Occupational Therapist

NHS; Bridgwater; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic Occupational Therapist to join a proactive team dedicated to providing rapid response care. This role involves working closely with patients to prevent hospital admissions and facilitate timely discharges. You will utilize your clinical skills to assess and manage patient needs, ensuring a person-centered approach. The position offers a fulfilling mix of community engagement and teamwork within a supportive environment. Enjoy the benefits of working in a picturesque area with excellent career development opportunities while making a significant impact on patient lives.

Benefits

Flexible Working

Pension Contributions

Annual Leave Allowance

Career Progression

NHS Discounts

Qualifications

• Qualified Occupational Therapist with HCPC registration and RCOT membership.
• Experience in community and clinical rehabilitation, especially with elderly patients.

Responsibilities

• Provide short-term interventions to prevent hospital admissions.
• Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team to manage patient care.
• Ensure quality patient assessment and care planning.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Clinical Reasoning

Decision Making

Time Management

Organizational Skills

Education

Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

Membership of RCOT

Tools

IT Skills

Job description

Exciting opportunities have arisen for a proactive, dynamic and inspiring band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Rapid Response team part of the wider intermediate care service in the West primarily covering Bridgwater and Taunton.

Rapid Response has four main work streams leading to a varied and fulfilling day including:

1. Urgent Community Response, supporting the 9 pillars e.g. non injury fallers/urgent equipment provision/frailty and end of life.
2. Supporting the hospital at home team with more complex patients within the community, preventing hospital admission where possible.
3. Supporting A+E departments with rapid turnaround patients.
4. Assisting Discharge to assess with patients who have short term reablement needs at home.

Successful candidates will be supported by clinical leads/advanced practitioners and clinical specialists within the team.

Main duties of the job

The main aim of the RRS team is to enable patients to stay at home, recover and re-engage with the important aspects of their life and prevent admissions to acute sectors.

The post holder will be required to use enhanced skills to assess and clinically manage patients who have been identified as needing RR intervention to avoid further clinical deterioration or hospital admission. There will be a requirement for post holders to work closely with colleagues in the local neighbourhood teams.

You will be expected to carry out specific therapy assessments to prevent admission to hospital, UCR work (including the above pillars and will also incorporate supporting patients to get off the floor using appropriate lifting equipment), and to speed up discharges from local A&E departments. This will include treatment planning, assessing risk, and promoting and enabling independent functioning. You will be committed to a person-centred approach to your work, have an ability to prioritise and work flexibly.

About us

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan -- there is truly something for everyone!

Job responsibilities

• Provide un-planned short term intervention to prevent Hospital admission and support rapid turnaround discharge from Hospital, working as part of the new Somerset Intermediate Care Service.
• Work in a pro-active effective manner as part of a Multi-disciplinary team, and will always act within the limits of their competence, knowing who to ask for help and support as required.
• Operate within agreed ways of working, following the relevant standards, policies and protocols used in their workplace including Professional standards of practice and behaviour.
• Work their hours over 7 days; it is anticipated hours of service will be 8 am to 8 pm with shifts of 8am-6pm and 10-8pm, weekends and bank holidays, to meet the needs of the service.
• Be responsible for the effective management of the clinical workload/caseload ensuring care is prioritised appropriately.
• Be responsible for the quality of patient assessment and care planning.
• Be responsible for the day to day management of therapy aspect appropriate for the clinical area.
• Assist in leadership and development of staff in the team and act as a positive role model for more junior members of staff and students.
• Be responsible for the implementation of service development and transformation.
• Ensure that all staff in the team act in accordance with Trust HR and other relevant policies, along with the appropriate professional code of conduct.
• Be required to deputise for the line manager in their absence.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC registrations.
• Membership of RCOT.
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at a recent post graduate courses.
• Car driver with relevant business insurance.
• Evidence of a wide range of community and clinical rehabilitation areas of practice including elderly patients with multiple complex pathologies/neurological and orthopaedics etc.
• Post graduate accredited course in the care of the elderly/ECP/PACR.
• Membership of relevant RCOT interest group.

Experience

• Specialist knowledge and best practice in current rehabilitation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Able to demonstrate clinical reasoning and decision making skills.
• Able to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Understanding of the legal responsibilities of the profession at all times.
• Able to develop a therapeutic rapport with patients/families and carers.
• Able to summarise a treatment session, written and orally.
• To have competent IT skills.

Additional Criteria

• Able to work collaboratively within an MDT.
• Committed to personal and team development.
• Ability to cope with distressing situations and imparting unwelcome news.
• Able to adapt to sudden changes in workload with fast turnaround of patients.
• Evidence of a good standard of literacy and good understanding of English.
• Good time management and organisational skills.
• Experience of community working.
• Experience of lone working.
• Willing to travel countywide to meet the needs of the service.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

£37,338 to £44,962 a year Pro Rata, Per Annum