Band 6 Senior Occupational Therapist

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK health service provider in Gateshead seeks an experienced Occupational Therapist. The role involves providing specialized assessments and treatment plans for patients with complex medical conditions, managing a caseload, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive care. Applicants need good communication and problem-solving skills and must hold a full UK driving license. The position requires working shifts across seven days, contributing to supporting hospital discharge and urgent community responses.

Benefits

Access to professional development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Must cover a minimum of 3 years employment in relevant field.
• Experience in occupational therapy assessment and treatment.
• Ability to work in community settings and support discharge.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialised occupational therapy assessment and treatment plans.
• Manage a caseload using evidence-based practices.
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive service.

Skills

Effective communication

Problem-solving skills

Resilience

Team collaboration

Leadership

Education

Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council

Full UK driving licence

Job description

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

PLEASE NOTE it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.

All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions., The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to support admission avoidance, hospital discharge and contribute to urgent community response (UCR) adopting home first principles.

You will need to be able to demonstrate effective communication, problem solving skills and be resilient in challenging situations.

You will be supported within the clinical team which is part of the wider Occupational Therapy structure, with clinical supervision, peer support and access to CPD opportunities. There will also be opportunity for service improvement and development in the role.

You will be required to work a shift pattern across 7 days (including bank holidays and weekends). As a community-based role, the post holder will be required to hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a car for work purposes.

Responsibilities

• To act as an experienced autonomous practitioner, providing specialised occupational therapy assessment and treatment plans for patients with complex acute and/or chronic medical conditions which require intervention to prevent hospital admission/ support discharge.
• To independently manage a caseload, using evidence based and holistic principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To work as a key member of the MDT.
• To deliver care within a variety of clinical settings (virtual wards, wards, PIC) and within the patient's own home (community settings).
• To support and supervise qualified and non-qualified staff within the department.
• To contribute to service development and the learning culture within the department.

• To work within a variety of clinical settings (virtual wards, wards) and within the patient's own home (community settings). This will involve loan working.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
• Reporting to a Band 7 Occupational Therapy Team Lead.
• To work as part of the multi-disciplinary team to deliver a holistic patient-centered approach to care. To regularly liaise with MDT members including those from heath, social services and voluntary agencies to ensure an integrated and comprehensive service is provided.
• To ensure that patients are identified for prompt discharge from the service and handover to community services as required.
• To provide leadership for more junior staff, as agreed with senior staff.
• To support the Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist in planning, coordinating, and delivering the service provided to patients and to assist in the development, planning and progression of service provision.
• To deputise for the Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist in their absence as required.
• To supervise other qualified and non-qualified staff within the team.
• To supervise Occupational Therapy students on clinical placements.
• To participate in CPD and develop skills and knowledge through participation in in-service training.
• Maintaining Records as an autonomous practitioner.
• To be an active participant in the weekend working rota.

Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date are to assume that their application has been unsuccessful.

Applications from job seekers who require Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications where the post is eligible. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Candidates who require sponsorship are strongly advised to visit the UK Border Agency website and familiarise themselves with what is required. There is a facility on this site to access the points based calculator and work through an example which should assist candidates in their understanding of the process.

Working for our organisation

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the BAME network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our armed forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.