Specialist Occupational Therapist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical
1. To undertake specialist assessment and treatment of adults in Respiratory and Infectious Disease Wards.
2. To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.
3. To carry out comprehensive assessments of patients including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.
4. To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.
5. To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.
6. To determine a patient’s mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.
7. To co-ordinate intervention where there is a need to collaborate across multiple disciplines.
8. To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards
9. To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trust’s manual handling policy.
10. To demonstrate physical ability to carry out Occupational Therapy assessment and interventions.
11. To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for assessment and treatment of patients
12. To represent Occupational Therapy and/or individual patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care.
13. To be an integral part of the team’s extended hours and seven-day service provision.
Communication
1. To liaise with all members of the MDT, patients, carers, Health and Community Services, relevant external agencies and OUH staff to ensure a co-ordinated, consistent approach to service delivery.
2. To communicate with individual patients and those involved in the patients care to gain consent and understanding of treatment programmes to ensure OT intervention is effective. This will frequently be with patients who have complex emotional, physical and psychological conditions e.g. aphasia and cognitive problems and will need expert use of verbal and non-verbal communication tool, or with patients from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds where English is not their primary language.
3. To be able to provide and receive complex, sensitive, and contentious information such as discussing limitations associated with diagnosis/procedures/prognosis, managing complex discharges and
providing appropriate emotional support where persuasion motivation and reassurance skills are required.
4. To be able to assess a patient’s understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to
treatment.
5. To keep accurate written records of assessment and treatment in accordance with the trust, NHS and professional OT standards including comprehensive discharge/home and progress reports to medical and therapy referrers.
6. To attend and contribute to relevant service-related meetings.
7. To promote understanding of the aims of OT intervention within the MDT team and with external agencies involved in the patients care.

Leadership and Management

1. To be responsible for the competent use and maintenance of rehabilitation equipment and support others in the effective and safe use of this equipment.
   2. To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants.
   3. To undertake delegated tasks and roles from the team lead and be able to deputise for them on occasions.
   4. To effectively plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and be able to adjust plans as required according to staffing levels and unpredictable factors.
   5. To assist in the planning of junior staff, students and assistant timetables and deputise for senior staff in organisational duties.
   Education, Training and Research
   1. To organise and contribute to the team’s training and post-registration education programme.
   2. To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.
   3. To be responsible for individual undergraduate student Occupational Therapists’ supervision and practice-based learning.
   4. To adopt a proactive approach in learning from others within, and outside of the Occupational Therapy profession.  
2. 
   Research and development
3. 1. To actively participate in the department’s quality improvement and clinical audit programme through the completion of authorised projects
   2. To implement and maintain evidenced-based Occupational Therapy  practice through continuing
   professional development.
   3. To ensure good working knowledge and application of national and local clinical standards
   Effort
   1. To be able to undertake episodes of moderate physical effort for several short periods during a shift.
   2. To be able to effectively maintain concentration at work despite frequent interruptions and, at times, an unpredictable working pattern.
   3. To tolerate and manage frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances and maintain a high level of professionalism.
   4. To tolerate and professionally manage frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions, such as exposure to bodily fluids and offensive odours.