Clinical Specialist Therapist

Come and join our fantastic, friendly front door Integrated Discharge Team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton based on Level 5 across A&E, Acute Assessment Unit, Short Stay Wards, C5 and the rest of level 5 as required. This is an exciting opportunity with the IDT expanding with the opening of the new Louisa Martindale Building and plans for an acute floor re-development in the future.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Clinical Specialist Therapist with operational and clinical leadership qualities, effective communication skills, a flexible approach, and an ability to work under pressure.

This post will enable you to further develop and utilise your specialist clinical skills in a fast paced, highly pressured A&E and acute floor environment. You will carry a clinical caseload, providing leadership and promoting a strong profile for Therapy within the service and wider Multi-Disciplinary Team.

Our Team comprises of a Discharge Coordinator, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants. This enables close multidisciplinary working to achieve combined goals, effective discharge planning and improved patient flow. Therapists work within an integrated model and are upskilled to carry out comprehensive, generic assessments with the aim to deliver highest standards of patient care, as well as promoting service and professional development to further enhance both clinical and non-clinical skills.

The Clinical Specialist therapist is responsible for providing clinical expertise, leadership, support and supervision within the IDT.

To independently case manage an ever changing caseload of patients with complex and highly complex health, mental health, cognitive, social, environmental and equipment needs, using evidence-based principles to plan and implement effective assessments and treatment programmes.

To undertake rapid, comprehensive and timely assessments of patients utilising highly advanced clinical reasoning and analytical skills, responding rapidly to changes in patients’ clinical needs, functional needs and mental health status, including assessing their ability to give informed consent for therapy and eliciting active patient participation in treatment and discharge planning.

As a Clinical Specialist therapist you are required to provide a wide range of highly specialist Therapy interventions as part of an evidence based, flexible and patient-centred approach with a specific aim of avoiding unnecessary admissions and facilitating timely discharges for patients’ with complex health, mental health and social care needs.

To participate in and facilitate the planning, development and evaluation of Therapy within the Integrated Discharge Team, holding responsibility for defined projects including further implementation and rolling out of a front door seven day service model.

At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

**Improving lives**: We are a vibrant and inclusive organisation, with hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals, who work together towards a common goal, to always put our Patient First. Our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and no matter the role at UHSussex, you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

**Build a career with us**: As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

The post would include being part of the rostered seven day working and extended hours service covering 8am-8pm (currently 8am-6pm) to support discharges using various services available. The expectation would be approximately 1 weekend or less a month.

Patient Care Delivery
- To be responsible for the planning, delivery, and evaluation of Occupational Therapy/ Physiotherapy within the front door Integrated Discharge Team, prioritising needs to provide an effective service to the client group.
- To hold an active clinical caseload, delegating work to other members of IDT as required.
- To take the lead in recommending and carrying out the best course of intervention to develop comprehensi