Main area: Orthoptist Grade Band 5
Contract: Permanent
Hours:
* Full time
* Part time
* Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (Will be required to work across Bedfordshire and Luton)
Job ref: 448-BCHS-6847361
Employer: Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Community Eye Services, Liverpool Road Health Centre
Town: Luton
Salary: £29,970 - £36,483 per annum, pro-rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 13/01/2025 23:59
Interview date: 28/01/2025
Orthoptist
Band 5
Driven by our Trust values: Honesty, Empathy, Ambition, Respect; the Trust's vision is to provide high quality care to the diverse communities we serve to make their lives better.
We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Our cultural diversity, long term conditions and disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ staff networks are a key part of this commitment, creating positive change and helping build an inclusive culture across the Trust.
Different ideas, experiences and backgrounds make us stronger and more creative and applications from all walks of life are welcomed - our processes ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.
Options for flexible working are considered for all roles within CCS, including job share opportunities, compressed hours, annualised hours, tailored working patterns and more. If you are interested in flexible working, please talk to the recruiting manager for this vacancy.
Job overview
We are looking for a Band 5 Orthoptist to join our established community team in Bedfordshire and Luton.
We need:
* A motivated Orthoptist who is willing to work flexibly
* An Orthoptist who is looking to develop their clinical knowledge and skills
You should:
* Hold a degree or diploma in orthoptics
* Be registered with the HCPC
* Be a member of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society
Our team covers community clinics including paediatric orthoptic, special school and child development. Our orthoptists work closely with and learn from consultants and specialist paediatric staff employed by Moorfields Eye Hospital and Bedfordshire Hospitals (L&D).
We provide orthoptic support for hospital paediatric, adult motility clinics, Goldmann perimetry, Stroke and Glaucoma clinics with Ophthalmic Consultants. The department also participates in NIHR registered Moorfields research studies.
Main duties of the job
As a service we provide:
* Preceptorship for newly qualified Orthoptists
* Continued Professional Development including in house training and external courses
* Opportunities to shadow and work within Goldmann, Stroke, Glaucoma, Special schools and Research clinics
* Regular team meetings and safeguarding supervision
* The orthoptic department is also committed to teaching undergraduate orthoptic students.
You will be based in the community at either Liverpool Road Health Centre, Luton, or Kempston Health Centre, Bedford with a requirement to travel frequently to Bedfordshire Hospital sites (Bedford and Luton) and community clinics throughout Bedfordshire.
Working for our organisation
Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There’s one reason why our services are outstanding – and that’s our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Purpose:
To assist in the delivery of the Orthoptic Service, providing a high standard of care, undertaking a range of professional duties and working in a variety of areas in both acute and community settings across Bedfordshire, maintaining clinical and professional quality standards at all times.
To assess, diagnose, treat and manage adult and children patients referred to the Orthoptic service.
To take sole responsibility to determine the clinical diagnosis and formulate relevant treatment plans in conjunction with ophthalmologists and other health care professionals.
To take responsibility for one or more clinical bases, liaising with administrative and optometric staff as required.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* To be professionally responsible and accountable for the management of Orthoptic patients in Bedfordshire as an autonomous practitioner.
* To assess, diagnose, treat and manage (including discharge when clinically appropriate) the patients referred to the Community Eye Service. These include Paediatric visual disorders (squint, amblyopia, and reduced visual responses), ocular motility disorders, other ophthalmic conditions and congenital developmental abnormalities.
* To formulate specialist individualised management and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning and a wide range of treatment skills.
* To assess patients pre- and post-operatively and discuss surgery options with the Consultant Ophthalmologist.
* To diagnose and treat children with special needs in community and multidisciplinary clinics and special schools.
* To take responsibility for advising patients, relatives, and carers of the prognosis regarding their eye condition.
* To support/advise the Orthoptic Support Workers (OSW) providing the 4-5 year school vision screening service.
