Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for anexperienced occupational therapist to build upon their knowledge and skill basein the area of Frailty syndromes.

Thesuccessful candidate will be working as a part of The Frailty Virtual wardHalton, the virtual ward provides a collaborative partnership across Frailtyservices Urgent Community Response, inpatient units, outpatients and communityservices.

As anautonomous practitioner you will be responsible for enabling the client toachieve and maintain a level of independent functioning to remain within thehome environment or the most appropriate alternative community setting.

The post holder will be an integral member of themulti-disciplinary Virtual ward FrailtyTeam

The primary function ofthe role is to maximise the patients health, clinically assess and treatpatients in a defined group and reduce risks that contribute to ill health,thereby reducing unnecessary admissions to acute services, reducing demand onGP time and facilitating the delivery of efficient, effective, co-ordinated andtimely high quality care to frailty patients over 18 in the community.

Please contact LydiaVallance-Prentice for any informationregarding this post.

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Main duties of the job

Please see the full job description & person specification attached for a full list of duties.

Duties and Responsibilities

Toprovide high quality, specialist Occupationaltherapy assessments andplanning therapy intervention and discharging for community-based patients,living with a broad range of complex rehabilitation needs/impairments andfrailty syndromes.

Useevidence-based pathways of care informing these interventions as appropriate.

Towork as a lone and autonomous practitioner within the community

Towork as part of an experienced Multi-disciplinary team.

Toindependently manage a caseload of clients in the community with complex/highlycomplex needs as an autonomous practitioner.

Todemonstrate specialist post qualification experience with skills and knowledgein working with patients who are clinically complex in their presentation

Toprovide specialist Occupational therapy advice/assessment to and confer withother healthcare professionals on the assessment, treatment and care ofpatients referred to the Community Team ensuring a high professional standardof care including complex triage process.

Tobe responsible for managing and prioritising a complex and specialist caseloadand workload independently, working in line with local and national policiesand procedures

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

Unfortunately, we do not hold a sponsor licence for working Visas.

At Bridgewater, our PEOPLE values shape how we deliver ourNHS services in your local community.

They help us deliver our mission to improve local health andpromote wellbeing in the communities we serve.

After all, values are about people and they werecreated in partnership with our staff to reflect what they felt was importantto them

Here at Bridgewater our shared values flow through the organisation.

P - Person-centred-We are passionate about individual needs andpromote independence in the healthcare we provide..

E - Empowered- We empower our people and encourage new ideas to deliver and create improvements in community care.

O - Open and Honest -We behave in a way that develops relationshipsbased on trust, openness, honesty and respect.

P - Professional-We support our people, so everyone has the rightskills and training to deliver outstanding patient care.

L - Locally Lead -We are always learning about our communities andshow great pride in being a local provider of health and care.

E - Efficient -We use our resources wisely to providesustainable and value for money healthcare for our patients.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Dutiesand Responsibilities

To provide high quality, specialist Occupational therapy assessments and planning therapy intervention anddischarging for community-based patients, living with a broad range of complexrehabilitation needs/impairments and frailty syndromes. Using evidence-basedpathways of care informing these interventions as appropriate.

Towork as a lone and autonomous practitioner within the community

Toindependently manage a caseload of clients in the community with complex/highlycomplex needs as an autonomous practitioner.

To demonstrate specialist postqualification experience with skills and knowledge in working with patients whoare clinically complex in their presentation

To provide specialist Occupationaltherapy advice/assessment to and confer with other healthcare professionals onthe assessment, treatment and care of patients referred to the Community Teamensuring a high professional standard of care including complex triage process.

To be responsible for managing andprioritising a complex and specialist caseload and workload independently,working in line with local and national policies and procedures

To work flexible hours to meet the needsof patients and the service, including meetings, education sessions and homevisits where appropriate.

A large proportion of the work includesaccessing homes of clients who are unable to maintain themselves or their homesin a hygienic manner.

To be aware that clients may demonstrateantisocial or abusive behaviour due to their condition, and to know how to actaccordingly.

The work requires high levels ofconcentration due to unpredictable interruptions in the working environment.

