Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Occupational Therapist seeking to develop their clinical experience and knowledge, and to strengthen their leadership and managerial skills within Ashworth Hospital, High Secure Services. We are looking for a dedicated Occupational Therapist to join our enthusiastic, innovative, and expanding team.
The post holder will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with patients, carers, the multidisciplinary team, and wider agencies, and will have the opportunity to work closely with colleagues following an evidence-based OT process. Alongside the use of the existing and well-established Model of Human Occupation, the service is successfully embedding the practice based Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA) as part of the core Occupational Therapy offer. The post holder will be responsible for providing high quality assessment, delivering treatment interventions plans, and evaluating outcomes for individuals with complex needs.
Supervision and line management will be provided by the Lead Occupational Therapist onsite during which you will have the opportunity to explore further training and qualifications to develop both personally and professionally. There are internal leadership programmes available, research opportunities with M-RIC, specialist clinical training opportunities, and B6 peer support groups to network and share knowledge and skills.
Shortlisting planned 6 August 2024
Interview planned 13 August 2024
Main duties of the job
Job Purpose:
To support the delivery of high quality specialist assessment and intervention in the development of effective clinical services within a high secure hospital.
To meet the complex needs of people with consideration given to forensic histories, the management and mitigation of risk, and to reducing restrictive practice.
Principal Responsibilities:
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health andmental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4million people across our region and are also commissioned forservices that cover the North West, North Wales and the offer specialist inpatient and community services that supportphysical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health,learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care isone of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental healthfacilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - carethat is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable andefficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and workalongside service users, their families, and carers to design anddevelop future services together. We're currently delivering aprogramme of organisational and service transformation tosignificantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safelyreduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles
Job description
Job responsibilities
See attached Job description and person specification for further information regarding main responsibilities
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. BSc Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
2. Current Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration
3. Post registration training in a therapeutic / intervention approach ( Applied Behavioural Analysis and Intervention, CBT, SI, AMPS)
4. Portfolio of CPD
Desirable
5. Forensic Risk Assessment (RSVP, HCR, START)
6. Good computing skills (ECDL or Similar)
7. Additional training in specific Occupational Therapy and sensory assessments Accredited Practice Placement Educator (, APPLE)
KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE
Essential
8. At least two years experience of working as an occupational therapist with people with learning disabilities and/or mental health
9. Experience of working with people with learning disabilities who offend
10. Experience of managing own complex caseload
11. Experience of using Occupational Therapy assessment tools and completing reports
12. Experience of communicating and liasiing with people including internal and external agencies on complex matters, issues and ideas and/or in complex situations
13. Experience of working with individuals who have complex needs
14. Experience in the use of forensic risk assessment and management
15. A good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, DOLs, Safeguarding and the legal frameworks .
16. An understanding of the Criminal Justice process
17. Experience of multidisciplinary and inter-agency working
18. Experience of providing management and clinical supervision
19. Experience of developing Occupational Therapy services
20. Application of Occupational Therapy models of practice, standardised assessments and outcome measures
21. Knowlegde of relevant Royal College of Occupational Therapy guidance for working with people with learning disabilities
22. Experience of planning and facilitating therapeutic groups for service users
23. Knowledge and ability to express a well developed understanding of the occupational therapy process including activity and task analysis and the formulation of intervention plans grounded in clinical reasoning
24. Have a clear understanding of clinical and environmental risk assessment
25. Able to share knowledge and instruct and train other staff appropriate to band and experience
26. Apply and promote occupational therapy skills including carrying out specialised occupational therapy assessments, setting clear occupational goals and facilitating a wide range of therapeutic interventions via the provision of meaningful activities
27. Apply advanced clinical reasoning skills and be able to reflect on own and others practice including the provision of high quality clinical supervision
28. Demonstrate leadership skills to be able to initiate, monitor and implement change, leading by example and motivating others
Desirable
29. Experience working with staff teams, providing consultancy and clinical supervision
30. Prior experience of autism, mental health, personality disorder, dual diagnosis etc
31. Demonstrate an interest in theories of offending in learning disabilities
32. Experience of working within a community based service
33. Experience of working in forensic settings
34. Membership of Specialist Section of The College of Occupational Therapy.
35. Experience of being involved in clinical audit and / or research
Skills
Essential
36. Excellent spoken and written communication skills
37. Able to work autonomously and on own initiative, prioritise and manage own time effectively and meet deadlines
38. Skills in the assessment of complex behaviours using a variety of methods
39. Skills in the designing of intervention and management plans, evaluation and monitoring
40. Able to recognise limits of own competency and when to seek supervision
41. Complete Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions with a caseload, including the ability to write reports