Specialist Occupational Therapist, Band 6, TCT School

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a SpecialistOccupational Therapistto join our School Therapy Team. This role will require the successful candidate to providespecialist occupational therapy to children and young people accessing The Childrens Trust School and residential services.

Staff benefits include London weighting, shuttle bus, and more Read more below

Interview Date: To be confirmed.

Main duties of the job

Role Requirements

You will provide high quality, evidence based occupational therapy assessment and intervention to children and young people with neurodisabilities and neurodevelopmental concerns, within a multidisciplinary and multi-agency setting.

Our service delivery aims to promote outcome focussed interventions, safe care, function and participation of children and young people accessing home, school, and community life. You will support children and young people with functional activity within a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency setting.

With experience of working in a complex environment, across a large and diverse workforce, you will be exceptionally organised with a high-level of attention to detail. You will naturally possess excellent inter-personal skills, and an ability to consult and positively engage with key stakeholders across the organisation.

About us

About Us

The Childrens Trust isthe UKs leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providingexpert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialistcentre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via ourBrain Injury Community Service.

Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, weare located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of:Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.

Staff Benefits

The work we do ishighly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuablerange of benefits, including, adoption pay, time off for fertility treatment,enhanced paternity leave, paid carers leave, time out days for thoseexperiencing menopause symptoms, time off for gender reassignment.

We also offeradditional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlementsranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your lengthof service.

Other benefits includefree on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton trainstations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation(subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (whereapplicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and theopportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborativeenvironment.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

Providehigh quality, evidence based occupational therapy provision for children andyoung people attending The Childrens Trust School, in partnership with other membersof the multi-disciplinary team and education services. Undertakespecialist occupational therapy assessments of children with complex needs multiple co-morbidities, neurodisabilities and chronic conditions, throughstandardised and non-standardised assessments and clinical observations. Devise suitable, individualised, 24hr occupationaltherapy programmes/strategies that fit within the childs daily routine,whether to be carried out by parents or members of the Multidisciplinary Team;these should be monitored, evaluated, and adjusted appropriately according tothe needs of the child. Develop therapy goals, in collaboration with the childand family/carers, as well as themultidisciplinary and education teams, other health professionals and agencies,to facilitate the participation of the child in their life skills. Supportassessment and management guidelines for young people with assistive technologyneeds. Supportassessment and intervention in the clinical area of assistive technology forschool, teaching and integrating skills with members of the multidisciplinaryand educational teams. Setoutcomes as part of the child or young persons annual review and Education,Health and Care Plans. Supportthe Multidisciplinary and education teams with measuring short term targets,through using the IMpacts curriculum, therapy outcome measurement tools Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). Teach,integrate, and monitor occupational therapy interventions in the childsenvironment, whether it is carried out by parents, school staff, therapy staff,nursing and care staff or volunteers. Assess,and organise the provision of necessary occupational therapy equipment. Supportspecialist interventions including upper limb splinting and casting withsupport from the Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist. Keepappropriate and accurate intervention records, fulfilling legal, professionaland all other requirements of The Childrens Trust. Contributeto child related reports, including looked after children and annual reviewreports as required, and assist with the collation of these as required, in atimely manner in line with organisational targets. Liaisewith all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by The Childrens Trust,visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics with the childas required. Supportthe delivery of a tiered model approach to occupational therapy at TheChildrens Trust School, providing regular integrated time to classes andhouses. Workclosely with all members of the Multidisciplinary Team, as well as the childand family, to provide a fully integrated approach to the overall management ofthe child. This will include any home/school visits, professional child relatedmeetings and/ or appointments, as required. Provideclinical cover across the service during episodes of staff shortage/heavyworkload, to ensure effective service delivery. Workflexibly in terms of hours, including the ability to work an early evening(weekly) and one weekend day, per calendar month. Undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills andabilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.

Communication

Communicateeffectively with children/young people (applying the principles of consistentcommunication). Facilitate effectivecommunication with families and members of the Multidisciplinary Team. Recognise barriers toeffective communication and be able to reduce these as appropriate. Attend and contribute to Multidisciplinary Team meetings, todiscuss individual children/ young people and service in general, as required reviews, case conferences, parents evenings, clinics, etc. Maintain clearand concise documents and records, in accordance with The Childrens TrustPolicy. Ensure documents aremanaged confidentially at all times. Attend regular meetingswith the Multidisciplinary Team, to discuss individual children/young peopleand service in general, as required reviews, case conferences, parentsevenings, clinics. Manage informal complaints, in line with The ChildrensTrust polices and contribute to the resolution of written complaints, and asthey occur taking immediate action where necessary.

Management of Self and Others

Provide support andsupervision for junior team members and students, within area ofresponsibility, providing direction, motivation, and support to achieve keyobjectives. Participate in theannual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions, asrequired by The Childrens Trust, both as Appraiser and Appraise. Manage time effectively, prioritising and delegating workappropriately and as required.