The ability to travel freely acrossHalton is essential

Toperform occupational analysis and risk evaluation leading to the formulation onintervention options which reduce the consequence of disability and optimizethe patients functional ability and independence

Touse a range of standardized and non-standardized assessment tools andtechniques to identify presenting strengths and difficulties and identify theneed for these within the service.

Torefine treatment techniques in line with most recent evidence of clinicaleffectiveness by evaluating and implementing key developments and promotingdiscussion within the Occupational Therapy service.

Todevise, deliver and oversee rehabilitation programmes and outcomes which othermembers of the multidisciplinary team may implement.

Tofulfil legal requirements and demonstrate clinical reasoning withindocumentation.

Toactively ensure the implementation of and adherence to issues associated withclinical governance, policies and procedures of the Trust and the Standards ofthe College of Occupational Therapy.

Touse a client centred goal focussed approach using a range of specialisedtreatment interventions, and to continually evaluate these in order todetermine further needs including regular specialist goal setting meetings.

Todemonstrate highly specialist knowledge and assessment skills around theprovision of specialist/bespoke equipment to improve function eg. Environmentalaids and minor adaptations and to instruct clients and their carers in safe useof this and either arrange provision via Community Equipment Services or toadvise re private purchase or provision by other agencies.

Toconsider the needs of carers to ensure necessary support systems are in placeand to involve them in the rehabilitation process. Where necessary to inviteother involved parties to a case conference to enable an interdisciplinary andinteragency focus to the clients care and to effectively ensure their needs aremet.

Through advanced clinical reasoningand analysis, to identify clients needs, establish clinical risk and to liaiseand refer clients to relevant services including other healthcare services,healthcare professionals, and voluntary agencies as appropriate ie alcoholservices and advocacy

Tomanage own emotional responses and remain objective, calm, and professionalwith clients in high emotional and physical distress and regularly deal withsensitive/complex information and stressful environments.

Tounderstand the psychological processes of loss in order to provide clients withempathy and reassurance.

Tohave knowledge and understanding of group skills and to assist in developinggroup rehabilitation programmes.

To work collaboratively with otherclinicians to influence service development and ensure quality of care isdelivered

Communication

To be an activemember of the MDT, and facilitate effective communication within the communityservices and the larger Rehabilitation Network by attending regular teammeetings as appropriate.

To represent effectively the uniqueOccupational Therapy perspective on assessment and treatment within themultidisciplinary team from a specialist perspective.

To act as an advocate on behalf ofclients by adopting a client centred approach to support meaningfulparticipation in life roles.

To develop a comprehensive understandingand appreciation of the role of the other disciplines within the communityteams and a knowledge of the impact of their role on Occupational therapypractice

To build effective links and tostrengthen working relationships, with health and social care serviceprofessionals as well as private and voluntary agencies.

To attend/actively participate in andfacilitate Occupational Therapy meetings and specialist communityrehabilitation professional meetings as required.

To play asignificant role in the effective internal and external two way communicationwith patients, carers and all other Health and Social Care professionalsregarding all aspects of patient care. This will include highly sensitive andcomplex clinical information and may include clients with communication orcognitive impairments

To provide and receive high levels ofcomplex information that requires empathy, tact and reassurance, and utilisethe required skills when communicating in situations where there may bebarriers to understanding

To give accurate and concise feed backregarding individual clients progress in clinical meetings and discussions, sothat appropriate and consistent treatment, aims and objectives can beformulated and enacted.

To utilise formal and informal reportingmechanisms, including electronic and hand-written reporting to ensure effectiveinternal and external communications. To ensure all documentation is accurateand professional in line with Trust policy.

To educate both formally and informally,other professionals, including doctors, nurses qualified and unqualified AlliedHealth Professionals and students in own area of clinical expertise

To maintain confidentiality consistentwith the Trust and Service policies.

