Highly Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Job overview

If so, we are looking for you!

We are looking for a positive and creative band 7 OT to join our special school and mainstream school service. You will have your own clinical caseload, providing specialist assessment and intervention for children aged 5-19 within schools and clinic.

You will have opportunities to lead and influence service development and support the professional development of other staff and OT students. You will work closely with and be supported by the leadership team.

Main duties of the job

You will work with children with a range of complex health and physical disabilities and Special Educational Needs (SEN) attending, mainstream and special schools across Harrow.

There will be regular opportunities to work with the MDT team in both assessment and treatment.

You will manage your own caseload, travelling between schools and working alongside /teaching /schools staff to ensure highly specialist therapy programmes are in place for the children under their care.

You will be able to work collaboratively with children/young people (CYP), parents/carers and with colleagues in Health, Education and Social Services, in service planning, policy and delivery of services to this specific client group.

The post holder will be able to develop their supervision skills through supervision and support of Associate practionners, band 6's and students.

Working for our organisation

We are a very friendly and dynamic team who are passionate about supporting children, young people and families in Harrow while also supporting you and your wellbeing!

We strongly encourage staff input and influence to help design the OT service and the wider MDT team. We value personal development and we have an established internal training programme along side regular opportunities for external training.

We are based at Alexandra Avenue where there is a high level of integration and collaboration between different health, education and social care services.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

1. To communicate complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working with multidisciplinary team members across health, education and social services and the voluntary sector. In particular to work with school staff to ensure the delivery of a well co-ordinated care plan and/or individual education plan which facilitates the development of sensory, perceptual, motor and daily living skills.
2. To co-ordinate the day-to-day provision of Occupational Therapy input for CYP with special needs, prioritising workloads and resources to ensure CYP’s needs are met.
3. To manage a highly specialist and complex caseload of CYP with SEN particularly those attending specially resourced provisions for CYP with Physical Disability.
4. Lead clinician for provision of comprehensive specialist assessment and differential diagnosis of individual children with diverse and complex presentations using a range of specialist assessments/techniques
5. Using highly specialist manual handling techniques
6. Referring on to other services/professionals as appropriate in particular, Harrow Wheelchair services, Community equipment store, Consultant Paediatricians,
7. Using specialist knowledge and demonstrating advanced skills in dealing with complex issues, including those where there are conflicting clinical indicators, to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management and wider issues relating to service provision for school children
8. Writing reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge and providing specific advice for statutory assessment of special educational need.
9. To work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team in /School.
10. To advise on manual handling risk assessment, access school environments and provision of specialist equipment (seating and hoisting equipment) and aids to daily living.
11. To lead project working groups aimed at achieving team objectives particularly those relating to clinical specialism involving OT colleagues and other professionals e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Educational Psychology and early years.
12. To provide line management/clinical supervision to more junior Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants and lead their Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and appraisals.

Person specification

Other

• Car Driver

Education and Qualifications

• Recognised Occupational Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
• Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice
• Evidence of CPD in portfolio including attendance of specialist short courses relevant to CYP with special needs/ disability
• Training in Moving and Handling people with disabilities
• Member of College of Occupational Therapy

• Advanced training up to Masters level equivalent in area of Paediatric Occupational Therapy e.g. sensory integration Paediatric Bobath Course, child development sensory Integration modules
• Member of College of Occupational Therapy

Experience

• Extensive experience to of working with school aged children:
• with complex needs
• physical and learning disabilities
• perceptual-motor disorders
• Neuro-developmental disorders
• Extensive experience of :
• Assessment, treatment and management of CYP with complex needs
• Working as part of an MDT within an early years setting
• Managing own caseload
• Working with parents / carers
• Writing clinical notes and reports
• Experience of:
• Teaching other professionals/parents
• Clinical audit, research.
• Line management/Supervision of staff.
• Contributing to Appraisal of others
• Leading teams/projects.

• • Knowledge of a range of specialist aids, equipment and seating systems including wheelchairs and assistive technology
• • Knowledge of, foundation stage and National curriculums

Skills and Knowledge

• • Well established knowledge of assessment tools and appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to CYP with complex needs physical difficulties
• • Well established knowledge range of specialist aids, equipment and seating systems available to CYP including wheelchairs, seating and assistive technology.
• Working knowledge of the roles of: • Other professionals in Health, Education and Social Care involved with CYP
• • Occupational Therapist in the Education system.
• • Understanding and application of standards of record keeping and reporting
• • National policies and procedures in particular safeguarding children, SEN and disability act, SEN reforms, Childrens and families act, National Service framework for children, the children’s bill and foundation stage and National curriculum’s.
• • Clinical governance/audit

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics

• • Excellent organisational skills
• • Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people of all ages and abilities
• • Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
• • Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal (English)
• • Negotiation and problem solving skills
• • Ability to work in an unpredictable environment and to prioritise own and others workload
• • Good analytical and reflection skills

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.

If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.