Job summary Advanced Occupational Therapist Rheumatology Therapy Team 37.5 hours post (part time considered) An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and committed Occupational Therapist with experience in Rheumatology to join our friendly and established Rheumatology Therapy Team, based in St Helens Hospital. We provide specialist assessment and treatment for patients with a variety of Rheumatological conditions namely Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis, Connective Tissue Disorders and Axial Spondyloarthropathy. Patient centred care is essential and is underpinned by our Trust values to ensure that an effective, safe, inclusive, and compassionate service is provided for patients who have long-term conditions. You will also work indirectly with and have access to the wider Rheumatology team, including consultants and specialist nurses. Experience in specialist assessment and management of rheumatic conditions encompassing physical and psychological aspects of long-term conditions is essential. You will be required to complete specialist upper limb/hand assessments autonomously and be competent in the fabrication and provision of splints as well as provide advice around activity modification to increase independence. Alongside these specialist assessment skills, experience in fatigue management and identifying the need for onwards referrals is also essential. An Enhanced DBS Certificate, with the checking of the Adult's Barred Lists is required for this position Main duties of the job To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these To work in secondary care in a variety of hospital settings and the patient's own homes. To demonstrate as appropriate to role highly developed physical skills for assessment and treatment of patients eg dexterity, co-ordination, palpatory and other senses. To deputise for senior staff in leading specific team. About us Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care. Our services: Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites. Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital. Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre. Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales. Achievements: Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme Date posted 30 January 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 7 Salary £46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 409-6879656 Job locations St Helens Hospital Marshall Cross Road St Helens WA9 3DA Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these To work in secondary care in a variety of hospital settings and the patients own homes. To demonstrate as appropriate to role highly developed physical skills for assessment and treatment of patients eg dexterity, co-ordination, palpatory and other senses. To deputise for senior staff in leading specific team. CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES To communicate complex patient and service related information effectively to Health and Wellbeing and local authority colleagues and third sector agencies. Use complex communication skills and knowledge when working with patients, their families and other provider agencies. To involve the patient and the family/carers in all relevant discussions about their management and decisions that are made about treatment techniques and facilitating patient involvement in the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of the service. To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. Delivering high level and complex triage, clinical assessment, diagnostics, treatment and evaluation of the needs within the trust. Providing leadership; promoting a learning culture for colleagues and other agencies; leading service innovations and demonstrating high level problem solving. Ensuring excellence in service delivery through personal and service development, underpinned by evidence based practice and research, embedded in the quality assurance agenda. Driving innovation; managing the change process to ensure your service continues to be flexible and proactive to reflect the needs of the trust. To triage patients with complex needs. To undertake complex clinical assessments of patients/ service users within sphere of advanced practice. To determine a clinical diagnosis and make high level decisions regarding appropriate treatment/ care plans. Implement complex care/ interventions according to clinical need. Evaluate complex care/ interventions based on evidence from clinical outcomes and best practice. To provide advanced clinical advice, support and training to patients/ service users, families, carers and professional colleagues to improve their journey and their health and wellbeing. To be professionally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care. Registered practitioners who are non-medical prescribers are accountable for their prescribing activities by ensuring they are aware of their Professional accountability and any restrictions or special considerations in their prescribing practice. To develop and maintain the high level clinical skills required to work as an advanced practitioner. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters. To collect appropriate data and statistics for the use in the review of the service delivery. To use appropriate information technology skills for communication when required. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES To deliver relevant, evidence based training to patients, families, carers and trust staff. To provide specific training as required to the patient, family, carers and other members of the multidisciplinary team on the clinical and therapeutic management of an individual to support their health and wellbeing. To supervise and performance manage a range of clinical and non clinical staff (including students) as required to do so. Taking into account the breadth of knowledge, skills and experience held and required. To attend and contribute to local and national conferences and special interest groups within sphere of practice. To maintain own CPD by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work, supporting other staff with their CPD. LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES To demonstrate leadership by means of: Delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery. Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the trust. To provide high level advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment and long term management of patients/ service users within sphere of practice. To identify innovations and lead the implementation of new working practices in conjunction with patients/ service users, health, wellbeing, local authority and third sector partners. To take responsibility for their own high level and complex decision making and the decisions of their team which effect service delivery. CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT Registered Practitioners are required to evidence maintenance of their registration with the relevant regulatory body and work to their Code of Professional Conduct. To benchmark current service delivery against local and national clinical guidelines and standards of care. To lead on current best practice, based on the bench marking outcomes. To translate local and national guidelines and train staff to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to deliver effective services. To measure and evaluate own work and current practices through the use of evidence based projects, audit, research, statistical information and outcome measures and lead others in doing so. To network with practitioner colleagues within the trust and across the North West and Nationally, to learn together and share good practice. To interpret and implement quality assurance practices within own work situation. Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these To work in secondary care in a variety of hospital settings and the patients own homes. To demonstrate as appropriate to role highly developed physical skills for assessment and treatment of patients eg dexterity, co-ordination, palpatory and other senses. To deputise for senior staff in leading specific team. CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES To communicate complex patient and service related information effectively to Health and Wellbeing and local authority colleagues and third sector agencies. Use complex communication skills and knowledge when working with patients, their families and other provider agencies. To involve the patient and the family/carers in all relevant discussions about their management and decisions that are made about treatment techniques and facilitating patient involvement in the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of the service. To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. Delivering high level and complex triage, clinical assessment, diagnostics, treatment and evaluation of the needs within the trust. Providing leadership; promoting a learning culture for colleagues and other agencies; leading service innovations and demonstrating high level problem solving. Ensuring excellence in service delivery through personal and service development, underpinned by evidence based practice and research, embedded in the quality assurance agenda. Driving innovation; managing the change process to ensure your service continues to be flexible and proactive to reflect the needs of the trust. To triage patients with complex needs. To undertake complex clinical assessments of patients/ service users within sphere of advanced practice. To determine a clinical diagnosis and make high level decisions regarding appropriate treatment/ care plans. Implement complex care/ interventions according to clinical need. Evaluate complex care/ interventions based on evidence from clinical outcomes and best practice. To provide advanced clinical advice, support and training to patients/ service users, families, carers and professional colleagues to improve their journey and their health and wellbeing. To be professionally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care. Registered practitioners who are non-medical prescribers are accountable for their prescribing activities by ensuring they are aware of their Professional accountability and any restrictions or special considerations in their prescribing practice. To develop and maintain the high level clinical skills required to work as an advanced practitioner. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters. To collect appropriate data and statistics for the use in the review of the service delivery. To use appropriate information technology skills for communication when required. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES To deliver relevant, evidence based training to patients, families, carers and trust staff. To provide specific training as required to the patient, family, carers and other members of the multidisciplinary team on the clinical and therapeutic management of an individual to support their health and wellbeing. To supervise and performance manage a range of clinical and non clinical staff (including students) as required to do so. Taking into account the breadth of knowledge, skills and experience held and required. To attend and contribute to local and national conferences and special interest groups within sphere of practice. To maintain own CPD by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work, supporting other staff with their CPD. LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES To demonstrate leadership by means of: Delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery. Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the trust. To provide high level advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment and long term management of patients/ service users within sphere of practice. To identify innovations and lead the implementation of new working practices in conjunction with patients/ service users, health, wellbeing, local authority and third sector partners. To take responsibility for their own high level and complex decision making and the decisions of their team which effect service delivery. CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT Registered Practitioners are required to evidence maintenance of their registration with the relevant regulatory body and work to their Code of Professional Conduct. To benchmark current service delivery against local and national clinical guidelines and standards of care. To lead on current best practice, based on the bench marking outcomes. To translate local and national guidelines and train staff to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to deliver effective services. To measure and evaluate own work and current practices through the use of evidence based projects, audit, research, statistical information and outcome measures and lead others in doing so. To network with practitioner colleagues within the trust and across the North West and Nationally, to learn together and share good practice. To interpret and implement quality assurance practices within own work situation. Person Specification Qualifications Essential Degree in Occupational Therapy HCPC registration Clinical Educators Certificate or equivalent/experience Desirable MSc in relevant health studies or equivalent qualification/experience Knowledge & Experience Essential Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment and evidence of evidence based practise in relevant health setting Awareness of own strengths and limitations Knowledge of relevant national policies and guidance and relevant assessment tools Experience of leadership of a team including change management Evidence of effective working within an MDT Experience of Service development Demonstrate experience of problem solving approaches Audit and research in a clinical area Demonstrates continuous Professional Development Skills Essential Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings Accurate record keeping, report writing and IT skills including presentation skills Have a flexible approach to working with good time management Other Essential Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver Person Specification Qualifications Essential Degree in Occupational Therapy HCPC registration Clinical Educators Certificate or equivalent/experience Desirable MSc in relevant health studies or equivalent qualification/experience Knowledge & Experience Essential Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment and evidence of evidence based practise in relevant health setting Awareness of own strengths and limitations Knowledge of relevant national policies and guidance and relevant assessment tools Experience of leadership of a team including change management Evidence of effective working within an MDT Experience of Service development Demonstrate experience of problem solving approaches Audit and research in a clinical area Demonstrates continuous Professional Development Skills Essential Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings Accurate record keeping, report writing and IT skills including presentation skills Have a flexible approach to working with good time management Other Essential Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver 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 (Opens in a new tab). 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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information 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 (Opens in a new tab). 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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Address St Helens Hospital Marshall Cross Road St Helens WA9 3DA Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)