Occupational Therapist

Derbyshire County Council has recently undertaken a detailed review of its Occupational Therapy services we now have a new countywide structure. Occupational Therapy is at the forefront of our reablement services whilst strengthening our ‘core’ Occupational Therapy activity, with a centralised service delivery model.

We are currently seeking to recruit a professionally qualified and HCPC registered Occupational Therapists to join our newly remodelled Short-Term Assessment & Reablement Team in South Derbyshire . We will also consider Occupational Therapists returning to practice.

As part of our multi-disciplinary Short-Term Assessment & Reablement Team (START) a person centred, goal focused approach is used in the persons own home, to enable them to gain or re-gain their independence with daily living tasks or improve their level of independence through maximising their own strengths and/or through identifying the best approach to support them.

This is underpinned by the Care Act 2014 where there is a focus on person centred working and the development of preventative and reablement services within health and social care, which aims to defer the point at which people reach crisis point. 

Your role will include the assessment of activities of daily living using a restorative and compensatory approaches by removing environmental barriers and helping people to regain practical skills and confidence. You will need to be able to carry out moving and handling assessments and activities as part of this role.

Occupational Therapist’s strengths in assessment and goal planning are integral to people achieving personalised outcomes. They can use such skills, together with their knowledge of the medical, physical, emotional, and cognitive impact of disability and injury, to ensure that reablement is tailored to an individual’s needs and potential for independence.

As leaders in this field, you will mentor your colleagues and be involved in the shaping and development of the service.

A positive approach to risk taking, personal resilience and the ability to contribute to inter agency and multi-disciplinary approaches both across the council and in other statutory bodies are key to this role.

You will be supported in your role by a wider network of Occupational Therapists including a dedicated Occupational Therapy Senior Practitioner for clinical supervision. Derbyshire offer a clear career pathway for Occupational Therapists and colleagues will be supported to identify opportunities for progression through their Professional Development Review.