Band 6 Occupational Therapist - Forensic Learning Disability - NHS
Thank you for your interest for the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT), it is an exciting time to join us and being part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through the North London Way, as we:
- Collaborate at every level by living our Values to create the right conditions for us all to work together.
- Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care.
- Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes.
- Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high-quality care across all our services.
- Ensure that research, Quality Improvement, and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services.
- Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do
We proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer. We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.
The North London Way to deliver, Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.
Our trust website is: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/
Job overview
The post holder will work as a member of the large Occupational Therapy team with the North London Forensic Service (NLFS). The NLFS provides medium and low secure in-patient services for male and female clients diagnosed with major mental illness, Learning Disability, and Autism, who have been in contact with the criminal justice system.Also provided are specialist forensic outreach services.
This post sits specifically within the inpatient Learning Disabilities and Autism pathway of the forensic service. The pathway is made up of a medium secure ward, a low secure ward and a community forensic Learning Disability team.
The post will involve delivery of the OT provision to a designated caseload with the Leaning Disability and Autism pathway, focusing on functional daily living skills and specific mental health, and risk issues. This will include the assessment, treatment and evaluation of clinical interventions, planning and running a range of therapeutic individual and group work, carrying out functional assessments and contributing to multidisciplinary team care planning and risk assessment.
The post holder will work closely with the Multi-Disciplinary Team and relevant outside agencies, as well as with the Clinical Specialist OT lead for the pathway, Band 5 OT’s and Technical Instructors to provide a quality service, which is responsive to client’s needs.
Main duties of the job- To be responsible for the Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and evaluation of an allocated clinical caseload, and in compliance with the care programme approach
- To undertake the MOHOST and any other identified assessments with designated caseload as directed by service OT pathway.
- To be responsible for planning and providing group and individual assessment and treatment sessions within the service.
- To ensure daily feedback is received from nursing staff before starting work on designated ward.
- To carry out standardised assessments and provide detailed feedback to the multidisciplinary team about clients’ abilities and also information about future plans and requirements for progress.
- To undertake treatment planning, involving the client in all possible occasions.
- To prompt and motivate the clients to attend and participate in Occupational Therapy treatment sessions.
- To communicate treatment plans and clinical reasoning for interventions to other members of the multidisciplinary team and to work in collaboration with other disciplines and staff in clinical work.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.
Working for our organisation
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.
Our Five-Year Strategy:
- We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
- With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
- We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
- We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.
The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To be responsible for the Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and evaluation of an allocated clinical caseload, and in compliance with the care programme approach- To undertake the MOHOST and any other identified assessments with designated caseload as directed by service OT pathway.
- To be responsible for planning and providing group and individual assessment and treatment sessions within the service.
- To ensure daily feedback is received from nursing staff before starting work on designated ward.
- To carry out standardised assessments and provide detailed feedback to the multidisciplinary team about clients’ abilities and also information about future plans and requirements for progress.
- To undertake treatment planning, involving the client in all possible occasions.
- To prompt and motivate the clients to attend and participate in Occupational Therapy treatment sessions.
- To communicate treatment plans and clinical reasoning for interventions to other members of the multidisciplinary team and to work in collaboration with other disciplines and staff in clinical work.
- To plan, run and evaluate treatment sessions on a group or individual basis, using graded activities to achieve treatment aims.
- To maintain a flexible approach to sessions, modifying activities according to the fluctuating clinical presentation of individual clients and the needs of the service.
- To engage with clients with behaviours that challenge, contributing to team discussion regarding the clinical approach to individuals and communicating this clearly to all therapy staff working with the client. This may include aggressive and violent behaviour.
- To work in collaboration with other members of the multidisciplinary team to provide a coordinated care package.
This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.
Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria- OT degree and HCPC registration
Knowledge and experience
Essential criteria- An interest in working with clients with Learning Disabilities and Autism
- Previous experience working with clients with Learning Disabilities, Autism and/or mental health issues
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of managing own caseload
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria- Excellent communication skills and ability to adapt communication to need
Skills
Desirable criteria- Experience of supervising others
Personal qualities
Desirable criteria- Ability to organise and respond effectively to complex situations