Highly Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist

Highly Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist

Step into a role where your expertise genuinely impacts lives. We're inviting an enthusiastic and compassionate Occupational Therapist to join our highly respected Palliative Care team within a CQC-rated Outstanding specialist Trust.

You'll become a key member of a supportive, forward-thinking service, delivering Occupational Therapy across a variety of settings:

• Working with inpatients receiving specialist palliative care
• Assessing outpatients in our multidisciplinary palliative care clinic
• Visiting palliative care patients in their own homes to provide truly person centred care

Your work will span the full Liverpool region, so a driving licence and access to an appropriately insured vehicle are essential.

Main duties of the job

This position is ideal for someone with a passion for palliative care and an interest in cardiothoracic conditions. Experience with chronic respiratory disease or cardio thoracic oncology would be an advantage, but just as important is your commitment to delivering high quality, compassionate care.

You'll work closely with an experienced palliative care MDT and be co located with our inpatient Occupational Therapy team, ensuring seamless collaboration and shared learning. Regular peer supervision and strong team support will help you settle in quickly and continue developing your clinical skills.

About us

As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'.

We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community.

We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.

Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.

Job responsibilities

Our Therapy Department is growing, with an expanding group of support workers and Band 5 therapists, and a strong culture of learning. We host students regularly and work closely with colleagues across therapy disciplines, including exercise physiologists, as well as the wider Trust.

As the Palliative Care OT, you'll also contribute to research, teaching, and service development both within the Trust and externally so experience in presenting or teaching would be beneficial.

You'll also play a role in supporting the wider OT service during periods of pressure, for training, or to contribute to service development initiatives.

This is a 22.5 hour post, with Tuesday and Friday required due to clinic and MDT commitments. Remaining hours will be agreed on appointment.

Qualification and Experience

• Diploma/Degree/MSc in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of specialist post graduate learning
• Membership of relevant specialist interest groups
• Advanced Communication skills training

Knowledge & Experience

• NHS experience at band 6 level, within a variety of clinical settings including palliative care
• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD including attendance at relevant courses
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the MDT and their differing contributions to patient care
• Experience of the supervision and development of more junior staff and/or students
• Evidence of participation in service development and audit.
• Previous cardio-thoracic experience
• Holistic approach aligned with the varying needs of Palliative Care patients.

Skills & Abilities

• An ability to work as part of the MDT and communicate appropriately with all grades of staff.
• Excellent clinical reasoning skills based on evidence and current research.
• An ability to utilise advanced communication skills with patients and families
• An ability to empathise and reassure.
• Experience of teaching and presenting to mixed audiences e.g. doctors, nursing staff and other AHP's
• Evidence of mandatory training including appraisal.
• Holistic approach aligned with the varying needs of Palliative Care patients.
• IT skills including use of Electronic Patient records.

Values & Behaviours

• Demonstrate enthusiasm, vision and a desire to achieve
• Committed to developing expertise within Occupational Therapy and Palliative Care by sharing knowledge and skills.
• Demonstrate a forward thinking and professional attitude
• The ability to work as part different teams i.e. OT team, therapy team, palliative care team
• Flexible and able to adapt to situations which may be stressful and highly pressured.
• Adherence to the trust values and behaviours
• Ability to work flexibly to ensure both clinical and non clinical duties are fulfilled, and time is managed effectively.
• Authentic, tactful and diplomatic with good awareness of self.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.