Community Occupational Therapist

Job summary

Are you looking for a new challenge or ready to move your career to the Community setting? Are you passionate about providing excellent care to older people? If so we have an exciting opportunity for a forward-thinking Occupational Therapist at Avon House to work with our service users in Later Life. This Community Mental Health Team covers a diverse area of Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the North Cotswolds, therefore the ability to travel independently is essential.

We are looking for an enthusiastic team player with good communication skills and the willingness to learn and develop in this exciting field of mental health.

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a highly skilled and experienced multi-disciplinary team to provide specialist evidence based Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention to a defined caseload underpinned by the Model of Human Occupation.

Your role will enable you to provide specialist Occupational Therapy to service users with severe and complex mental health needs either on an individual basis or within groupwork. You will also act as a Care Co-ordinator to a number of service users who have a high level of occupational need and will be supported to develop your clinical skills and knowledge to cover Duty and triage referrals into the team.

Main duties of the job

You will be provided with a comprehensive induction and supported and supervised by a senior Occupational Therapy colleague within the team as well as a Band 7 clinical specialist Occupational Therapist. You will also have opportunity to partake in a regular countywide Occupational Therapy Later Life Continuing Professional Development forum.

You may already have the necessary skills and experience to work autonomously in the community, or this may be your first community post.

The Trust provides a 12-month preceptorship programme for all newly registered, Return to Practice and Internationally educated practitioners to support practitioners in the transition to registered practitioner and to grow their confidence, knowledge and skills within the workplace. In addition to the programme the Trust also offers all preceptees the opportunity of enrolling and completing the level 7 (Masters) 15 credit validated module Preceptorship for Healthcare (AP70260.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About us

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, we are supportive of the people we care for in the community and aim to provide a fully responsive service to everyone who needs it. This is the same approach we take for our employees. We look to value the skills and experiences of those we work with, whether they are service users, carers, families or those looking to work with us.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust is part of the NHS. We treat NHS patients according to NHS principles and standards. The difference is the Trust is accountable to local people, rather than to Government, and so we are able to work closely with our community to develop services in the way that best suits the needs of local people.

Our Staff Survey results showed people at our Trust feel they are engaged, part of a team and work for a compassionate and inclusive organisation.

Our overall scores were better than average in eight of nine themes and level in one - the best overall results for a community, mental health and learning disabilities Trust in the south west and first equal amongst all sector NHS providers within the region too.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Gloucestershire Health and Care is committed to embedding and providing personalised care through all of its services as part of our high-quality care strategy. The purpose of personalised care is to empower people to lead the lives they want to live. Personalised care starts with a conversation with people about what matters to them. It builds on what people can do, as well as addressing their health needs. Including new ways of working and delivering care, emphasising that we need to make effective use of the full range of our peoples skills and experience to deliver the best possible patient care. So we want to know What Matters to You and that you will share our values and join us on this very important journey.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Please refer to the Additional Information attachment before submitting your application.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

Health Profession Council (HPC) Registration Degree / Diploma in Occupational Therapy

Desirable

Accredited training in Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Sensory Integration and other evidenced approaches used relevant to the field European Computer Driving license

LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

Essential

Minimum on commencing role, undergraduate placement experience working with service users with severe / complex mental health needs and / or learning disabilities Knowledge and awareness of the needs of people with Mental Health and / or Learning Disabilities, and a commitment to client centred working practices Able to work independently Experience of working in Multi-Disciplinary teams

Desirable

Experience in a range of Mental Health and / or Learning disability settings Experience as a Fieldwork educator

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