Managerial & Leadership

To provide themanagers with specialist advice on the planning and development of theCommunity Service

Toplay an active role in assisting the managers in achieving the departmentalobjectives and promoting an open style of management

Toprovide day to day caseload manager and clinical supervision to junior staff,students and assistant therapists including formulation of PDRs/My Plan andlocal induction

To activelyparticipate in and develop the professional development programme of thephysiotherapy and occupational therapy department (including rehabilitationassistants)

To beresponsible for collection of statistics / records as required nationally anddepartmentally and to ensure that confidentiality is maintained

To coordinatethe work of the community team at an operational level ensuring the efficientrunning of the service and effective dissemination of information

To represent Physiotherapy / TherapyServices on the service development committees within the Network and the WCFT

To assist with the developing andreviewing procedures, protocols and service directives within the OccupationalTherapy Service

To contribute to and influence multi-disciplinaryservice development issues.

To ensure that all clinicaldocumentation is kept up to date and meets local and professional standards.

To collect and monitor clinicalstatistics and report service fluctuations to line manager when required or necessary.

To be a Fieldwork Educator toOccupational Therapy students, including daily supervision, assessment,grading, writing reports and liaising with the relevant university.

To keep abreast of governmentinitiatives and incorporate these changes to ensure the effective and efficientrunning of the service, and service development.

To ensure Occupational Therapy cover isavailable for the team during planned absences and to provide cover forOccupational Therapy colleagues in other areas during holiday periods and staffsickness as required

To effectively manage own time,prioritising workload demands and demonstrating flexibility according tocurrent resources and staffing.

ClinicalGovernance

To comply with health and safetypolicies of the Trust including adhering to Lone

Working Procedures and undertaking allTrust mandatory training at the required intervals

To be involved in the development ofdepartmental procedures, SOPs and guidelines on areas of clinical relevance

To contribute to and take appropriateaction in seeking to fulfill the action plans of the WCFT and RehabilitationNetwork in compliance with clinicalgovernance and national guidelines

To ensure that any equipment, furnitureor building in need of repair is reported to the correct authority

To be involvedin clinical audit through developing and actively participating in auditswithin the Community service and the Therapy departmentTo promote bestclinical practice for the Community therapy service ensuring a high standard ofpatient care is provided.

To comply with the Data Protection Actand Caldicott recommendations

To comply withthe Royal College of Occupationaltherapists standards and rules of professional conduct.

Person Specification

Additional Criteria

Essential

Do you have the right to stay and work in the UK without sponsorship (share-codes will be checked if applicable) If you are related to a director, or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship:

Qualifications

Essential

To promote best clinical practice for the Community therapy service ensuring a high standard of patient care is provided. To comply with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott recommendations To comply with the Royal College of Occupational therapists standards and rules of professional conduct.

Experience

Essential

Post graduate experience at a senior level Evidence of management of highly complex patients with neurological disorders and supporting staff in this area. Experience of neurological assessment and treatment techniques Working collaboratively with other health professionals and or partner agencies. Supervision of junior grade staff / support staff and students. Qualification and experience in accommodating and assessing student on placements Training and education of health and other professionals and carers, in the (Role of Occupational Therapy in this area of practice) Service evaluation, review and development. Review and development of standards, policies and procedures Experience of Clinical Governance issues and best practice initiatives.

Desirable

Leadership/supervisory management training Research experience

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of advanced best practice Occupational Therapy processes relating to client centred practice and OT service delivery. Planning and decision making skills. Proven supervisory skills. Excellent communication skills both verbal and written. Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own and other practice. Proven organisational skills, demonstrating ability to prioritise, managing own workload to meet deadlines. Ability to apply clinical governance principles to practice and demonstrate advanced clinical reflection. Ability to work autonomously acting decisively on behalf of self and others. Ability to empower patients and families within therapeutic practice. Ability to assess physical social, sensory and environmental needs of a client. Ability to assess for equipment as required for area of speciality. Ability to deliver sensitive information to patient and families carers under stressful circumstances Awareness of and ability to implement national initiatives and legislation relating to area of the practice.

Desirable

Ability to promote professional excellence in self and others. Training, presentation and teaching skills. Ability to carry out risk assessments

Job Specific Requirements

Essential

Ability to work in a variety of positions, kneeling sitting standing on the floor. Ability to travel freely around the Bridgewater Trust areas. The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs

Desirable

Membership of Professional body Membership of Occupational therapy special interest group

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