Advanced Occupational Therapist - Stroke

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Chelmsford is seeking an exceptional Occupational Therapist to lead clinical care in an acute Stroke unit. The successful candidate will ensure patient therapy needs are prioritized and will drive quality improvement initiatives within the team. This role offers a unique opportunity to work in a supportive environment with access to cross-location learning and development resources.

Qualifications

• Strong passion for Stroke patient care and acute assessment.
• Proven ability in treatment planning and patient therapy.
• Experience in leading or supporting a clinical team.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical occupational therapy care on an acute Stroke unit.
• Ensure therapy needs guide all decisions and align with unit parameters.
• Contribute to quality improvement initiatives for Stroke care.

Job description

Overview

Clinically, we need you to ensure the team are delivering highly specialist and safe Occupational therapy care, which is evidenced in line with national guidelines and standards. You will see an acute caseload in an established Stroke unit (30 beds), with some need to cover outliers (average around 10 beds). Outliers are cohorted into an adjacent ward to ensure their care is delivered in line with same Stroke Unit parameters as far as practicable. We need you to help us grow a culture where putting the patient\'s therapy needs at the forefront of all decisions is paramount. You will steer the team to help source fast and appropriate onward rehabilitation options, or support for prompt discharge based on highly skilled clinical reasoning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee clinical occupational therapy care on an acute Stroke unit with a primary caseload (approximately 30 beds) and coverage for outliers (average around 10 beds) cohorted to an adjacent ward.
• Drive a culture where patient therapy needs guide all decisions and ensure care aligns with same Stroke Unit parameters where practicable.
• Steer the team to source fast and appropriate onward rehabilitation options or prompt discharge based on highly skilled clinical reasoning.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives and contribute to projects focused on Stroke care in line with SSNAP data or evidence-based measures to inform clinical input or process changes.
• Support staff development and lead team members to learn and grow in this specialist area.
• Promote opportunities for further education based on personal development plans.
• Join a unit with potential for growth and reform and a team motivated to deliver change.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers. We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Role context

We are looking to recruit an exceptional Occupational Therapist with drive and passion for Stroke patient acute assessment, treatment planning and care in a large NHS site. We are looking to grow the service and incorporate new ways of working with the established team. There has been a large-scale restructuring at therapy senior leadership level, including a new Stroke team therapy lead, so you would be welcomed into a department with renewed purpose and energy. You would support within the existing therapy team, covering an acute bed base of around 40 beds, and have further support from your Occupational Therapy colleagues across the site in other specialties. We are a unique NHS trust, where-by we also have access to sharing learning and support across 3 geographical locations which enhances learning and development.