A new role and opportunity to join our Specialist Palliative Care Team.
We are looking to recruit a dynamic individual with excellent interpersonal skills to this new role with an enthusiasm for continual service development to meet the changing needs of our patients.
Working predominantly within the Specialist Community Team, the successful candidate will work as an integral part of the multidisciplinary clinical team providing a high-quality occupational therapy service to patients with a life-limiting condition and specialist palliative care needs.
The role will require assessment of patients' functional ability and needs, providing palliative occupational therapy interventions and rehabilitative management to optimise their quality of life and enable patients to live well in their home or support during their Hospice inpatient admission.
Can you make every moment count?
As an autonomous practitioner, this new role will allow you to work with the AHP and clinical team and collaboratively with the wider AHP to provide rehabilitative palliative care.
A professional qualification or degree in Occupational Therapy is essential.
Palliative care and neuro rehab experience is desirable.
The successful candidate must be a car owner with a clean driving licence.
Main duties of the job
To work as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team to provide high quality, patient-centred occupational therapy service to patients with life-limiting / neurological conditions.
To provide specialist, therapeutic intervention, rehabilitation within the limitation of their condition, provide strategies to promote independence to optimise the individual's quality of life for patients in their own home, Inpatient unit or attending the Wellbeing and Supportive Care service.
Act as expert resource, provide specialist advice to Hospice staff and the wider community of health and social care professionals.
About us
This role is based at Springhill Hospice, Rochdale and within the community of Rochdale, Middleton and Heywood.
Springhill Hospice provides the following palliative care services to the local adult population who are suffering from the effects of life-limiting and terminal illnesses:
* A 16-bed Inpatient unit providing 24-hour medical and nursing care.
* Hospice at Home Service - supports people who want to end their days in their own home by providing the support and symptom management they need to be able to do so.
* A Day Therapies Centre for up to 16 patients, 4-days-a-week, offering complementary therapies (e.g. reflexology, aromatherapy and massage); creative and beauty therapies, social activities and clinical support.
* Community Service - provides specialist palliative care and support to patients and families in their own homes.
* A 24-hour Palliative Care Advice Line for patients, families, carers and health professionals.
* Bereavement Support for relatives following loss.
* Counselling Services for patients, carers and relatives, provided by a qualified therapist.
* An Education Unit - an in-house training facility for hospice staff and local health and social care professionals, with the main focus of training being on the Springhill Palliative Care Education Passport' (SPCEP) which ensures that core palliative care skills are taught to all grades of staff.
Job responsibilities
Purpose
To work as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team to provide high quality, patient-centred occupational therapy service to patients with life-limiting / neurological conditions.
To provide specialist, therapeutic intervention, rehabilitation within the limitation of their condition, provide strategies to promote independence to optimise the individual's quality of life for patients in their own home, Inpatient unit or attending the Wellbeing and Supportive Care service.
Act as expert resource, provide specialist advice to Hospice staff and the wider community of health and social care professionals.
Clinical
1. Manage a caseload of patients with life-limiting, using patient-centred evidence-based principles; to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
2. Use clinical judgment in order to prioritise caseload in line with clinical guidelines and protocols.
3. Demonstrate a broad level of knowledge and understanding of clinical conditions.
4. Utilise assessment skills to make clinical decisions utilising expert knowledge and clinical reasoning.
5. Undertake holistic assessments and work with patients to agree the best management plan and evaluate the effect of occupational therapy interventions for patients living with a life-limiting condition.
6. Proactively manage patients using palliative based assessments and interventions, offering support to patients and their carers to improve and optimise the patients' quality of life dependent upon their need.
7. Assess complex care needs and co-ordinate a team approach to try and address these needs more effectively to support patients.
8. Work with patients and/or carers to identify goals as part of an overall care plan in co-operation with the multi-professional team using recognised goal setting documentation.
9. Devise a treatment plan for each patient, agreed with the patient and communicated to the family and multi-disciplinary team, to maximise independence and quality of life.
10. Monitor progress and evidence the effectiveness of the intervention, using outcome measures and modify treatment where appropriate.
11. Advise, recommend, make provision for the installation of appropriate aids and adaptations to the patients' social and physical environment.
12. Carry out home visits with or without the patient, to assess environmental risk and functional ability at home.
13. Assess need and risk factors for hoist and wheelchair provision.
14. Delegated responsibility for identifying necessary resources / equipment needs, monitoring usage, maintenance and reporting defects or deficits to the Physiotherapist / Community Services Manager.
15. Prescribe and source equipment for patient use.
16. Demonstrate effective communication skills; explanation, persuasion, motivation, empathy, reassurance and empowerment with patients to achieve their optimum level of independence, convey highly sensitive and complex information or deal with difficult or challenging situations, such as managing patient and professional unmet expectations.
17. Convey information in a sensitive and appropriate manner on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plans in a range of verbal and non-verbal forms that patients/relatives can understand.
18. Educate patients, loved ones, and carers in conditions and their effects in order to adapt to an appropriate lifestyle.
19. Use communication skills to facilitate advance care planning.
20. Demonstrate effective communication and joint working with the Hospice clinical team, external / other professionals as appropriate.
