An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, innovative, forward thinking and dynamic Occupational Therapist to become part of the team in the Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team based at Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth.
The Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team has recently received significant financial investment to support the delivery of a quality, evidence-based service and has been successfully redesigned to be delivering an Integrated Community Stroke Service and community neuro rehab services.
We are looking for an occupational therapist who is motivated and flexible in their approach and able to demonstrate excellent clinical assessment and rehabilitation of neurological patients and management/leadership skills.
There are currently several exciting developments occurring within the neurological rehabilitation services at Livewell. The post holder will lead on specific projects and be involved in the development of new pathways and ways of working. You will receive regular practice supervision and have the opportunity to undertake quality improvement tasks.
If you are committed to developing an excellent quality, evidence based and patient centred neurological service and would like to be part of a team which prides itself on compassionate care, we would like to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
To act as a lead therapist responsible for providing a comprehensive specialist occupational therapy service to patients requiring community and outpatient neuro/stroke rehabilitation.
To act as a source of expertise on neurological conditions (including brain injury, stroke, degenerative conditions and spinal conditions) of adults in the community; providing advice to patients, carers, physiotherapy colleagues, other health care professions, consultants, GPs and social services.
To be operationally responsible and work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary leadership team enabling provision of quality therapy services within various settings and services including community inpatient, outpatient, group work, intermediate care, rehabilitation and other health and social care services.
You will take the lead in the triage and management of referrals to the service utilising the service criteria and work closely with other operational leads, strategic leads, professional leads and practice leads to support the delivery and development of the service.
You will undertake regular caseload management with staff to ensure workload is effectively monitored and be responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and reporting.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that LW may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.
All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Job responsibilities
Responsibility for People Management
* Undertake day-to-day management and organisation of staff to deliver a best practice therapy service within the resources available to meet individuals needs.
* Ensure all staff record accurate and timely records, reports and intervention/treatment plans within agreed standard formats using the most appropriate IT system for their area of practice.
* Ensure that Heath Care and Professions Council (HCPC) registration is maintained for self and team members
* Monitor standards, ensuring staff are aware of and follow professional, national and local standards in partnership with clinical, practice and professional leads.
* To decide daily operational priorities for the team balancing patient related and professional demands and ensure these remain in accordance with those of the MDT approach and those of the organisations therapy teams.
* Ensure all staff are receiving practice supervision, line management, caseload management and have an up-to-date appraisal and Personal Development Plans in line with Livewell policies.
* Provide direct line management for senior therapy staff within the team across Occupational Therapy /Physiotherapy professional groups. This could be one professional group or both depending on role.
* Undertake the full range of people management tasks and responsibilities including communication, staff engagement, workforce planning, appraisal, training and development and performance management including disciplinary/grievance/sickness with support from the Operational Leads, service managers and/or Team Lead peers.
* Work with other Team Leads and other managers to ensure clinical and operational management cover across services is maintained especially at times of service pressure.
* Facilitate the team when dealing with complex/urgent situations which can be emotionally challenging e.g. continuing NHS healthcare, safeguarding adults, child protection issues in partnership with patients and carers.
* Provide professional clinical support to the MDT team and advise on practice, identifying training needs of staff and encourage practitioners to develop: Skills in critical thinking and reflective practice, Excellence in practice, specialist knowledge and research-based practice.
* Act as a role model for all team members demonstrating and maintaining high standards of practice and professional conduct. Addressing issues of poor practice with senior line management and HR.
* To support with student placement and training in line with Livewell SWs Placement Guidance for Non-Medical Undergraduate Learners and Students policy.
Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources
* To advise on and prescribe general and specialist aids, equipment and adaptations for individuals in line with Livewell policies and procedures.
* Authorise the use of resources including the prescription of equipment from the Community Equipment Service within delegated limits and staff expenses in line with the organisations and the Community Equipment Services policy and procedures.
* Work with the Operational Leads and service managers to plan and monitor the best use of Therapy resources including budgets for staff and other resources to meet patient need and ensure equity of service provision
* Authorise spend on services within operational and financial limits and ensure this is adhered to within the team.
* Hold overall responsibility for the team in ensuring solutions are at all times cost effective and work within financial delegated limits.
* To have a working knowledge of and support team members with statutory and non-statutory funding and the legislation/guidance that underpins these funding streams, ensuring service users meet the eligibility criteria when advocating for/ utilising services on the service users behalf (e.g. Care Act eligibility, Housing legislation etc)
* Support team members with assessing the need for short/long term care placements or care packages for service users where required; factoring in the use of equipment, techniques or compensatory methods that safely meet the service users care needs whilst aiming to preserve health and social care budgets wherever possible.
* Work with Operational Leads to monitor the team skill mix and ensure effective clinical and financial service delivery.
* Responsibility for administration
* Recruit and manage registered therapy, support and admin staff within the team in accordance with HR policies and terms and conditions to maintain an effective workforce capable of meeting the objectives of the service.
* To maintain accurate records, which are confidential, up to date, legible and all care given to be documented. These records must be maintained complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Records policy, professional body guidelines and government directives.
* The post holder will be expected to oversee the standard of patients records by audit or peer review and have a regular open discussion with team members.
