South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
We are looking to recruit a Band 6 Occupational Therapist into our Medical & Surgical inpatient OT team to support timely hospital discharge under the nationally driven model of Discharge to Assess and the Home First approach. This post will support our acute and community partnership working to aid patient flow and the transition from hospital to home. The team is based within a large, busy but purpose-built Occupational Therapy department made up of specialist clinical teams which has onsite ADL assessment facilities and community equipment peripheral stores.
As well as holding your own caseload of patients, there will also be a requirement to supervise junior and support staff as well as undergraduate and pre-registration students on clinical placement.
The acute therapy teams work closely with our community partners as part of the hospital discharge planning process and this is a great opportunity to help shape future services as a senior therapist. This is a challenging and demanding, but very rewarding post with scope for ongoing personal and professional development.
Main duties of the job
The Occupational Therapy inpatient teams based at Sunderland Royal Hospital sit within the Directorate of Therapy Services and provide intervention and assessment for discharge from hospital. As a Specialist Occupational Therapist you will hold your own caseload of hospital inpatients and will use your skills and knowledge to plan and deliver safe and effective discharges from hospital while working as part of the wider multidisciplinary team and with community partners. You will need comprehensive and concise knowledge of discharge pathways and of the principles of Home First and Discharge to Assess. Due to the demands of acute care delivery, you will need to be innovative, resourceful and flexible to meet the daily requirements of the post and to ensure that you contribute to effective patient flow through the hospital. You will need to be able to document patient notes efficiently and effectively and provide supervision to junior and support staff. Also due to the need to sometimes visit patients' homes as part of the discharge planning assessment, you must be able to meet the travel requirements of the post. The post is full time, Monday to Friday, and there will be a requirement to work some bank holidays and weekends as part of a rota system.
Job responsibilities
1. To work as an autonomous practitioner using advanced clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist therapy assessment, treatment and advice to an independently managed caseload which will incorporate a range of presentation of conditions.
2. To be involved in clinical practice issues, raising the profile of the service and offering specialist advice to planning and service development in order to assist the team leader/service manager in the implementation of service improvements.
3. To work towards improving quality services including implementing evidence-based practice.
4. To work toward the achievement of specific response time targets.
5. To complete effective, concise documentation of patients' records in line with Trust, professional & department standards.
6. To ensure accurate data entry takes place in line with departmental standards.
7. To participate in the clinical education of staff within the specialism and be responsible for the supervision of unqualified, newly qualified therapists and undergraduates who work under your direct supervision.
8. To participate in the service and patient pathways in line with clinical standards and best practice.
9. To participate in research activities pertinent to the role.
10. To assist in raising the profile of the service.
11. To maintain professional development through participation in relevant professional training programmes.
12. To comply with the Trust's vision, values and behavioural compact.
Person Specification
Physical skills
* Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and to work within an environment with competing demands.
* Ability to assist patients to move as per Trust Moving and Handling Policy.
* Ability to meet the travel requirements of the post.
* Ability to sit at a work station to complete electronic patient records and other tasks on a computer.
Experience
* Significant previous experience working as an Occupational Therapist at Band 5 level in a physical health setting.
* Evidence of high-level communication skills within a wide variety of settings.
* Evidence of working within multidisciplinary, cross agency teams.
* Evidence of attendance at courses relevant to the role or evidence of CPD in relevant topic areas.
* Evidence of an understanding of Clinical Governance.
* Evidence of an understanding of Health & Safety relating to work activities.
* Significant previous experience working as an Occupational Therapist at Band 5 level in the speciality area.
* Evidence of planning, delivering and evaluating training to others.
* Evidence of a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management.
* Experience of completing audits within Therapies.
Qualifications
* Degree in Occupational Therapy.
* Evidence of appropriate learning in speciality area (e.g.: short courses or CPD activities).
* Current HCPC Registration.
* Comprehensive experience at Band 5 level as a therapist in the relevant profession incorporating experience within a range of specialities in a physical health setting.
* Evidence of specialist level knowledge and experience in Occupational Therapy.
* Knowledge of the speciality area.
* Post graduate education/CPD activities relevant to the role.
* Evidence base in specialism developed from the application of post-graduate study.
* Evidence of maintaining CPD activities.
* Developed knowledge of current best practice principles.
* Post graduate qualification in relevant healthcare area such as post graduate diploma.
* Post graduate training in leadership.
* An understanding of South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction & achievements.
* Membership of relevant professional body Royal College of Occupational Therapy.
Skills and Knowledge
* Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills.
* Highly developed written communication skills including report writing and maintaining patient records.
* Developed analytical & judgemental skills.
* Skills to prioritise workload and make judgements on priorities when there are several competing demands.
* Able to present information, written and orally in a clear and logical manner.
* Basic IT skills.
* Presentational skills.
* Knowledge of evidence-based guidelines e.g. NICE guidelines and of current health and social care legislation.
* Ability to supervise lower grade staff and students.
* Evidence of ability to be innovative and proactive.
* Experience of participating in audits.
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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