Band 6 Occupational Therapist

• Professional knowledge/skills acquired through degree or diploma and extended through experience and continuing professional development.
• Provide specialist advice, teaching and training to Occupational Therapy colleagues, other members of the multi disciplinary team and multi-agency team (education, social services, voluntary sector), regarding the management of patients with complex Occupational Therapy needs and specialist equipment/adaptation requirements.
• Keep up to date with current evidence based practice underpinning area of work and be able to utilise a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate specialised programmes for clients/carers and other professionals involved.
• Undertake post registration training at an advanced level in relation to specific duties
• Involvement with in-service training by attending and delivering presentations, training sessions at staff meetings and tutorials.
• Attend mandatory training, including Moving and Handling, Basic Life Support, Consent, Fire, Equality & Diversity, Child Protection Awareness etc.
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, eligibility criteria, policies & procedures relating to provision of Occupational Therapy Service.
• Undertake evaluation of work and current practices through use of audit, reflective practice and outcome measures and make and implement recommendations for change.
• Actively involved in research activities including literature searching.
• Facilitate/participate in working parties developing policy changes which will impact on all service users.

• Use clinical reasoning to prioritise, allocate and delegate cases to other occupational therapy staff on a daily basis.
• Use analytical skills and specialist assessment tools to undertake comprehensive assessment of patients with complex needs.
• Formulate individualised treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning and a wide range of treatment mediums.
• Implement treatment plans, moving, handling and positioning of patients to enable them to participate in treatment episodes and carry out activities of daily living.
• Develop and demonstrate specialist skills related to acute medicine which are underpinned by theory and practical experience.
• Interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts and be able to administer standardised assessments in order to assist the multidisciplinary team with diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions and recommend appropriate intervention.
• Provide guidance and support on highly complex and complex cases to same grade staff, junior Occupational Therapy staff, support staff and other professionals (Health, Education, Social Services).
• Provide planned advice, teaching and instructions to relatives and carers to enable understanding of the aims of the prescribed Occupational Therapy treatment, ensuring that there is a consistent approach to patient care.
• Assess and prescribe standard and specialist equipment for use in a variety of hospital and community settings. To advise, instruct and educate carers and other professionals on the use of specialist equipment and moving and handling techniques.
• Has responsibility for the delivery of the occupational therapy service within Clifton Therapies at Clifton Hospital ensuring its effectiveness.
• Responsible for autonomous assessment, clinical decision making, treatment selection, evaluation of treatment and outcomes and arranging reviews as required. Guided by agreed protocols/procedures, with the ability to vary treatment without gaining consent from the Clinical Lead therapist.
• Maximise therapy potential and intervention, through effective communication to patients, carers and other professionals.
• Work as a lone practitioner in a variety of community settings where there is a requirement to make decisions spontaneously, within Trust policies and guidelines.
• Use technical and creative skills to assist in the provision of therapeutic activities for individual and groups of patient.

• As a senior member of the team will establish and maintain effective communication networks with the wider multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams.
• Work across multi-agency boundaries and has a working knowledge and understanding of their systems eg. Care and Repair Agency, Social Services.
• Liaise/co-ordinate and facilitate multidisciplinary and multi-agency referrals for patients with complex conditions and their families/carers.
• Communicate highly complex and/or sensitive information, in an empathetic and reassuring manner, to patients, families/carers, and other multi agency professionals in a language understandable to them.
• Facilitate the communication of sensitive and/or distressing information to patients/families/carers, regarding the patients complex condition, diagnosis/prognosis and the intervention required.
• Communicate effectively with patients with complex communication difficulties and/or cognitive problems by utilising a variety of communication mediums.
• Maintain two way communication with the Lead Therapist to ensure appropriate development of Service wide policies, procedures and standards.
• Responsible for documenting and maintaining records for episodes of care within the designated caseload.
• Write complex Occupational Therapy reports which involve clinical reasoning/calculating risk and safety issues.
• Produce and present detailed Occupational Therapy reports which are vital to other agencies to assist in decision making e.g. Adaptation Priority Panel, Hospital Discharge Team, Education Statements.
• Responsible for collecting clinical statistics.
• Have basic IT skills, including internet and e-mail.
• Undertake service reviews and audit in accordance with clinical governance.
• Maintain the ability to communicate effectively when faced with situations of conflict or high emotion from patients/carers/family and other staff members.

• Participate in the departmental appraisal system as both appraiser and appraisee.
• Utilise supervision sessions offered by Clinical Lead therapist
• Oversee and implement induction of new staff members.
• Support the Clinical Lead therapist in the recruitment and selection of less senior staff.
• Responsible for the education of junior occupational therapy staff in developing competencies and occupational therapy students in gaining professional qualification.
• Offer opportunities for learning to other disciplines through tutorials, presentations, shadowing e.g. student nurses, work experience students.
• Provide fieldwork education on placements for Occupational Therapy students, taking responsibility for their teaching, supervision and written assessment.

Essential

• Diploma / Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• HCPC Registered
• Minimum 18 months postgraduate experience
• Relevant hospital and rehab experience

Essential

• Excellent Interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Willing to supervise Occupational Therapy Technical Instructors / Assistants

Essential

• Able to work contracted hours but be flexible to meet the needs of the service.
• Hold an up to date UK driving licence and access to a car for work purposes