HEAD OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PURPOSE OF THE JOB To lead and manage the provision of a high quality Occupational Therapy service for students and young people with a variety of special needs with the aim of maximising their potential and independence. To supervise and manage the OT department at both Victoria School and Millie College, delegating duties where appropriate and deal with staffing matters appertaining there to. To manage own clinical caseload and provide an Occupational Therapy (OT) service for students at Victoria and Millie with the aim of maximising their functional potential, independence and quality of life. To take responsibility for the liaison and coordination of their care relating to their functional, physical, self-care and sensory needs within a multi-agency team. Where appropriate to support the students transition process. MAIN DUTIES To lead and manage the Occupational Therapy team; having overall responsibility for the development, provision and quality of the OT team within the school and college. To line manage the Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants which will include; disseminating information, allocating and monitoring caseloads, regular staff support and supervision sessions and a yearly Annual Appraisal (APR). Take overall lead in the planning and development of the OT teams, as part of the therapy service and contribute to the annual department development plan. Follow departmental and organisational policies, procedures and systems relevant to own role. To identify and lead changes in policies, procedures and systems as required. Coordinate and delegate administrative tasks as required. To undertake evaluation of the clinical practice of OT teams, in order to provide optimum care. To lead and contribute to departmental audits and research projects within specialist area in close liaison with the Head of Therapies. To liaise closely with the Head of Therapies in identifying need and all aspects of service delivery. To meetings as laid out by the Head teacher. To act upon identified actions required from said meetings. To carry out additional duties and tasks that may be required within the range of the responsibilities of the post of Head OT. To be responsible for own clinical assessments and to subsequently plan and deliver programmes that encourages the development of the students maximum potential towards independence, either in groups or individually. These will encompass the following: physical, sensory, cognitive, play skills and social skills. To assess the individual seating, self-care and personal care needs of students and regularly review any specialist equipment provided within the school environment. To advise staff with regard to providing the optimum classroom environment to support student learning, including the assessment of their ICT access ability classroom to ensure maximum effectiveness of the learning environment. To liaise closely with members of the multi-disciplinary team; physiotherapists, speech & language therapists, rehabilitation engineers, IT Technicians, teachers and student support workers when assessing functional seating, switch access, communication aids, class-based activities and other relevant needs concerned with daily living; toileting, bathing/showering, feeding/drinking. To liaise closely with parents/carers and community services making referrals to community teams as appropriate. To carry out home visits if requested by a member of the community OT team or indeed if deemed appropriate by the school MDT. To support with transition from paediatric to adult therapy services including developing and maintaining strong links with community services to ensure referrals are completed and transition is well managed and the student well supported with their needs being met in the best way. To further develop strong therapeutic links between the 2 sites; Victoria School and Millie College To keep necessary OT documentation up to date and write reports as required, including Person Centred reviews and EHCP reviews and PLP goals. To attend meetings, clinics, reviews and case conferences as necessary. To be responsible for and able to evidence own personal and professional development by undertaking the relevant training, attending meetings, conferences and events ensuring that you are updated in all matters relevant to the role in-line with agreed Personal Development Plan and CPD. To be accountable for own professional actions, working within codes of practice, professional guidelines and policies and planning own caseloads therapy programme in line with short and long term goals. To disseminate highly skilled knowledge through training and advice regarding all aspects of OT, within own skill base, providing a second opinion as required. Undertake OT assessments as required, of new and existing Students/Service Users to inform placement requirements and fee bands.