Senior Occupational Therapist

An exciting opportunity has arisen to play a leading role in a dynamic Urgent Community Response Team in Newham in East London. You will be supported in this by part-time B7 OT and Clinical Lead to become part of the team at ELFT. Staffing in the OT team includes a B6 and 2 rehab support workers who are trusted assessors.

The Urgent Community Response (UCR) service (which includes Fast Falls) is an unplanned service that provides rapid initial assessment and immediate treatment for Newham patients meeting the inclusion criteria. This is within their own home (including care homes) and is with a view to preventing a hospital admission when clinically appropriate to do so.

The aims of these services are to focus on rehabilitation and health promotion, prevent hospital admission and facilitate early discharge. Likewise, it aims to reduce unplanned hospital admissions by supporting clients in their own homes and to facilitate rehabilitation following discharge from hospital.

Clinical input is provided by a multidisciplinary team, which includes Advanced Care Practitioners (ACPs), rapid response nurses, occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists, and therapy assistants.

The occupational therapist works as part of the multi-disciplinary team, providing specialist client-centered occupational therapy interventions, to enable clients to maximise their independence in daily activities in their own homes.

Main duties of the job

1. To provide specialised client-centered occupational therapy interventions to clients (aged 18 or over) who are resident in the community and are referred primarily due to a physical disability. This includes clients who may present with complex physical, cognitive, psycho-social, and housing needs as a result of a wide range of medical conditions.

2. To be an influential member of the multi-disciplinary team, providing expert, integrated, client-centered, goal-oriented rehabilitation for clients.

3. To work as an autonomous practitioner in managing a defined caseload of complex cases, in a community setting. To evidence high levels of problem-solving and clinical reasoning skills in line with evidence-based/client-centered principles. To formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan designed to reduce the impact of disability from a comprehensive assessment of the client's needs.

4. To establish excellent therapeutic relationships with clients/family/carers to gain their participation in the therapeutic process by employing advanced interpersonal skills (e.g. communication, reasoning, negotiation skills, motivational tactics) and overcoming any barriers to communication (e.g. different languages, lack of understanding of the spoken word, visual or hearing impairments, fear, anxiety).

5. To be responsible for the day-to-day management and provision of occupational therapy assessments and interventions in the NW locality by reviewing the appropriateness of referrals, prioritising referrals, and managing junior staff on a day-to-day basis.

6. To work with the General Manager and Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist, using specialist knowledge and skills, to develop and evaluate the Extended Primary Care Team, e.g. through the use of audit and outcome measures, taking a lead responsibility for designated tasks.

7. To use specialist knowledge and skills to actively influence policies, procedures, and service developments within the Extended Primary Care Team by working with the General Manager and Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist to ensure that the service meets the needs of the clients and also meets national and local priorities, e.g. by identifying unmet need and service pressures, by identifying and applying evidence-based practice.

8. To maintain and develop own professional knowledge and skills in relation to occupational therapy in the field of physical disability and community rehabilitation. To be conversant with professional developments and current evidence base in this field, evidencing critical appraisal skills and a sound understanding of clinical governance.

9. To develop and maintain an agreed area of specialist knowledge and skills in relation to occupational therapy in the field of physical disability, e.g. seating/posture and positioning and/or splinting, and to act as an expert resource to other occupational therapists and members of the multi-disciplinary team for this subject area.

10. To participate in staff and service development through attendance at meetings and in-service training sessions, including taking a lead responsibility for designated sessions.

11. To undertake management and leadership training as required to meet the needs of the post, e.g. appraisal, supervision skills, time management, audit.

Person Specification Qualifications and Experience

• Occupational Therapy Degree
• Registered with HCPC
• Maintenance of CPD portfolio
• At least 3 years' post-registration clinical experience in OT role, including community working with older adults with a physical health need
• Experience in supervising, managing, and training junior staff

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals
• Ability to establish a therapeutic relationship with patients and their families/carers
• Ability to undertake all aspects of the OT process
• Evidence of advanced clinical reasoning skills
• Ability to apply safe manual handling techniques with patients with complex needs and teach others
• Ability to manage individual and team workload independently
• Ability to support junior team members in all aspects of their role and ensure team functions at the highest level
• Experience of working in a community setting

Knowledge

• Knowledge of theory and practice of OT with patients with physical, cognitive, and psychosocial needs
• Knowledge of legislation affecting the work of OTs
• Knowledge of the roles of other disciplines and agencies involved in patient care
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and their application
• Knowledge of standardised assessments appropriate to this patient group

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.

Clinical Lead- Urgent Community Response Team.

£51,883 to £58,544 a year per annum INC HCA