Community Occupational Therapist

East Of England Community Health And Care Nhs Trust; Downham Market, Swaffham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

East Of England Community Health And Care NHS Trust is seeking a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Downham Market Therapy team, delivering rehabilitation to patients in their homes, care homes, and clinics with holistic case management.

The post requires the ability to prioritise a busy caseload, travel to patients across Downham Market and surrounding areas, and active involvement in MDT meetings, supervision, and continuing professional development.

Qualifications

• BSc Hons in Occupational Therapy or equivalent.
• Current HCPC registration.
• Clinical educators course.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive OT assessments in patients' homes, including complex cases.
• Formulate and implement individualised OT management plans with the MDT.
• Identify and refer for Assistive Technology as required.
• Conduct risk assessments and contribute to service coverage.
• Supervise workload and mentor junior staff and students.
• Attend MDT meetings and contribute to service development.

Skills

Stress management

Team player

Attention to detail

Flexibility

IT/computer skills

Observation and reporting

Education

BSc Hons Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration

Clinical educators course

Tools

System One record keeping

Job description

Job summary

The Downham Market Therapy team are currently looking for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist across the Downham and Swaffham teams. If you are currently a Band 5 Occupational Therapist looking to expand your role or a Band 6 Occupational Therapist looking to work with a supportive Community Therapy team, this may be the job for you. If you are passionate about delivering rehabilitation to patients in the community and working in a close-knit therapy team with good multidisciplinary links, we would like to hear from you. It is essential the post holder can prioritise their own caseload and has access to transport, to travel to patients across Downham Market and the surrounding areas.

Main duties of the job

To contribute in the delivery of high standards of health care to patients within their own homes, care homes, the travelling community and in clinics. By providing proactive, holistic case management and rehabilitation.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Clinical

The post holder will:

• Undertake comprehensive occupational therapy assessments and holistic assessments of patients in their own homes. To include those with a complex presentation. Through the use of investigative, analytical and clinical reasoning skills, and inform the development of a differential diagnosis.
• Formulate and execute individualised occupational therapy management and treatment plans of patients, in collaboration with the integrated team, other agencies and the patient, utilising a range of assessment and treatment skills.
• Be aware of Assistive Technology and make referrals for this as required.

Job responsibilities

Professional

The post holder will:

• Be required to undertake risk assessments and act upon them appropriately.
• Contribute to ensuring the therapy service is adequately covered on a day to day basis.
• Contribute to the supervision of workload within the therapy team
• Actively triage referrals being made to the therapy service, placing and managing waiting lists and signposting to other services
• Actively contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings and other meetings where appropriate or delegating and supporting other team members to attend
• To attend any service development meetings, deputising for Clinical Lead OT/ B7 Physio if required
• Support all team members within the integrated team, respecting them, their roles and contributions.
• Attend, lead and develop in-house training and profession specific support groups, as required to develop current role.
• Maintain own continual professional development.
• Will be able to make own travel arrangements to patients homes, clinics, base and meetings etc, as required.
• Be responsible for safe use and maintenance of equipment and supplies.
• Remain accountable for own professional actions, as determined by the professional bodies.
• May be required to demonstrate own duties to students, new starters and other staff.
• Provide mentorship for students undertaking pre/post registration courses.
• Mentor existing staff and provide training in specialist area as appropriate.
• Provide advice/training to other staff and supervise and support band 5 and 4 staff, and students where appropriate, and contribute to the induction process for new staff/students.
• Actively promote leadership skills within the therapy team.
• Be accountable for work delegated to others. Support B4 CAP in their roles as autonomous practitioners

Organisational

The post holder will:

• Undertake mandatory training as required.
• Participate in a Personal Development Review process.
• Undertake Personal Development Plans for more relevant staff members.
• Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.
• Follow Trust policies, and local procedures, and use discretion in interpreting them according to the setting and circumstances.
• Comment on draft policies.
• Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.
• Contribute to clinical audit as required.
• Complete the staff survey as required.
• Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc Hons in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• Current HCPC registration
• Clinical educators course

Other

Essential

• Must hold full and valid and driving licence and have access to a vehicle
• Kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments.
• Manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
• Manoeuvre patients using handling aids

Experience

Essential

• NHS experience
• Evidence of working at relevant level
• Knowledge of additional specialist areas through inhouse training & short courses
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT)

Desirable

• Evidence of previous community based role

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

Essential

• Ability to manage stressful situations
• A team player
• Concentrate when undertaking patient care & inputting data/patient records
• Positive attitude towards flexibility to meet the needs of the role
• Demonstrate good IT and standard keyboard skill
• High levels of observational and reporting skills

Desirable

• Previous experience of undertaking clinical audits
• Familiar with use of System One record keeping
• Demonstrates participation and leadership in service development

Personal Attributes / Behaviours (linked to the Trust's Behaviour Framework)

Essential

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults.
• Positive attitude towards flexibility to meet the needs of the role
• Ability to manage and provide support and leadership to others during stressful situations
• A team player and leader
• Professional appearance and professional manner
• Be reliable and consistent

Personal and People Development

Essential

• Regular participation in supervision and continual professional development

Desirable

• Previous experience of supervising other members of staff

Communication

Essential

• Good observational and reporting skill
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English
• Ability to communicate with other members of the MDT both verbally and non verbally
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients who may have highly complex needs

Please note, the selection processes at East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).