21. Liaise with external Neuro-rehab specialist OTs in order to support patients with compensatory palliative occupational therapy.
22. Contribute to the work of the multi-disciplinary clinical team, ensuring safe and effective care and discharge arrangements for Inpatients. Co-ordinate the provision of specialised interventions or equipment.
23. Attend and participate, where appropriate, in case conferences relating to patient discharge planning.
24. Refer on to appropriate agencies for the continuation of treatment, reassessment, monitoring and provision of further equipment / adaptations.
25. Demonstrate expertise in multi-professional meetings, acting as patient advocate and representing the Hospice from a palliative rehabilitation perspective.
26. Actively network across the borough to seek key partner health care providers / services, to ensure the Hospice has a good knowledge of and effective relationships with to ensure patients have access to the appropriate care when needed.
27. Attend Gold Standard Framework (GSF) meetings as required to network with the wider multi-disciplinary team and educate other health care professionals about the service.
28. Ensure that patient records are maintained in accordance with both statutory and Hospice requirements.
29. Report any incidents, complaints, near misses and untoward incidents, following Hospice policy.
30. Maintain up to date activity data in accordance with professional and hospice standards.
31. Collate and evaluate data to provide evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality.
32. Prepare or support the Community Services Manager with high quality clinical reports demonstrating objective assessment and outcomes.
33. Contribute to the development of the service; identify and implement quality improvements and initiatives, participate in clinical audit, evaluation of patient outcomes within your clinical area, policy and protocol review within scope of role.
Professional
1. Actively participate in the day-to-day management of complex palliative patients, planning own workload / visit allocation and work closely with the physiotherapist to develop the AHP provision.
2. Be accountable for professional decisions as a lone occupational therapist.
3. Provide leadership, management and development of all staff and volunteers within area of responsibility.
4. Demonstrate continuous evaluation and reflection on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and performance review in order to further develop OT provision.
5. Act as a resource and adviser promoting evidence-based practice and best management of palliative occupational therapy care. Provide specialist advice to GPs, Practice Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and other community health workers across the borough.
6. Develop effective working relationships with Allied health professionals in local NHS Trusts, other community teams and Hospices.
7. Ensure professional registration is up to date and uphold the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and Health and Care Professions Council Code of Conduct at all times to ensure the safety of patients.
Education
1. Ensure attendance at all mandatory training and professional development sessions required by Springhill Hospice.
2. Participate in individual performance review and the use of personal development plan.
3. Take responsibility for identifying own personal and professional development requirements and communicating these to the line manager.
4. Maintain own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a professional portfolio, providing evidence of self-development.
5. Keep up to date with research and developments within own field of practice to ensure evidence-based practice.
6. Provide specialist education and advice to other professionals (internally and externally) involved in patient care about the role of occupational therapy in palliative care.
7. Provide supervision and support for all learner grades of staff including external students on placement.
8. Delegated responsibility for Occupational Therapy students on placement; negotiate learning contracts, set objectives, supervise placement practice and evaluation.
9. Contribute to the development of patient and community focused education including coaching patients and their families and carers.
Personal
1. Ensure compliance with Springhill Hospice policies and procedures at all times.
2. When working in the community and domiciliary settings, work as a lone practitioner with telephone support if required.
3. Attend and participate in all relevant meetings, both within the Hospice and externally, as appropriate and as agreed with line manager.
4. Ensure continued support and encouragement to colleagues within the clinical team and the wider Hospice team at all times.
5. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
6. Develop new skills in response to emerging knowledge and techniques.
General
1. Read, understand and comply with all Hospice policies and procedures, applying the principles appropriate to the role.
2. Demonstrate awareness of specific individual responsibilities in respect of the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults, in relation to the role.
Person Specification
Other
* Full current driving licence with ability and willingness to use own vehicle and sometimes carry equipment.
* Willingness to work flexible hours and in various locations around the borough.
Qualifications
* Professional Qualification or Degree in Occupational Therapy.
* Registered with HCPC.
* Membership of appropriate professional body.
* Membership of professional special interest group.
* Enhanced communication skills training.
Knowledge and Skills
* Ability to communicate effectively and to adapt communication style to needs of patient, carers and staff.
* Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships and effective multidisciplinary/interagency working.
* Ability to expertly use and apply a range of assessment and treatment techniques and approaches to the management of conditions relevant to specialty.
* Ability to creatively problem solve.
* Caseload management skills; organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate.
* Ability to appropriately deal with complex, distressing, emotional and sensitive information and circumstances.
* Ability to independently as an autonomous practitioner with support from more senior staff when required.
* Self-motivated and confident to make appropriate decisions, but willing to seek and accept support when necessary.
* Symptom management skills; Anxiety, Breathlessness and Fatigue management.
* Ability to analyse activity and outcome data accurately and write reports.
* Clinical governance and service improvement expertise.
Experience
* 3 years post-graduation experience.
* Excellent occupational rehabilitation assessment and treatment skills.
* Managing a caseload of patients with complex needs.
* Demonstrable effective team working.
* Palliative care and Neuro-rehab experience.
* Coaching, education and supervision of junior staff and students.
* Proven experience of developing and delivering therapeutic groups.
* Experience of Advance care planning.
* Participation in clinical audit.
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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