Occupational Therapist

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure high standards of clinical care for the patients under your management and support others to do likewise. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form an accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention and to develop comprehensive management strategies for the patient's presenting condition. To formulate an individualised treatment plan, using clinical reasoning skills and utilising a wide range of skills and treatment options and develop specialised skills in relation to cognition, perception and upper limb therapy.

To undertake comprehensive assessment of patients, using investigative and analytical skills and to formulate individualised management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning and utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a specialised programme of care. To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. To provide advice to the MDT regarding the management of patients requiring therapy input. To develop the skills and dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients.

To be safe and competent in the use of therapy equipment with support and training from the senior therapist as appropriate. To recommend/ prescribe equipment and minor adaptations, following assessment and use of clinical reasoning skills, in order to compensate for unresolved functional deficits, in line with local resources, guidelines and legislation. To facilitate safe provision of equipment and instruct patients, family and carers in the use of equipment, as appropriate. To assess, using clinical reasoning for minor adaptations, take measurements and communicate the recommendations, through reports and diagrams to adaptation providers, with support from senior therapists.

To have an awareness of potential psychological risk factors and the functional implications of these. To provide spontaneous and planned specialist advice, teaching, and instruction to relatives, carers and other professions to promote understanding of the aims of occupational therapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care. To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out occupational therapy duties and to adhere to any relevant policies, including competence to use equipment and ensure safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice. To help facilitate patients to self-manage their rehabilitation.

To supervise assistant practitioners, support staff when appropriate and take responsibility for appropriate delegation of tasks. To provide clinical supervision for occupational therapy students on their first introductory placement and to explain the role of occupational therapy to departmental visitors. Assist more senior staff in the training of students and therapy assistants practitioners and therapy assistants. To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of their stroke to achieve their therapy goals.

Communication skills of persuasion, motivation and explanation will be used with a variety of patients, understanding of barriers to effective communication may include loss of hearing, cognitive difficulties, expressive and receptive aphasia, pain and fear. To communicate effectively with all members of the occupational therapy team, AHPs and community nursing and other professions to ensure a collaborative approach to the management of the patient's condition. To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within the legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To maintain concise, accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation in a timely manner in line with legal and departmental requirements, including letters and reports as appropriate.

To maintain up-to-date knowledge of the full stroke care pathway. Professional To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work. To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at training sessions in-house, Tutorials and by attending external courses and practicing reflective practice. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation in line with legal, departmental and ECCH requirements, communicating assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.

To participate in staff appraisal scheme and personal development plan (PDP). To work within Organisational and Royal College of Occupational Therapists OT guidelines and adhere to the Professional Code of Conduct. To have a working knowledge of available equipment, minor adaptations and resources including Activities of Daily Living (ADL) equipment, therapy and rehabilitation aids, moving and handling equipment and a basic knowledge of wheelchair provision. To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice (EBP) projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with other clinical staff and the clinical lead for occupational therapy.

Make recommendations for change. Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to the work situation. To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include case conference and medical reports.

Organisational To be responsible for a designated area of work as agreed with the team leader and to plan and organize efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and use of time. To decide priorities for your workload, balancing other patient related and professional demands. Ensure that these remain in accordance with those of the occupational therapy service as a whole. To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics within the service.

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 prompt recording and reporting of accidents to senior staff and ensuring that equipment use is safe. Ensure the implementation of occupational therapy service policies and any service development changes. To comply with the organisational and service policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate. To undertake any duties that might be considered appropriate by senior occupational therapists and the professional / clinical lead for occupational therapy.

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role. Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word CARE. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.