Specialist Occupational Therapist

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Job overview

We are looking for a suitably qualified and experienced Specialist Occupational Therapist. This is advertised as a permanent full time (37.5 hours) post working across Monday to Sunday, however we welcome applicants who may be looking for part-time or flexible working arrangements.

Within the Community Services Division of Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust , The Frailty SDEC supports individuals who require both short term medical interventions and a period of bed-based, Nurse & Therapy led rehabilitation. It will support individuals to achieve specific goals which enable safe discharge back into the community or their own home.

An Enhanced DBS with Adults' Barred List checks will be obtained during pre-employment checks.

This vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Main duties of the job

To provide a high standard of intervention to support individuals who are medically well enough to be discharged from hospital, but who require a period of bed-based, Nurse & Therapy led rehabilitation within the interdisciplinary Frailty SDEC.  To act as a source of knowledge for patients presenting with a range of rehabilitations, acquired, congenital and progressive in nature and provide advisory/educational service to patients, relatives, therapists and other healthcare professionals To take a role in the specialist assessment and treatment of patients who may have complex and chronic presentation, and to determine clinical diagnosis and treatment indicated. To manage a defined caseload using evidence based / client centred principles to access, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.  To provide leadership and clinical supervision for other junior staff as delegated by manager and/or professional supervisor. To regularly supervise junior staff members, Rehab Practitioners and students on placement within the service. To work collaboratively within the services across Wigan and liaise with professionals and voluntary agencies to optimise patient care.

Working for our organisation

Choose Well – Choose WWL

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values ‘the WWL Way’.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information available by contacting covid-19.vaccine@wwl.nhs.uk where you can also ask about how to access vaccinations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care, and to maintain overall accountability for delegated duties of treatment to junior staff for patients on your caseload. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention, and to develop comprehensive discharge plans. To ensure interventions take place in the most appropriate setting, e.g. Jean Heyes Reablement Unit or clients’ homes. To work with clients and/or carers to identify goals as part of an overall care plan in co-operation with the inter-disciplinary professional team using recognised goal setting system. To demonstrate and apply a broad level of understanding of the effect of disability and long-term condition management and ensure high standards of holistic clinical care. To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professional, to promote understanding of the aims of intervention, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care. To provide advice and support to colleagues working within other clinical areas regarding patients with rehabilitation needs. To comply with the Code of Ethic and Professional Conduct, Health and Care Professions Council Guidance and National and Trust Policies and Procedures. 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 exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance. To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal. To maintain a professional portfolio of Continuing Professional Development recording learning outcomes through participation in internal and external development opportunities. To contribute to client related developments and activities within the multi-professional and interdisciplinary team. Any other duties incidental to the post.

Planning and Organisational Duties

To plan, prepare and undertake client assessments for a designated caseload in line with professional and national standards and guidelines. To use clinical judgment in order to prioritise caseload in line with clinical guidelines and protocols. To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions in collaboration with clients using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals. To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for clients with multiple needs/pathology in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention. To be responsible for ensuring the appropriate and effective selection of treatment modalities and sites for delivery of interventions i.e. in a community or hospital setting To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Trust Policies and professional standards of practice. To justify own clinical judgments when differences of opinion occur and demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work practises To contribute to the Trust’s clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda. To maintain timely statistics and other records as requested by the Service and the Trust. To monitor the quality of record keeping for support staff and students. To demonstrate understanding of national and local guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service delivery. To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practices, clinical pathways and protocols within your clinical area. To participate in the day-to-day organisation and development of the unit. To participate with other team members in measurement of and evaluation of work and current practice through use of outcome measures and audit. To contribute to the Trusts and Teams Clinical Governance arrangements and the quality agenda. To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local level. To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects To identify and implement service and practice development within own area of clinical specialism in conjunction with supervisor and/or manager.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

To demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long-term condition management To demonstrate effective communication skills with patients, relatives, carers, team members and other agencies To convey information on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plans in a range of verbal and non-verbal forms that clients/relatives can understand. To use communication skills and aids, as part of the IDT to gain informed consent where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g. challenging behaviours, impaired cognition, anxiety, dysphasia To assess capacity, gain valid consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. Must demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long-term condition management To be able to organise and take a lead in Multi-Disciplinary Team / Inter-disciplinary team meetings and case conferences. To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs. To maintain good working relationships. To act as an advocate for patients’ needs when necessary. Use a variety of skills to gain consent and co-operation to treatment plans. To educate patients, relatives and carers in conditions and their effects in order to adapt to an appropriate lifestyle.

Responsibility for Finance

To advise team leader on resources required to carry out the job. Be responsible for the monitoring of materials and equipment and bring defects or deficits to the attention of the team leader / clinical manager. To advise, assess and prescribe appropriate equipment for patient use within resources available in Health, Social Services and Education.

Responsibility for Human Resources

To be responsible for working within locally agreed protocols and guidelines. To actively participate and comply with the annual PDP and appraisal system. To plan and implement the induction of junior staff/students. To receive, plan and deliver in-service training for own profession and others. To undertake the supervision of junior staff as delegated by senior staff. To regularly supervise, evaluate and assess students to include negotiating learning contracts and setting objectives. To ensure annual retention on Health Professions Council Register to maintain state registration, taking responsibility for own continued professional development and document this evidence in a professional portfolio, showing proof of competence to practise within the NHS. To take responsibility for ensuring clinical supervision needs are met and personal development plans are undertaken.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

To comply with the Trust Manual Handling and Health and Safety Policies at all times and within guidelines for therapeutic handling. To contribute to the Clinical Governance agenda, attending Clinical Forum, Staff meetings, Care Governance etc. To assess risk to ensure safety of user/carer/self and colleagues and report back to senior member of team where applicable.

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Responsibility for Teaching

To be responsible for providing fieldwork education placements and liaising with students/college. To promote the service to the wider community delivering awareness training to other health professionals as required. To take part in training/education of colleagues and staff/students of other disciplines.

Work Circumstances & on-call

To deputise for the Team Leader as required To be responsible, in conjunction with the Operational Leads and Highly Specialist therapists, for the delivery of evidence based practice. To be responsible for clinical supervision of appropriate staff

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy HCPC Registration

Desirable criteria

Evidence of Post Graduate Study and relevant post graduate qualifications Training from a higher education institution for graduate student supervision

Experience

Essential criteria

Post registration experience in rehabilitation and condition management Experience of working with multi agencies Ability to work autonomously within specialist clinical area Experience of working in a inter-disciplinary team and independently Experience of liaison with other professionals and partnership working Experience of supervising students and staff from different professions NHS experience

Desirable criteria

Post graduate experience related to clinical speciality Experience of working in a community setting Experience of working in an inter-disciplinary team

Skills

Essential criteria

Evidence of working without direct supervision and being able to use own initiative The ability to understand and respect different points of view working with people from a variety of cultures Must demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication with the ability to motivate people and empathise with the challenges of long term condition management Good literacy in computer use i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Excellent time management skills/ability to prioritise own caseload with the education and supervision of team members and support/delegate the organisation of the caseload of support staff Good analytical judgement skills. High level clinical reasoning skills and problem solving skills

Desirable criteria

Positive attitude to service development and flexible approach to service changes, with experience of delivering/supporting service improvements/developments.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Specialist knowledge in relevant clinical skills and approaches to patient management Specialist knowledge of a wide range of neurological conditions Awareness of challenges of partnership and multi-agency working Knowledge of research/audit Working knowledge of Evidence Based Practice Evidence of clinical and professional post qualification training and education Demonstrate and evidence commitment to lifelong learning

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of specialist seating, postural management systems, FES Knowledge of NICE guidelines pertinent to neurological conditions

Additional

Essential criteria

Speak English to appropriate standard Work flexibly in line with service demand Able to travel across Trust independently

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