• Adhere to the individual professional code of conduct and practice at all times.
• Reflect on own practice, individually and/or through regular clinical supervision.
• Support the clinical education, training, and development of team and multidisciplinary staff, providing guidance under supervision where appropriate. To maintain, develop and disseminate specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice.
• Maintain and develop knowledge of evidence-based practice, contributing to team learning.
• Participate in evaluation of own work using audits, outcome measures, and evidence-based projects.
• Work independently within own scope of practice as an Occupational Therapist, following professional, organisational, and PICS guidelines, policies, and procedures.

Communication and Relationships

• Demonstrate effective communication skills to support clients in achieving goals, promoting independence, and enhancing participation, through advice, guidance, and motivational techniques.
• Provide clear and concise summaries of appointments, communicate treatment plans, raise any concerns to senior staff or the GP as appropriate, and request additional support or input when needed.
• Support effective communication between health and social care professionals, using de-escalation skills where appropriate, and escalate complex or challenging situations to senior staff.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve patients and carers in decision making, offering them informed choices, respecting their views.
• Demonstrate the ability to recognise barriers to understanding that can be encountered with those without English as their first language, patients with disabilities and those with mental health difficulties such as anxiety, clinical depression, or personality disorders.
• Seek out different styles and methods of communicating to assist longer term needs and aims.
• The nature of some communication can be unpredictable and can be of an urgent high priority nature: this can therefore be responsible for impacting into time allocated towards other necessary tasks.
• Provide and receive complex or sensitive information relating to patient care, communicating clearly, empathetically, and reassuringly to adults with mental health disabilities and their families or carers, and support colleagues in doing the same under guidance.
• Utilise communications in accordance with Caldicott Principles, Data Protection, Freedom of Information Act and Trust Policies and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

• Occupational Therapy qualification HCPC registered occupational therapist.
• Post graduate degree or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Demonstrates knowledge and experience in supporting the health needs of adults with mental health difficulties, drawing on relevant theory and practical experience.
• Demonstrates an interest in supporting student learning and development in practice. Prior experience in occupational therapy education is desirable but not essential.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of National and HCPC policies, procedures, code of conduct, and standards of care, and applies them appropriately in the provision of care for adults with mental health difficulties, seeking guidance as needed.
• Demonstrate awareness/experience of working collaboratively with statutory partners, third sector partners and families/carers.
• Knowledge of safeguarding adult and childrens procedures
• Demonstrates skills and knowledge gained through varied experience, applying this to practice in a safe and effective way, and showing a commitment to continued learning and professional development.
• Demonstrates professional development and applies occupational therapy skills and knowledge in day-to-day practice.
• Support the delivery of occupational therapy care for a designated caseload in primary care, undertaking assessments, planning and implementing interventions, and evaluating outcomes within professional guidance and supervision.
• Work with patients, carers, and relatives to create personalised care plans, applying occupational therapy knowledge and assessment outcomes to plan and guide interventions safely.
• Apply professional judgement to identify and manage risk safely, including supporting positive risk-taking, working within own scope of practice and seeking guidance from senior staff as required.
• Provide evidence based written information, ensuring easy access to advice and information for patients and their carers.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft and GP practice data monitoring systems.
• Ability to write comprehensive clinical notes, implement and evaluate care plans.
• Participate in the education, induction programmes and support meetings for other professional staff.
• Monitor own performance by reflective practice and identify training and educational needs.
• Regular self-direction of learning needs.
• Maintain up to date mandatory training records.
• Identify the potential benefits of, and participating in, educational programmes for patients and their relatives/carers.
• Address specific health targets e.g., NHS Plan, National Service Frameworks related to own area of practice through education
• Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regard to mandatory training and individual health professional requirements.

Analytical and judgment skills

• Ability to apply professional knowledge and judgement to assess and respond to patient care situations, recognising potential issues and seeking guidance from senior staff when needed.
• Demonstrate reflective practice and apply clinical reasoning to support safe occupational therapy interventions, drawing on evidence-based practice and supervision where needed.
• Use professional judgement to interpret information from multiple services and agencies, contributing to coordinated care across health, social care, and community partners, and escalate complex issues to senior staff as needed.
• Ability to make a clinical judgement on whether clients have the capacity to give informed consent seeking additional advice from senior staff when necessary. Experience in risk assessment, including familiarity with the Mental Health Act or Mental Capacity Act, is desirable.

Planning and organisation skills

• Plan and manage own workload, ensuring tasks are prioritised effectively.
• Work independently within own scope of practice to deliver occupational therapy care and manage a designated caseload.
• Contribute to planning and organising occupational therapy interventions, adjusting as needed under guidance from senior staff.
• Support and promote clinical standards and good practice in care delivery and record keeping

Responsibilities for patient/client care

• Following core assessment, develop and deliver individualised occupational therapy care plans, using evidence-based practice and professional knowledge, working with patients and carers and seeking guidance for complex needs.
• At all times work in collaboration with patients and carers ensuring that the patient is treated with compassion, respect and dignity.
• Manage distress or difficult engagement safely, supporting patients whose condition may lead to challenging behaviours, and escalating concerns to senior staff as required.
• Provide effective care and therapeutic interventions to patients presenting with a range of difficulties. To engage in active relapse prevention planning with patients and carers, contributing to their recovery and/ or wellbeing and discharge planning.
• Provide advice and guidance on occupational therapy approaches to patients, carers, and colleagues within scope, escalating queries beyond own expertise to senior staff.
• Support the promotion of health and wellbeing and the prevention of deterioration, contributing to early intervention and referring to senior staff where necessary.
• Assist patients to develop Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP), or equivalent, including determining problems, identifying goals and setting individual objectives.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the PCN which may regularly include working extended hours. This is pre-agreed with the surgeries if you require to work Enhanced Access.
• Demonstrate flexibility in the role. This may involve working across clinical pathways to support the needs of the service, whilst ensuring the delivery of high-quality care at all times.

Policy and Service Development

• Adhere to policies, procedures, protocols and standards and be instrumental in embedding these in service provision.
• Adhere to professional code of conduct and standards, and requirements of other legislation.
• Understand, contribute and advise on statutory issues which impact on patients and carers. Perform statutory duties and seek advice where necessary.
• Follow and Apply National, Trust and Local Service Legislation, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines for Health and Social Care and be involved in their development where appropriate. Report any deficiencies within the clinical environment or equipment.
• Actively participate in service developments and improving the quality of the delivery of evidence-based Treatment Interventions by others, ensuring a consistent and standardised approach across the Pathway.
• Participate in the effective monitoring, review and evaluation of the service provided

Human Resources

• Take responsibility for keeping own professional knowledge and skills up to date through mandatory training, reflective practice, shared learning, etc.
• Be responsible for being actively involved in CPD and professional development plans via supervision and appraisal process.

Please see supporting documents for more information

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your knowledge and skills are suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Qualifications

Essential

• Please provide details of your CPD, using examples where necessary.
• Please provide your registration number of your HCPC professional registration.

Experience

Essential

• Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your experience is suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Please provide details for why you would be a great fit for this role and why you have decided to apply.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

Nottingham West PCN

Nottingham

NG9 1GA

Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)