Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated person to join our care of older people’s team as an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner.

You will provide assessment and intervention to a small, designated caseload on an inpatient ward with guidance and support from the Occupational Therapists as required.

If you are a good team worker who is motivated to optimise outcomes for our older people we would love to hear from you.

To independently assess and treat patients activities of daily living skills and ability to return home. This will involve working with patients to understand their individual circumstances and goals, completing a series of treatments, liaising with patients, families and relatives and the multidisciplinary team.

To create and carry out treatment plans to address a patient’s identified barriers to optimal independence or quality of life

To make recommendations for the next stage of patients recovery e.g. home, home with support or community hospital.

The post will support the Care of Older Peoples wards and will support patients with a range of different conditions and circumstances but particularly to help manage frailty.

The post holder will be expected to work independently but have access to qualified therapists for supervision and for development of specific treatment or discharge plans in appropriate or complex situations.

Assist the qualified therapists with the assessment of patients and carry out delegated duties e.g. board rounds, personal care practices, transfer practices, adaptions if needed, obtain information from patient about their daily living skills and home situation.

Participate in personal and service development as required

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stones throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan there is truly something for everyone

Maintain a clinical caseload with the ability to treat a range of patients i.e. those patients whose activity of daily living skills/ home situation was stable prior to admission and who have lost their independence due to an acute injury or illness.

Treat a designated caseload of patients as a fully autonomous practitioner with full responsibility for, and legal accountability for, individual clinical decisions and actions

Plan and prioritise their own clinical workload, ensuring a prompt and efficient service using clinical judgement and departmental guidelines

Ensure all patients understand the occupational therapy process, and have given valid and informed consent for treatment. Where patients are not able to provide consent for treatment e.g. when unconscious, acutely ill, or suffering from severe dementia the post holder will work within existing legal frameworks, Trust guidelines, and professional codes of conduct

Use a holistic approach to treatment for a designated caseload of patients. The interventions will integrate information from a range of sources such as the patient, carers, medical/nursing records, health and social care team, community mental health teams and a basic clinical assessment

Take into account the cognitive, psychological, social, sensory, perceptual and motor as well as medical aspects of the patients’ care, in order to provide a patient centred approach, referring/signposting to other specialists/services as necessary

To identify the requirements for adaptive equipment, care and support on discharge, taking in to account individual need, eligibility and financial resources

Formulate a basic problem list and appropriate patient centred goals.

Select appropriate protocol based treatment pathways OR refer to an occupational therapist as necessary

Complete occupational therapy treatment protocols in order to rehabilitate the client group

Assess and evaluate the effects of the chosen occupational therapy treatment over time, altering the treatment modality as necessary

Take a full part in the patient discharge planning process, documenting occupational therapy elements of the ward discharge process.