Senior Occupational Therapist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Dimensions

·      Ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient centred care and rehabilitation to patients using the principles of Occupational Therapy

·         Ensure that clinical practice is evidence-based in the delivery of rehabilitation

·         Undertake specific Occupational Therapy related projects contributing to service evaluation, including audit, research, and the strategic development of the Stroke service

·         To operationally manage more junior Occupational Therapists and rehabilitation assistants including supervision, annual appraisal, training and support

·         To be involved in the management of issues relating to performance management

·         The post holder has no budgetary responsibility but will contribute to effective stock control and use of resources to support budget management.

·         Will be develop their own clinical practice and ensure the same for therapy staff by delivering and organising training.

Core Key Responsibilities

Clinical

·         Work as an expert and autonomous practitioner according to relevant professional guidelines

·         To use highly specialist theoretical knowledge, clinical experience, manual techniques and advanced clinical reasoning skills to assess, diagnose, plan and carry out a range of treatment options for Stroke patients and those with general medical conditions who may have diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies

·         To utilise active listening skills and empathy to obtain sensitive, complex and confidential information from the patient.  To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers and the multi-disciplinary team, in order to gain an understanding of the patient’s problems. This may include education, negotiation, motivation and empowerment and may involve providing the patient with unwelcome/unpleasant information which may conflict with expectations. Patients/carers may have communication, perceptual or cognitive/understanding difficulties or physical impairment e.g. dysphasia, deafness, blindness and depression or who may be unable to accept a diagnosis.

·         Develop, implement and evaluate and adapt individualised clinical management plans in conjunction with patients, carers and other professionals ensuring effective patient care and that individual needs are met including the process of weekly goal setting.

·         To take into account the occupational, psychological, social and leisure needs, as well as medical aspects of the patient’s situation considering the impact of Stroke on everyday life

·         To assess patients’ capacity, gain valid informed consent to treatment and where such capacity is lacking /absent, to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient

·         To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload, undertaking manual handling and environmental risk assessments in the clinical area and relevant community environments and advise appropriately.

·         To be responsible for operational management of more junior members of the therapy team by monitoring own and other’s caseloads through appropriate delegation including reallocation of work during absence

·         To act as a role model and resource and be responsible for the supervision, caseload monitoring and clinical education of assistants, students and less experienced staff. Providing support, guidance, training, and assessing and evaluating competence, in order to fulfil clinical governance requirements and retain a skilled workforce.

·         To devise and deliver training programmes to develop and improve knowledge and skills of the team including induction of new staff.  To deliver high level expert post graduate level education to the Occupational Therapists in the team and other health and social care staff in this speciality. To participate in the undergraduate education process, as a clinical educator for Occupational Therapy students. This involves the assessment of students’ competency to practice and contributes to their BSc honours award.  Support the development of non-registered therapy staff through the assessment and completion of relevant competencies and work based studies such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or apprenticeship.

·         To participate in research and audit in order to be able to apply and utilise the findings to implement changes in clinical practice.  To be responsible for performing clinical audit and utilise findings within the clinical speciality. Working with the MDT, develop local guidelines/protocols in accordance with national initiatives.

·         To participate service and policy development and support the Therapy Lead in implementation of policies and service improvements in order to maintain and achieve Government, Trust and Occupational Therapy targets.  To have a knowledge of developmental changes within the NHS and the implications to local service delivery.

·         To participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff, by the writing of job descriptions, advertisements, short listing and interviewing in order to secure a skilled workforce.

·         To monitor and ensure that the Trust’s standards in accurate record keeping and report writing are maintained, including the recording of statistics and the use of relevant outcome measures.  This will include recording interventions on the Social Service and Health Service electronic records.

·         To assist the Therapy Lead with investigating and monitoring of complaints and incidents relating to the clinical area. This involves taking appropriate action and formulating reports in accordance with trust guidelines.

·         To comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual handling, specialist equipment competency, risk management, Data protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times.