Senior Practitioner Occupational Therapist
The Community Therapy Service at Sunderland City Council is seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic candidate for the role of Senior Practitioner within the Community Occupational Therapy Team. Senior Practitioners maintain a caseload of complex customers and work closely with a Team Manager to provide leadership of one of the Community Occupational Therapy teams. The primary objective of the Community Therapy Service is to focus on preventative models to support residents in the management of their disability or long-term health condition, enabling people to live safe, fulfilling, and independent lives. The Community Therapy Service works with all ages, including children. Community Occupational Therapists play a key role in the statutory provision of services, completing assessments, problem solving, and promoting safety. The service promotes independence and quality of life by giving advice on how to carry out tasks differently; by suggesting equipment to assist with self-care tasks; recommending alterations to property to make the environment more accessible and signposting to other agencies for further support and advice.
Main Duties of the Job
The Senior Practitioner will provide supervision and consultation to a group of Occupational Therapy Assistants and Independent Living Officers, offering expert advice and guidance on Occupational Therapy cases, in line with relevant policies and procedures. The service actively promotes best practice and quality and supports a model of strength-based practice and co-production with customers. Applicants for the Senior Practitioner position should have a recognised degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy and current registration with the Health & Care Professions Council. They should also have significant post-graduate working experience in health or social care as an Occupational Therapist including the provision of complex moving and handling assessments. Candidates should possess the skills to work collaboratively with other professionals and services and have effective communication and listening skills. The service strives to maintain high standards of customer care and works with its practitioners promoting a culture of learning to assure continuous professional development and demonstrating best practice. The service has a high commitment to the undergraduate education of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy students, working alongside local universities.
Successful candidates will undertake an induction programme, ongoing training will be provided, and supervision will be provided by a Team Manager.
About Us
Sunderland is a fantastic, forward-looking, ambitious city undergoing significant transformation and economic regeneration. From the seafront and the city centre to building locations of national strategic significance, we are creating the very best conditions for our 280,000 residents who live here and those who come to the city to work.
Benefits
* 26 days leave increasing to 31 with 5 years continuous service (pro rata). Previous working in council or NHS roles may be considered for annual leave entitlement, provided there is evidence of continuous service.
* For candidates already employed in NHS roles, there is the option to maintain existing NHS pension, with contributions from the council for applicants, provided conditions are met.
* Cycle to work scheme
* Sick pay available increasing with length of service
* Car lease scheme
* Discounted public transport travel
* Discounted local theatre sporting events and Microsoft workplace discount programme
* Three days paid leave per year to do voluntary work
Sunderland is a great place to work. Wherever you're coming from, you'll discover a place and people that will make you feel at home.
Job Responsibilities
Responsible for Staff/Equipment
* Provides leadership to a defined group of staff with support from the Team Manager.
* Responsible for equipment used as part of their role, including IT equipment.
* Monitors the use of equipment/IT equipment for staff within their service area.
Main Purpose of Job
* Assists the Team Manager in the day-to-day running of the team, undertaking designated activities on behalf of the Team Manager and Senior Management Team.
* Carries out leadership duties supporting the Team Manager with the day-to-day management of the workload, staff performance, and leadership functions.
* Carries a caseload of complex cases under the supervision of the Team Manager.
* Provides consultation and casework advice to team members in respect of appropriately referred customers.
Key Responsibilities
* Works alongside the Team Manager to deliver an effective, safe, high-quality Therapy service.
* Ensures effective performance management for a defined group of staff within the responsibility of the post.
* Supports therapists within the service to develop skills and experience with more complex cases.
* Promotes a culture of learning within the service.
* Contributes to service improvement, within the responsibility of the post.
* Contributes to projects on behalf of the Team Manager & Senior Management Team.
Key Tasks
* Provides advanced safe and effective Therapy assessments for complex cases taking into account customers' physical and cognitive function and develops appropriate strength-based plans for customer interventions.
* Manages a caseload of customers prioritising cases, managing and organising own workload, and completes effective diary planning.
* Effectively completes administrative functions including maintaining regular case notes, completing data entry, and producing high-quality reports.
* Offers professional clinical advice to colleagues within the service.
* Provides expert advice on cases for other therapists including the provision of assistive equipment, complex manual handling equipment, and adaptations.
* Advises on how to utilise assistive technology to support individuals and groups to enhance independence, safety in functional activity, reduction of social isolation, and promotion of cognitive function.
* Ensures team members understand and comply with Health and Safety policies, procedures, and risk assessments.
* Completes risk assessments with staff members when appropriate.
* Works collaboratively and promotes the Community Therapy service, its purpose, and developments within the service and to key partners.
* Treats all customers, members of the public, and colleagues equally and with respect.
* Promotes and champions a positive organisation-wide culture, reflecting the Council's values.
* Delivers Duty Manager/Front Door functions for the whole therapy service as part of the management team, screening and allocating cases within agreed timeframes.
* Provides leadership functions, consultation, and advice for a defined group of staff.
* Provides a supervisory role to identified individuals within the team and completes appraisals, to staff as designated by the Team Manager.
* Contributes to service improvement for the Team within the responsibility of the post.
* Provides training and development programmes for therapy staff within the service.
* Attends meetings within the service and represents the service at other meetings, as delegated.
* Supports with service developments, audits, and promotion of the Community Therapy Service.
* Contributes to projects on behalf of the Team Manager and Senior Management Team.
* Ensures the Team Manager and Senior Management Team are kept aware of trends, quality, and available resources.
* Maintains own Continuous Professional Development through a variety of learning methods.
* Participates in supervision and appraisal with line manager.
* Complies with and actively promotes Therapy service policies, procedures, and processes.
* Maintains individual professional registration with the Health & Care Professions Council.
Other Duties/Specific Policies e.g. DBS
The post holder must carry out their duties with full regard to the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy, Code of Conduct, and all other Council Policies. The post holder must comply with the Council's Health and safety rules and regulations and with Health and safety legislation. The post holder must comply with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to the management of Council records and information. To comply with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR in relation to the management of Council records and information and respect the privacy of personal information held by the Council.
Person Specification
Experience
* Significant post-qualifying clinical experience as an Occupational Therapist.
* Significant experience of working with vulnerable people.
* Significant experience and skills of advanced, safe, and effective moving and assisting vulnerable people.
* Significant experience in the provision of assistive equipment.
* Experience of working in an environment which requires effective communication & listening skills, including experience in the production of high-quality therapy reports.
* Willingness to complete leadership training.
Skills, Knowledge, Ability
* An understanding of how Community Therapies fits into the wider health and social care provision.
* An ability to provide advanced safe and effective Therapy assessments with complex customers.
* An ability to work collaboratively and develop effective partnership relationships with individuals & groups.
* An ability to apply models of care for Occupational Therapists including the application of problem solving and activity analysis.
* Effective communication & listening skills, including the production of high-quality report writing.
* Ability to prioritise workload, be flexible and adjust plans according to competing demands.
* Ability to critically analyse information.
* Ability to participate in projects as delegated by the Team Manager or Senior Management Team.
* Ability to meet the travel requirements of the role.
Qualifications
* BSc (Hons) or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
* Current registration with Health and Care Professions Council.
Work Related Circumstances/ Values of the Council
* Commitment to Equal Opportunities.
* Compliance with health and safety rules, regulations, and legislation.
* Ability to comply with the Council's values of
* We innovate.
* We respect.
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.
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