Specialist Occupational Therapist

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist to join the Community Division in the borough of Wigan.

We are aiming to recruit suitably qualified, enthusiastic and experienced individual to join us at Jean Heyes Reablement Unit.

 NHS experience is essential.

You will be rehab focused and be passionate about facilitating and supporting patients to return and remain in their own homes using a home first approach. 

You will be a team player who thrives on the challenges of working across health and social care teams and have excellent communication skills.

The ideal candidate will be forward thinking, innovative and be willing to work flexibly to support the development of the service.

Working pattern is Monday to Sunday, full time (37.5 hours). Enhanced DBS with Adults' Barred List will be required - obtained during pre-employment checks.

Main duties of the job

To complete functional and specialist therapy assessments of people on the unit. To plan and implement effective interventions, work closely with other community services, to support patients to return and remain in their own homes, whilst maximising function and independence, while effectively managing risk. To act as a source of knowledge on the management of a varied range of conditions providing an advisory service to patients, relatives, healthcare professionals and social care. To assist the Team Leader in planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating the intermediate service provided to on a day-to-day basis. Function as an effective member of the multi-disciplinary team and the integrated team within Health and Social Care. To manage a defined caseload using evidence based/client centered principles to access, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. To regularly supervise students on practice placement. To provide leadership and clinical supervision for other junior staff as delegated by supervisor. To support team leads in the development and delivery of in service training for MDT colleagues. To consider and support service development alongside senior colleagues including data collection, audits, service review etc. Responsible for providing therapy intervention to patients in a defined caseload using evidence based/client centered principles to access, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

Working for our organisation

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals 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.

On-Call

Please note that senior positions (AFC band 8A or above) may be expected to participate in an on-call rota, if the role is predominantly operational.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

To act as a source of knowledge for patients presenting with a range of conditions, acquired, congenital and progressive in nature and provide advisory/educational service to patients, relatives, therapists and other healthcare professionals.
To demonstrate and apply a broad level of understanding of the impact of disability and ensure high standards of holistic clinical care.
To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to contribute to accurate diagnosis and prognosis, to recommend the best course of intervention, and to develop comprehensive management or discharge plans.
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 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 act as an advocate for patients’ needs and wishes when necessary.
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.
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 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.
To justify own clinical judgments when differences of opinion occur
Any other duties incidental to the post.

  Planning and Organisational Duties

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
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 demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work practises.
To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Trust Policies, Code of Ethic and Professional Conduct, Health and Care Professions Council Guidance and National and Trust Policies and Procedures.
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 Service.
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 ill health 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, 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.

· 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 Physiotherapy/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 NHS Experience Experience of working with multi-agencies Experience of working in an inter-disciplinary team and independently Experience of liaison with other professionals and partnership working Experience of supervising students and staff from different professions

Desirable criteria

Post graduate experience related to clinical speciality Experience of working in a community setting

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 Work, Excel, PowerPoint. Effective communication (both written and verbal) and interpersonal skills with the ability to be flexible in approach as the situation requires. 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 problems solving skills.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Specialist knowledge in relevant clinical skills and approaches to patient management. 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.

Additional

Essential criteria

Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation. To maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) Ability to travel independently within the requirements of the post. Ability to work flexibly according to service needs.

Desirable criteria

Experience in supervising therapy support staff. Experience of training staff.

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