Band 7 - Outreach Occupational Therapist - Bristol, Kingfisher Unit

Job overview

Do you bring passion and commitment to delivering high quality care? Do you understand the clinical and sensory needs of people with a Learning Disability and or Autism? If so this role will provide you with an exciting career opportunity to be part of our new service implementation.

Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) are looking for an exceptional person to provide leadership to deliver our vision for excellent care for people with a learning disability and autistic people in our specialist acute inpatient mental health service and outreach team.

We expect to open in 2025. Until then, you will be employed to work as a core member of the project team until opening.

You will be instrumental in the development, implementation and delivery of the clinical and operational model for the inpatient service.

We will support you to develop your knowledge and skills and to further develop your operational and management leadership skills as part of the expanding expertise in learning disabilities and neurodiversity within AWP making this an exciting career opportunity making this an exciting career opportunity.

Main duties of the job

Occupational therapist for the community outreach service for people with learning disabilities and autistic people require in patient mental health care or intervention to avoid admission. (Outreach)

The work will be highly collaborative with the people using services and their families and supporters and you will have well developed communication skills, to work with this group and committed to lifelong learning.

You will lead the Allied Health Professionals Team and work within the wider AHP leadership group in the unit.

This post could be a development role for the right candidate and training will be available.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Clinical Practice

With the aim of enabling service users to achieve their valued goals, this will include:-

Undertaking a comprehensive person centered occupational therapy assessment, develop treatment plans with the service users and their supporters.

Implement treatment and rehabilitation programmes using a recognized model(s) of occupational therapy practice

Evaluation of the effectiveness of therapy provided in partnership with service users and their supporters

Implement evidence based practice.

Lead Allied Health professionals, support workers and students.

Undertake risk assessment and develop risk management strategies for individuals

Undertake risk assessment and develop risk management strategies for groups and a variety of occupational therapy activities on and off the unit

Apply knowledge of the key elements of relevant mental health legislation.

Apply a high level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service user’s social and physical environment.

1. Teaching Education & Health Promotion

To use own skills, knowledge and resources to provide learning opportunities for staff and promote positive attitudes towards mental health, this will include:

To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of OT students/apprentices on practice placement within the Trust.

Delivering updates of the wider Trust lead OT group

Attend regular statutory and mandatory training and updates.

To identify training needs of staff through delivering supervision and appraisal in line with the Trusts objectives.

To be responsible for ensuring that learning opportunities are identified.

To be responsible for the induction and training of students and staff

To be a preceptor for preceptee occupational therapists

FOR MORE DETAILS PLEASE SEE JD FILE ATTACHED

Person specification

Education and Qualification and Experience

• A registered Occupational Therapist who can demonstrate experience
• Qualification in Occupational therapy which enables Full registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) on the occupational therapists register
• Masters / Post Graduate diploma level qualification in relevant clinical filed or equivalent knowledge developed through evidenced experience or a range of short courses. Evidence of post graduate sensory training (minimum level 3/4 ASI Wise or equivalent SI network)
• Significant post registration experience in a wide range of clinical areas.
• Evidence of working in specialist field of mental health, learning disabilities and autism
• Evidence of contribution of good practice and evidence base for specialist area
• Intermediate key board skills
• Delivers care and treatment based on research/evidence
• Experience of training others, being a PE for occupational therapy students
• Experience of learning from other teams and innovating: QI experience
• Experience of line management / professional supervision of junior staff, including being a preceptor for occupational therapy preceptees.
• Experience of clinical audit / research
• Knowledge of profession specific guidance and standards impacting on the area of practice

• Published Clinical Audit / Research
• Evidence of Regional / National Policy and Practice Development

Other Requirements

• Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems learning disabilities and autism and ability to cope with behaviour that may be challenging at times
• Demonstrates an understanding of social and cultural issues and their relevance to health outcomes
• Builds relationships with staff and service users based on compassion, dignity and respect
• Actively seeks feedback and evaluation
• Committed to delivering and improving patient care and experience
• Flexible / Drive and enthusiasm
• Ability to travel where required and carry out home assessments where necessary

Skills and Abilities

• Able to adapt in the role to changing priorities
• Ability to work well within a team and on your own
• Good organisational skills and ability to work to deadlines
• Experience of communicating regularly and effectively with teams and individuals at all levels
• Understands the importance of listening and listens effectively
• Experience of communication of complex information
• Experience of report writing and presenting

This includes people with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent conditions (for example autism, ADHD, sensory, physical and learning disabilities).

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service users.

Click here to view our applicant guidance

Please apply to join us, we would love to hear from you. Any personal details you supply to us are kept safe in line with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Adverts normally close for application a few minutes before midnight on the closing date and we will let you know if we are offering you an interview by email via our recruitment system ‘TRAC’. We contact all applicants within 4 weeks after the closing date, so please check your emails regularly once you have submitted your application; you are welcome to contact us, via the TRAC system, if you have any queries about your application.

Please note the use of AI is monitored and if you have used it in your application you are required to declare this.