Governance

Read and implement all policies, procedures, and riskassessments, pertinent to working practice and keep up to date with changes asand when they occur. Critically evaluate practice through clinical auditsand by appraisal of the information gained, in combination with currentknowledge of evidence-based practice; identify opportunities for serviceimprovement and development, with support from Highly Specialist Therapists/Heads of Therapy. Continue the audit cycle, by evaluating any changesimplemented as a result. This should include the adoption of evidence informedpractice, the trial of emerging interventions and the cessation ofinterventions, where evidence is insufficient and other approaches areindicated. Recognise and critically appraise situations where theeffectiveness, efficiency and quality of the service are compromised and takeappropriate action to resolve the situation, with support from HighlySpecialist Therapists/ Heads of Therapy. Critically reflect on own performance and that ofother staff; and use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency,and quality of future practice. Undergo The Childrens Trust Risk Assessor training,in order that all activities are risk assessed and documented in the mostappropriate format. Ensure that detailed risk assessments are completed, asrequired. Actively participate in local clinical governanceactivities.

Career Long Learning, Education and Research

Undertake all mandatory training,in line with The Childrens Trust policy. Advance personal knowledge,understanding and skills in line with identified learning needs, by makingappropriate use of a variety of learning and development resources andopportunities, by attending courses/ lectures, contact and involvementwith relevant special interest groups and visiting other departments/organisations and by conducting Literature Reviews. Prepare appropriately forPerformance Development Reviews, identifying learning objectives and settingtargets; identify opportunities for professional development in order to meetcontinuing professional development requirements. Submit research Abstracts/Posters to both local and national conferences, with support if required. Participate in in-servicecompetency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.

Limits of Authority and Problem Solving

In addition to TheChildrens Trust policies, the Specialist Occupational Therapist is governedby, and should adhere to, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)Standards of Proficiency for occupational therapists and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Quality AssuranceStandards. Make day-to-daydecisions regarding occupational therapy requirements for children and youngpeople, based on case load, including recommendations for specialist equipment. Responsible forday-to-day time management and prioritisation of workload, taking into accountthe needs of the whole service. Monthly formalsupervision. Provides formalsupervision monthly to junior Occupational Therapists and/or MultidisciplinaryTechnicians.

Professionalism

Meet current HCPC and Royal College of Occupational Therapists standardswith respect to professionalism and to keep up to date with any changes. Be responsible for maintaining registration with HCPC and otherProfessional Bodies. Adhere to thepolicies and procedures of The Childrens Trust. Maintain professional boundaries and professionalism at all times. Committed to demonstrating the organisations values and behaviours at alltimes.

Health and Safety

Adheresto all health and safety guidelines, including infection prevention and control. Provide evidence of avalid NHS Covid Pass or acceptable proof of Covid vaccination or medicalexemption and all vaccinations (or medical exemption) required for the post. Adhereto manual handling procedures and complete mandatory manual handling training. Promotesthe health and safety of others. Uses the incident reporting and riskassessment system (IRAR), to identify and report risks and incidents/actions ifdirected. Responsible for identifying and mitigatingrisk within the work environment.

Wellbeing and Emotional Resilience

Maintains a positive approach and outlook whendealing with change and overcoming challenges and problems. Recognises own limitations, develops realisticgoals, and uses support network resource when or if necessary. Treats challenges and problems as a learningexperience. Remains organised and focused when underpressure. Responds appropriately and effectively to allconstructive feedback. Motivates self and others. Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

RCOT recognised degree or postgraduate diploma in Occupational Therapy. HCPC registration. Continuous Professional Development in line with regulatory body standards.

Desirable

Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy. Member of specialist interest group or forum.

Experience

Essential

Minimum of two years clinical experience post qualification. Experience of working with children/young people with neurodisabilities and or mainstream and or specialist schools/ and or paediatrics. Experience of working as part of a multi-professional team.

Desirable

Experience of 24 postural care approach. Experience of working with families. Experience of SEND legislation. Experience of specialist equipment. Recent relevant training with respect to assistive technology.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Knowledge of occupational therapy management for neurodisability supported by clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning skills in predictable situations, analysing a variety of evidence and presenting this in a relevant format report, presentation. Workload management including delegation of tasks. Observation and treatment skills relevant to the assessment and management. Ability to meet the physical demands of a school therapy role. Attention to detail. Ability to supervise others and enable development of their skills. Professional integrity, particularly in clinical governance. To work flexibly to meet the needs of the service. This may include one weekend day a month and early evening working- there is no on call required. Competent written and verbal communication skills. Identifies own training needs and pursues on own initiative.

Desirable

Risk assessment skills.

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people with complex disabilities. Competent skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint. Knowledge of relevant outcome measures and statutory outcome requirements.

Desirable

Knowledge of current research, clinical audit, and service evaluation methods.

Personal Qualities

Essential

Physically fit and able to comply with trust manual handling guidelines. Able to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and carry out concurrent activities. Ability to cope working in a demanding environment. Flexible and can do attitude to competing commitments in workload: Highly motivated and reliable. Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust.

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