Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk. At any one time, around 23,000 people in Norfolk and Suffolk are receiving care and attention from the Trust. We believe in whole life care - seeing people in the context of their whole lives, understanding the importance of good physical health, friends, family, spirituality, culture, home, work, education and a sense of purpose and achievement to experience good mental health. Nearly 3,800 full and part-time practitioners care for our service users in hospitals, in the community and in their own homes, whilst an additional 1,400 staff provide non-clinical support, including cleaning, catering, delivering supplies, ward administration, information technology, human resources and financial services. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience. We are committed to delivering quality driven mental health services. Every individual makes a valuable contribution. We are proud of our staff who have been commended for the care they provide. Do you value working positively, respectfully and together? If so, we’d love you to join us We will consider flexible working arrangements for our roles, please indicate in your application if this is something you require JOB DESCRIPTION/PERSON SPECIFICATION Please read the job description/person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed. YOUR APPLICATION It is important that you complete a formal application form as CV’s alone will not be accepted. We can provide all our job application materials in alternative formats so that these are accessible to everyone. Should you require any documents within this job pack in an alternative format, please do not hesitate to contact us at recruitmentnsft.nhs.uk. PLEASE NOTE: If you use a hotmail, msn or yahoo e-mail account, you will need to check your "junk" mail regularly as these email providers will divert any communication from this Trust/NHS JOBS straight into your " junk" inbox. Job overview Woodlands has an exciting opportunity for a proactive and forward-thinking Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join our Allied Health Professional (AHP) team on a permanent basis. Our friendly AHP team consists of occupational therapists, a physiotherapist, technical instructors, activity workers and OTAP’s. They work as part of the wider multidisciplinary team, in order to support service users on their recovery journey. Working with our inpatient service users, the ideal candidate will be proactive and creative and will be responsible for coordinating / facilitating a range of therapeutic physical activities. Meaningful activity is a valued part of the service that we offer at Woodlands and you will be working as part of a wider multidisciplinary team. At woodlands are OT’s and OTAP’s will use the model of human occupational to underpin their practice as an assistant practitioner you will follow the model under guidance of a qualified OT. Coaching and training can be offered to better understand how to assess and develop the best interventions to support our service users. The successful candidate will work with integrity, enthusiasm and passion. You will need to communicate sensitively and be willing to develop an understanding of the challenges facing people with mental illness, to assist service users to participate and enabling them to achieve their therapeutic goals. Main duties of the job Working under the guidance of the occupational therapists and physiotherapist. Coordinating a varied timetable of physical activity opportunities for inpatient service users. Completing occupational therapy assessments under the supervision of a qualified OT. Offering groupwork and 1:1 input, based upon the needs of the individual. Creating treatment plans and setting goals collaboratively with our patients. Working for our organisation Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive. Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about. Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too. Detailed job description and main responsibilities To co-develop and implement therapy treatment plans for individual and groups, with and without direct supervision. To work with a delegated caseload of service users, using agreed standards of practice. To contribute to the health and safety agenda and promote a safe environment for the delivery of therapeutic activities. To work as part of a multidisciplinary team, forming and sustaining appropriate professional relationships. To feedback on service users’ progress to relevant members of the multidisciplinary team. To monitor presentation and recognise when adjustment to interventions is required and act accordingly, liaising with the registered healthcare professionals. To report information effectively, in line with local policies and procedures. To work sensitively, taking a person-centred approach. Person specification Skills Essential criteria Ability to work unsupervised in clinical/ community settings Ability, to work under pressure Qualifications Essential criteria NVQ 3 or formal technical qualification. City and Guilds Qualification or equivalent appropriate to specialism. Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care/mental health or apprenticeship in H&SC/mental health L5 Experience Essential criteria Experience of working with groups of people EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. As a part of the Disability Confident Employer Guaranteed Interview Scheme we interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job vacancy (outlined in the Person Specification) We encourage you to indicate your eligibility through TRAC jobs when applying. DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECK (formerly CRB) FOR POSTS WITH DIRECT SERVICE USER CONTACT - Please be advised that due to recent changes in the DBS Service, organisations no longer receive copies of DBS Disclosures – these are sent directly to candidates only. Therefore, it will be your responsibility, if successful, to ensure that this is taken to the appointing officer as soon as you receive it. Alternatively, if you have subscribed to the update service, we will be able to check your status once we have your authority to do so. The Trust has now introduced a DBS Update Service which is a contractual requirement. You need to subscribe when you have applied for your DBS clearance and there is a time limit to subscribe of 19 days after receipt of your DBS disclosure. Please ensure that this is completed within the set time scale. This update service is an annual subscription at a cost of £13 to you. This will enable the Trust to have instant online access to your DBS record, with your consent, and so will remove the need for you to have to apply for this repeat check again. Employer certification / accreditation badges Applicant requirements You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.