Senior Occupational Therapist

TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE • 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. CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES • Manage a varied and complex caseload effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. • 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 acute medicine at Blackpool Victoria 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 OT. • 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 Primary Care Trust policies and guidelines. • Use technical and creative skills to assist in the provision of therapeutic activities for individual and groups of patient. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS • Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing, therapy, education and social services staff in order to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary and multi-agency service, to facilitate and maintain good working relationships. • 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 systemsg. 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 Head Occupational 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. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES • Responsible for the supervision and support of Occupational Therapy staff as outlined in the Occupational Therapy supervision policy and assist with the day-to-day caseload management of junior and support staff. • Participate in the departmental appraisal system as both appraiser and appraisee. • Utilise supervision sessions offered by Clinical Lead OT. • Oversee and implement induction of new staff members. • Support the Clinical Lead OT 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. Job description Job responsibilities TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE • 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. CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES • Manage a varied and complex caseload effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. • 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 acute medicine at Blackpool Victoria 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 OT. • 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 Primary Care Trust policies and guidelines. • Use technical and creative skills to assist in the provision of therapeutic activities for individual and groups of patient. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS • Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing, therapy, education and social services staff in order to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary and multi-agency service, to facilitate and maintain good working relationships. • 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 systemsg. 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 Head Occupational 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. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES • Responsible for the supervision and support of Occupational Therapy staff as outlined in the Occupational Therapy supervision policy and assist with the day-to-day caseload management of junior and support staff. • Participate in the departmental appraisal system as both appraiser and appraisee. • Utilise supervision sessions offered by Clinical Lead OT. • Oversee and implement induction of new staff members. • Support the Clinical Lead OT 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.