* To promote the need for early intervention and treatment of childhood eye problems.
* To offer advice and support in the clinic and over the telephone, and deal with queries from patients, carers and other health professionals.
* Assess, diagnose and manage children presenting with visually related reading difficulties seeking advice from the Orthoptic Team Leader where necessary.
* Undertake specialised assessment of patients admitted to the Stroke ward.
* To contribute to Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for patients with Special Educational needs when required.
* To triage new referrals prioritising their urgency.
* To direct referrals appropriately to the Consultant Ophthalmologist, Specialist Optometrist or the Orthoptist Team Leader.
* To analyse, diagnose, and formulate treatment plans for patients with complex ocular movement disorders referred by Consultant Ophthalmologists.
* To assess and interpret visual fields using Goldmann Field Perimeter.
* To maintain and check current and discharged clinical records on SystmOne.
* To work independently in busy community children's clinics within professional guidelines and Orthoptic competencies.
* To provide support for the Orthoptist Team Leaders.
Planning
* To prioritise and organise own clinical caseload
* To be responsible for booking patient appointments and related administration at single-handed peripheral community paediatric Orthoptic clinics on SystmOne.
* To plan and organise joint Ophthalmic and Orthoptic community clinics across Bedfordshire.
* To formulate joint ophthalmic/orthoptic treatment plans for complex cases with the Specialist Optometrist /Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon.
* To contribute to the improvement of the service and development of agreed policies and guidelines.
Information Resources:
* To collate statistics and submit in a timely manner
* To have a good standard of computer skills and adhere to the Trust IT policy.
* To maintain accurate contemporaneous patient records in line with the Records Keeping Policy
* To respond to requests for data and information following Trust procedures.
Communication
* To communicate condition-related information, including the diagnosis and its implications to patients, relatives and carers.
* To liaise with and provide detailed medical information to all members of the Community Eye Service and other professions as necessary.
* To gain informed consent and compliance for assessment and treatment.
* To communicate effectively by transferring patient information and records in a timely and organised manner.
* To communicate with parents/carers to give an understanding of the clinical processes, the diagnosis and aims of treatment.
* To deal with tasks on SystmOne liaising with admin and clinical colleagues as required.
Key Relationships:
* Orthoptists and Ophthalmologists across Bedfordshire in all clinical settings
* Patients, relatives and carers
* Administration staff at all bases
* Local Optometrists
* 0-19 years teams (School nurses, Health Visitors)
* GPs
* Multi-disciplinary teams
* The team in the Health Hub
Budgetary Responsibilities
* To be responsible for the care of clinical equipment, to report any faults and ensure adequate stock levels are maintained.
* To identify and order clinical supplies as agreed with the Orthoptist Team Leader.
Person specification
Experience
* Undergraduate experience of working in all aspects of clinical Orthoptics including acute and community Orthoptics.
* Knowledge of clinical audit, risk assessment, Health and Safety and Safeguarding
* Knowledge of Research based assessment and treatment methods
Knowledge & Skills
* Literate in IT/Computer Skills
* Good oral communication skills based on fluency on the English language
* Ability to make clear clinical decisions
Qualifications & Training
* Degree/Diploma in Orthoptics
* State Registered with HCPC
* Member BIOS
Certificate of Sponsorship
For roles that are eligible for sponsorship, applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker Visa to work in the UK are welcome.
UK Registration
For roles that require professional registration, applicants must have current UK professional registration.
Our safe recruitment pre-employment checks are undertaken before an appointment is confirmed and may include a DBS check.
In submitting an application, you authorise Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process should you be appointed.
ALL CORRESPONDENCE will be via the e-mail address on your application form.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name: Angela Coleman
Job title: Orthoptic Team Leader
Email address: ccs.beds.childrens.eyeservice.bedford@nhs.net
Telephone number: 01234 897445
If this sounds like the role for you we would be delighted to hear from you.
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