Job summary
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.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Date posted: 28 March 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £51,883 to £58,544 a year per annum INC HCA
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 363-CHN6936594-B
Job locations
East Ham Care Centre, Shrewsbury Road, London, E7 8QP
Job responsibilities
1. To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of own professional activities. To adhere to and apply The College of Occupational Therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (College of Occupational Therapists 2015).
2. To independently manage a caseload of complex cases, providing specialist occupational therapy assessment and interventions to clients with complex physical, cognitive and psycho-social needs arising from their medical conditions. To provide this service in the most appropriate setting to the client, e.g., clients' homes, workplace and other community settings, working closely with the client, his/her family/carer and other professionals in doing this.
3. To be responsible for prioritising the occupational therapy referrals within the service to ensure that clients with urgent needs are seen within appropriate timescales.
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 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.
8. 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.
9. To participate in staff and service development through attendance at meetings and in-service training sessions, including taking a lead responsibility for designated sessions.
10. To undertake management and leadership training as required to meet the needs of the post, e.g., appraisal, supervision skills, time management, audit.
Please refer to JD/PS for full details of this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
* 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
Desirable
* Experience in service development
Skills and Abilities
Essential
* 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 highest level
Desirable
* Experience of working in a community setting
Knowledge
Essential
* 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
Desirable
* 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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name: East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: East Ham Care Centre, Shrewsbury Road, London, E7 8QP
Employer's website: https://www.elft.nhs.uk/
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