Location: Exeter, EX2 5AG
Salary: £24071.00 to £25674.00
Date posted: 20th February 2025
Closing date: 5th March 2025
Our professional responsibility is to reduce the risk of infection to others as far as possible. Getting vaccinated against diseases that can be passed person-to-person in healthcare settings is part of this responsibility. The Trust will provide advice, guidance and support on vaccinations and access to vaccinations where requested.
Job Description:
Devon Partnership NHS Trust is looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) to join our dynamic Occupational Therapy team within the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at The Junipers in Exeter.
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual to make a real difference in the lives of people experiencing an acute mental health episode.
The Junipers is a 10-bedded male ward that provides 24-hour treatment and care in a safe and supportive environment. We actively engage and involve individuals in their care and recovery journey, focusing on providing a therapeutic and recovery-oriented approach. The ward offers a unique setting for an OTA to develop professionally while supporting individuals in an intensive care context.
Main duties of the job
* The role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) is an integral part of the Junipers, supporting individuals with their care and treatment needs.
* You will work closely with the Occupational Therapy (OT) team and other multidisciplinary team (MDT) members, including nurses, doctors, and social workers, to ensure a high-quality, holistic service for the individuals accessing the service.
* As an OTA, you will be supported to run a therapeutic programme for patients and deliver individualised interventions aimed at improving their mental health and well-being.
* Assist the OT team in assessment and goal-setting, tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of individuals within the PICU setting.
About us
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do.
Job responsibilities
As an Occupational Therapist Assistant, you will contribute to the assessment, monitoring, evaluation, and modification of structured activities in order to measure progression and ensure effectiveness.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will be supported regionally and will have access to a variety of training and online courses to support your career development and growth.
As an Occupational Therapist Assistant you will be:
* Assisting Occupational Therapists, Nurses and other MDT staff in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of individual needs.
* Running and developing therapeutic groups and 1:1 activities.
* Supporting service users to achieve their goals and access appropriate services.
* Maintaining adequate records, entering details in the service user healthcare records.
* Supporting the MDT with quality improvement initiatives.
* Supporting families and carers.
Person Specification
Planning and Organisational skills
* The ability to manage and organise your own workload and complete tasks within a timely manner.
* Plan and organise one-off activity sessions on the ward, responding to the needs of small groups of current patients. Requires flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to patient need, change your work pattern and be responsive to the needs of the ward. Ability to work as part of a team.
Qualifications
* Ability and desire to gain more understanding about the role of OT and psychiatric intensive mental health care.
* Evidence of good standard of general education/qualification (e.g. CSE, O Level, GCSE).
* NVQ Level 2 / 3 or equivalent or willingness to work towards this.
Experience
* Experience of dealing with vulnerable patients.
* Experience of working therapeutically.
* Experience working with other professionals/ teams.
* An understanding of the effects of mental and physical illness on a person's wellbeing and ability to carry out activities of daily living. Proven ability to support patients to engage in a range of therapeutic activities. Running activity-based groups and individual work. Relevant work experience with people with a mental illness.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
* Ability to create innovative solutions to help empower service users. Assess patients' response to activities and decide on appropriate action e.g. advise OT, summon assistance, alter the programme of activities.
* Ability to follow instructions and report back to qualified staff as appropriate.
Working pattern
* To be able to work within a 7-day week shift pattern.
* Need to monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others. Willingness to work day shifts as required. Ability to work flexibly. Ability to travel to sites in areas covered by the Trust.
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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