Post Title: Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner Pay Band: 4 Hours: 22.5 hours Contract: Permanent Location / Department:Alexandra Hospital base, with the requirement to be able to occasionally travel to other bases as service provision requires. Accountable to: Occupational Therapy Manager Reports to: Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist/Team Lead OT/Clinical Strategic Lead Ref: Key Working Relationships: To work with and liaise with your supervisor, Occupational Therapy Manager, wider OT team, members of the multidisciplinary team, Community Equipment Store, patients, carers and internal and external agencies. Risk Assessment: This post involves frequent manual handling activities within the workplace eg: positioning and mobilising patients, hoisting, pushing wheelchairs. It includes assisting patients with standing, walking, and transferring between bed, chair, wheelchair, toileting facilities and bathing/showering equipment. The above can, on occasions be carried out within the patients home setting in frequently less than ideal circumstances. Physical effort is required to ensure patient and staff safety during mobilising or transfers, this includes the transportation of bulky equipment, lifting it in/out of a vehicle and the moving of furniture and equipment in confined spaces within the patients home environment. The ability to safely use tools to adjust equipment is required. This requires the ability to ensure the safety of both patients and staff. Frequent close contact with patients during personal care activities exposes the post holder to infection, bodily fluids eg blood, sputum, urine, faeces and vomit. The post holder will be involved in the communication with both patients and their carers, in hospital or in their home, in relation to the patients functional ability or prospects of returning to their previous home environment. The post holder will regularly be required to lone work, in patients home environments eg the delivery and fitting of equipment. (a lone worker device and mobile telephone are supplied.) All senior assistant staff will be required to assess risks during the assessment of patients both in the hospital, out-patient settings and in the patients home environment to ensure accurate assessment and reporting on a patients functional ability. There is need for prolonged concentration and occasional need for involvement in emotionally distressing situations e.g. terminally ill patients, those with poor recovery or life altering illness or trauma e.g. new amputees. This may include contact with patients or relatives who are abusive or aggressive. Job Purpose: The post holder will work under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist but work independently to provide Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention to patients referred to the OT service on an individual or group basis within the hospital or out-patient clinics and community setting. The post holder will carry a defined and delegated caseload of people and will be expected to undertake specific technical and administrative tasks as delegated by the Clinical Strategic Lead, Clinical Specialist OT, OT Team Lead, OT Manager or supervising OT You will be responsible for representing the Occupational Therapy team as required by attending board rounds and/or multidisciplinary patient meetings on specific wards. At these meetings you will be responsible for feeding back to the team, patients treatment progress and highlighting patients who are still being seen by Occupational Therapy and those who have been discharged. Key Duties: To work as part of the occupational therapy and the multi-disciplinary team. To be responsible for the running of specific groups unassisted but under the direction of an OT. To carry out specific standardised and non-standardised assessments under the guidance of an OT. To take responsibility for monitoring referrals to Occupational Therapy for patients who are not yet fit enough to be seen and for those awaiting a community service to ensure they maintain or improve on their functional level. To be responsible for notifying a qualified Occupational therapist if those patients require a new assessment To demonstrate sound clinical reasoning skills that underpins all aspects of practice. To recognise own limitations within clinical practice/knowledge and to seek advice and guidance from the OT in cases that are beyond their clinical experience and accountability. To be able to identify patients with complex needs who require the intervention of the OT. To plan and grade the appropriate OT intervention/programmes to meet OT treatment goals and adapt activities in response to changing needs. To carry out any activity within prescribed limitations of the patients condition, taking the patients medical fitness into account. To evaluate the outcome of the interventions, identifying the need for further interventions and reasons for unmet goals To disseminate information and liaise with healthcare staff and/or carers to ensure the continuation/practice of any therapeutic activities. To explain and demonstrate specific techniques and use of equipment to service users, carers and other staff. To maintain effective confidential communication about the service user within the OT team, the multidisciplinary team and families/carers. To delegate and share tasks with other OT support staff. To identify the need for other agency involvement and make appropriate referrals. To carry out home, environmental visits in the community setting to complete necessary assessments or interventions. This may be completed alone or with another member of staff. To assess for, recommend, order, issue and fit equipment as required by service user. To identify the need for, measure and order attendant propelled wheelchairs. To assess for, recommend, order, issue and fit hand splints as required by the service user. To measure and order self-propelled wheelchairs as directed by the OT. To complete cognitive and upper limb rehabilitation, under the direction of the Occupational Therapist To act on equipment delivery and fitting on behalf of the occupational therapy department to proactively facilitate discharges. Ensure that equipment required for patient discharge is procured in a timely fashion and that stock levels are managed, ordered and that items are fit for safe use. This will include the ability to use basic tools. e.g. for wheelchairs. To ensure documentation regarding patients care is completed in accordance with local and RCOT standards and guidance. Take an active role in the provision of a quality service, using resources responsibly. To be able to safely and effectively undertake the daily manual handling aspects of the role. Which will include the loading/unloading and transportation of equipment. This will include lifting items up/down, pushing/pulling, stooping and bending., and the moving of furniture i.e. beds or chairs. To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level/expertise of the post to ensure the smooth running of the Occupational Therapy service, this will include the treatment of patients on the ward or in the department To actively participate in clinical supervision on a monthly basis. General Duties: Technical / Administrative duties To develop and improve departmental systems related to practice and clinical issues. To develop information that can be utilised for service-users and carers. To be responsible for filing and faxing and stock control as required To ensure that there are appropriate forms and literature necessary for treatment sessions To ensure equipment used for assessments and treatment sessions is safe, clean and available. To ensure that equipment to be used by patients at home is safe, clean and available. To participate in general housekeeping activities within the department. To participate in the collation of statistics. Self-Development To adhere to the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and all other relevant Trust policies and procedures. To develop and maintain up to date knowledge and skills relevant to this post. To recognise limitations and potential scope for development to enhance practice. To have responsibility for identifying learning needs in consultation with the supervisor To seek out opportunities to develop knowledge and skills both within and outside of the Trust To keep a portfolio of your achievements, accomplishment and skills necessary for your role To review and reflect on your own practice and performance in line with the Trusts guidelines and KSF outline. To participate in regular professional supervision and appraisal. Service Delivery and Improvement To actively participate in the induction of students and new staff within this setting. To undertake all procedures, respecting at all times the dignity, privacy, religious and cultural beliefs of patients To ensure enquiries to the OT service are dealt with in an appropriate and professional manner. To contribute to the smooth running of the department. To participate in clinical governance and quality improvements as required by the service. To investigate new treatment techniques or ways or working that may benefit the service. To incorporate these techniques/ways of working into the service, following consultation with the team. To take part in audit activity as required by the service At times when activity is low the post holder is expected to assist other team members. To contribute to the development and training of other staff. To undertake projects that will benefit the service user.