* To work with their team to review staffing establishments and skill mix and workforce plans, and to ensure that staffing is appropriate for current and projected clinical demands.
* To be a team lead for the risk register and escalation of risk across the team.
* Collect, collate and evaluate a range of information to support clinical and service audit. Maintain accurate and up to date patient records, data bases and specialist reporting in accordance with organisation policy and professional guidance.
Responsibility for people who use our services
* To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of individuals in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the individuals under your management and support the other staff within the team to do likewise.
* To deliver the highly specialist clinical needs required for the post, through established experience/specialist postgraduate training.
* To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of highly complex conditions e.g. multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and palliative care, to recommend the best course of intervention and to develop comprehensive management plans.
* To undertake the comprehensive assessment of individuals including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills and to formulate individualise management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning and utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a specialised programme of care and to support other staff within the team in this work.
* To initiate, organise and attend a variety of multi-disciplinary/multi-agency case conferences, liaison meetings and reviews as necessary and appropriate.
* To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent which must be documented and work within a legal framework with individuals who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To follow all recognised policies and procedures in relation to child protection and vulnerable adult cases.
* Ensure risks to patients/service users, carers and staff are identified, reported and appropriately managed to support patient centred care and health and safety issues.
* As part of your role there may be a requirement / opportunity to undertake Treatment Escalation Plan (TEP) discussion, To achieve this you will be required to be competent In advanced communication, care planning and attended appropriate training to support competence.
Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments
* Adhere to organisational and departmental policies to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice.
* To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and effective risk management and its application to daily service delivery.
* Ensure all staff meet national professional and organisational standards of conduct and practice.
* Ensure all staff understand and meet their obligations regarding statutory responsibilities (Care Act and NHS legislation), national directives and guidance.
* Contribute to and promote continuous service improvement within own team and to achieve effective integrated service provision for individuals receiving care.
* Work with other team leads, professional leads, practice leads and managers in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development.
* To implement continuous service improvement practices and changes in work structure and/or work patterns using effective communication, leadership and change management skills.
* To develop and promote services that meet the needs of the local population, monitoring service priorities and ensuring the service is effective, equitable and client focussed.
* Ensure the active involvement of patients/service users, carers and members of the local community in the planning and delivery of services.
* Active involvement in collection of appropriate data and statistics in line with local and organisational policies and procedures including provision of reports related to service delivery as required.
* Awareness of relevant health and safety aspects of work undertaken by the team and implementation of policies which may be required to improve the safety of work undertaken.
* Investigate and respond to complaints, SIRIs and incidents within agreed timescales and processes as per Livewell policies.
Please see the job description and person specification for full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Diploma / degree in Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy
* HCPC Registration
* Postgraduate qualifications in fields relevant to role
* The post holder will need to travel and attend to service users based across Plymouth and other geographical areas. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act will be taken into account for the successful applicant
* Recognised Management qualification/course e.g. ILM course or leadership, management modules, core management study days, in house courses (HR, budgets, appraisals, staff performance, sickness)
* Membership of relevant special interest groups
* Teaching/Assessing course such as mentorship module or equivalent experience.
* Full valid UK driving licence.
Experience
* Working as a member of an MDT with the ability to work flexibly
* OT/Physiotherapy treatment planning
* Documented evidence of CPD
* Home and community assessments
* Evidence of caseload management and discharge planning
* Risk assessment in different clinical settings
* Evidence of clinical practice in a physical health & social care setting
* Extensive post qualification experience in a health and social care setting
Skills
* Strong analytical and judgmental skills, with the ability to interpret complex situations and make appropriate decisions.
* Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to Skills in planning and managing resources within allocated budget effectively.
* Build and maintain relationships with other health and social care professionals, patients, carers and the public.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Ability to work autonomously.
* Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
* Ability to adapt to the demands of a constantly changing environment.
* Self-confidence to challenge traditional practice and the persistence to address difficult enduring issues.
* Excellent organisational skills.
* Ability to use IMT support systems, good computer literacy.
* Management and leadership skills.
* Good time management.
* Evidence of transferable clinical and managerial skills at a senior level.
Knowledge
* Application of OT/Physiotherapy process
* Knowledge of OT/Physiotherapy models of practice
* Understanding of Therapy outcome measures
* Ability to work with limited support and set own priorities
* Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
* Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
* Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex information
* Working knowledge of health and social care legislation and its use in current practice
* Working knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and its application to practice
* Ability to work flexibly
* Application of health and safety and risk management policies.
* Knowledge of a range of standardized-standardised assessment
* Knowledge of varied intervention media
* Clinical conditions relevant to OT/Physiotherapy area of practice
* Skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation
* Willingness to work flexibly and to work across range of community and inpatient settings
* Wheelchair Accreditation
* Knowledge and use of manual handling techniques.
* Knowledge of major adaptations and management through the DFG process
* Experience of in-service training and education
* Applying research to practice
* Knowledge of NSFs Professional and Government agenda
* Knowledge of National Documents relating to Community based Services, Primary Care and social care legislation.
* Knowledge of change management and service development processes
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.
Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
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