Hand Therapy

Job summary

We are excited to announce that we have a Band 6 opportunity for anexperienced Occupational Therapist to join our supportive hand therapy team at theWorcestershire Acute Hospital Trust.

This post supports our vision of a highly skilled, experienced,dynamic and flexible workforce that has knowledge and skills in deliveringmodernised Hand Occupational are committed to looking at modernising our practice andapproach to the assessment and intervention of patients.

Following a review of Occupational Therapy services across theTrust, we are pleased to introduce a band 6 resource for our hand therapyservice across all three sites. We wouldsee this post as instrumental in delivering highly skilled hand therapy,evidencing sound critical thinking, and maintaining strong links withconsultants and the wider MDT. You will be working with a very experienced and skilled workforceand will be supported by 2 forward thinking Band 7s who are committed toevidence-based, innovative splinting skills and hand therapy practice, bringingan occupational focus into the centre of our clinical intervention

You will be encouraged to take on shared responsibility forspecific clinical areas or pathways. We want to shape a workforce to developnew skills in response to emerging techniques and knowledge. We encourage CPD to support your should be a self-motivated practitioner withexcellent communication skills and the ability to work autonomously.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be requiredto work across all the three sites in the Worcestershire Acute Trusts.

To provide high standards of Hand Therapy service to a range of adult andpaediatric Hand Therapy Patients

To assess and treat your own case load of patients as an autonomouspractitioner for patients who may have acute, chronic and/or a complexpresentation, and maintain appropriate treatment plans, electronic records andstatistics.

Supervise and teach basic grade therapists, students and assistants. To also beinvolved with the teaching of the multidisciplinary team.

To undertake and present evidence based projects and research includingdepartmental audits, leading to the enhancement of service delivery andpractice changes, under the supervision of the senior practitioners.

To take an active role in continual professional development

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients Best use of resources Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects ofown work within scope of Hand Therapy professional practice.

To assist in management of the Hand Therapy outpatient waitinglist, ensuring that patients are seen within an adequate time frame.

To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients includingthose with diverse or complex presentations / multi-pathologies, usinginvestigative and analytical skills.

To use clinical assessment and reasoning skills to formulate anddeliver individualised, evidence based therapy management and/or treatmentplan.

To evaluate and modify treatment programmes as required.To provide an effective, quality splinting service to all HandTherapy patients as required.

To be highly skilled in the use of specialist Hand Therapyassessment tools.To involve carers in treatment programs when appropriate. This mayrequire risk assessment and teaching of the carers.

To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend the best course ofintervention.To develop comprehensive discharge plans, including appropriatereferrals to other specialities.

To further develop skills in assessing and interpreting a range of complex factors relating to the patients condition including diagnosis and prognosis.

To communicate effectively with patients, families, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team to maximize therapy, ensure understanding of specific treatment modalities and correct usage/wear of any fabricated or prefabricated splints. Barriers to effective communication will regularly be evident, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, pain, emotional state, behavioural and communication difficulties.

To work within trust clinical guidelines and professionalguidelines and to have a good working knowledge of national and localstandards; monitoring own and others quality of practice as appropriate.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Ability to clinically analyse and act appropriately on professional and ethical issues. Ability to administer and interpret standardised assessments. Ability to assess and form a treatment plan appropriate to the clinical setting

Desirable

Practical application to splint patients.

Qualifications

Essential

Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy HCPC Registered Evidence of post graduate training in areas related to Trauma and Orthopaedics Active HCPC registration

Desirable

Practice educator Institute of leadership and Management Level 3 Postgraduate Masters modules related to specialty or OT practice

Personal Qualities

Essential

Flexible attitude to routine and non-routine tasks Ability and experience of guiding the practice of others Ability to demonstrate evidence of team working and being a positive influence within the team Evidence of ability to provide proactive supervision. Good interpersonal skills across all grades Evidence of ability to provide a learning experience for other staff / students Evidence of willingness to learn and utilise new skills.

Other Job Requirements

Essential

Ability to undertake the manual handling aspects of the role on a daily basis (see job description) Ability to travel / work between sites Ability to be able to work across a 7 day working pattern. To be able to cope with health and safety issues relating to Occupational Therapy, dealing with bodily fluids Awareness of self, professional presentation to other staff and the public Awareness of confidentiality

Experience

Essential

Evidence of varied experience within acute NHS hospital Evidence of experience of working in an out-patient setting Evidence of working in Hand Therapy Experience of the administration and interpretation of commonly used standardised assessments. Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team. Experience of working at a fast pace within an acute NHS setting

Desirable

Experience of administering and interpreting standardised and specialist hand assessments Experience of service delivery to patients within the preoperative elective and trauma pathways.

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