Occupational Therapist
Job overview
To provide a high standard Occupational Therapy service, performing a highly specialist OT role for patients with burns or hand conditions, mainly trauma.
To contribute to planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Occupational Therapy Service provided to patients within the team, on a day-to-day basis. To support the Team lead in managing Team capacity.
To assess and treat own caseload of patients, who may have complex presentations, and maintain own records as an autonomous practitioner.
To deputise for the Team leader when necessary.
Will be required to work on a 7-day working rota, when it is in place.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Main duties of the job
The Team is clinically responsible for the treatment of patients under the care of Consultants in Plastics, Orthopaedics and Emergency Department.
This specialised area of work involves providing a highly specialised assessment, treatment and advice to both in-patients and outpatients settings. Patients present range of acute and long-term complex and highly complex needs and disabilities.
Post holder will be required to maintain his/her own caseload, including highly complex cases, with an emphasis on providing a highly specialist splinting, hand therapy and burns scar management service.
Post holder will assist in supervising Band 5 Occupational Therapists and students.
Post holder will be required to delegate tasks to support staff as appropriate.
Post holder assists the Team Lead OT in the day-to-day management of the Team.
Post holder is professionally and legally accountable for his/her own action.
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care.The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY.
If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles.
Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical- To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.
- To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Royal College of Occupational Therapy standards and local/Trust policy. To communicate appropriately with other disciplines (this might include meetings, report and letter writing)
- To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use advanced clinical reasoning skills.
- To provide comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of both inpatient and outpatients referred, including those with complex presentation in a timely manner.
- Formulate and deliver an individual occupational therapy treatment programme based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills.
- Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive management plans.
- Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, which must be documented and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To comply with local confidentiality policies, child protection and vulnerable adult procedures.
- Use an extensive range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers; to motivate, gain co-operation, to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating. For example, patients may be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or who may be unable to accept diagnosis, or realistic expectations of Occupational Therapy intervention.
- Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
- To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and to report incidents and near misses
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria- Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy.
- To be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council.
- To have qualification / study day attendance in relevant clinical areas.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria- To have extensive post graduate proven knowledge & demonstrable experience of a wide range of OT assessments and interventions relevant to this clinical area.
- To have worked in out-patient hand therapy setting.
- To have an understanding of Health & Safety and Risk Management policies.
- To have extensive understanding and demonstrable experience of splinting across a variety of hand injuries and conditions. To have an in depth understanding of the mechanical principles of splinting.
- To have demonstrable experience in teaching other members of the MDT team both in internal and external settings.
- To have had leadership training.
- To have demonstrable experience of teaching an MDT
APTITUDE & ABILITIES
Essential criteria- To have good communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels, including for patients with hearing difficulties, cognitive impairment and aggressive / challenging behaviour.
- To be interested in promoting independence.
- To have effective organisational and prioritisation skills.
DISPOSITION / ATTITUDE / MOTIVATION
Essential criteria- To have a co-operative nature and be able to get on well with others, work as a member of the Multidisciplinary Team.
- To be a self-starter and be able to work with no supervision at times.
- Be steady and dependable and able to persist in difficult situations without being distracted.
- Able to recognize own limitations.
OTHER FACTORS
Essential criteria- Must be able to work on a 7 day rota when implemented.
- Be an active member of a specialist interest group relevant to the clinical area.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.
If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.
We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.
Please note that if you are successful in your application & accept the position you agree that the Staff Health and Wellbeing Department can access your health records from your current/previous employer in order to check the status of your inoculations & screening tests.This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.
For Doctors Roles:
Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details
University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.
We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.
In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.
We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.
Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.
Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.
In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co-operation.