Occupational Therapist

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Alvington; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Protected CPD time

Training pathways and leadership

Funding for qualifications and precept

Induction and preceptorship programmes

Ongoing training and competency dev.

Supportive leadership

Job summary

Livewell Southwest is recruiting an Occupational Therapist to join the Community Crisis Response Team. You will manage a caseload of acutely unwell patients in the community, assess and treat at home, and liaise with the MDT to prevent hospital admissions.

The role requires HCPC registration, a degree in OT, and ongoing CPD. Travel between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations is expected; safeguarding and risk assessment are key.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in occupational therapy
• Post-graduate education
• Evidence of ongoing education, CPD and professional development
• Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if English is not a first language

Responsibilities

• Manage own caseload of complex, acutely unwell patients in the community, providing timely assessment and intervention to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions
• Carry out comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients, including complex presentations
• Work within a multidisciplinary team managing acutely unwell patients, taking observations and liaising with medical professionals
• Plan and review treatment programmes with the MDT, patients, carers and family
• Assess, prescribe and authorise aids, adaptive equipment and minor or major adaptations; assess seating and positioning, referring complex cases to wheelchair services
• Plan and lead formal and informal treatment and health education groups for patients and carers
• Support and supervise Band 5 OTs, assistants and students, and monitor their workload and caseload
• Discharge patients from own caseload and arrange onward referrals and continuity of care with statutory and voluntary bodies
• Facilitate return home for patients in residential or nursing care who wish to go home
• Maintain patient records, reports, statistical data and the OT waiting list, with screening and prioritisation of referrals
• Provide cover for absent staff and contribute to service development, audit and research
• Maintain manual handling competence and prescribe manual handling equipment; apply risk assessment in line with Trust policy

Skills

Holistic clinical assessment

Communication skills

Leadership

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy

Post-graduate education

CPD and professional development

Tools

Eclipse

SystmOne

Epic

Job description

This Occupational Therapist post sits in the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) at Livewell Southwest, a multidisciplinary service giving urgent care to people unwell at home. The post-holder manages their own caseload of acutely unwell patients, assessing and treating them in their homes to help avoid hospital admissions. The service runs seven days a week, 08:00 to 20:00, and the role works closely with Acute Response Practitioners on complex presentations. Sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route may not be available.

What the job involves

• Manage own caseload of complex, acutely unwell patients in the community, providing timely assessment and intervention to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions
• Carry out comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients, including complex presentations
• Work within a multidisciplinary team managing acutely unwell patients, taking observations and liaising with medical professionals
• Plan and review treatment programmes with the MDT, patients, carers and family
• Assess, prescribe and authorise aids, adaptive equipment and minor or major adaptations; assess seating and positioning, referring complex cases to wheelchair services
• Plan and lead formal and informal treatment and health education groups for patients and carers
• Support and supervise Band 5 OTs, assistants and students, and monitor their workload and caseload
• Discharge patients from own caseload and arrange onward referrals and continuity of care with statutory and voluntary bodies
• Facilitate return home for patients in residential or nursing care who wish to go home
• Maintain patient records, reports, statistical data and the OT waiting list, with screening and prioritisation of referrals
• Provide cover for absent staff and contribute to service development, audit and research
• Maintain manual handling competence and prescribe manual handling equipment; apply risk assessment in line with Trust policy

What’s required

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in occupational therapy
• Relevant post-graduate education
• Evidence of ongoing education, CPD and professional development
• Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if English is not a first language

Registration & licences

• HCPC registration

Experience

• Substantial, relevant post-graduate clinical experience
• Autonomous practitioner experienced in managing and triaging a caseload or referrals
• Experience of managing acutely unwell patients
• Experience in rehabilitation and across a broad range of clinical areas, using a wide variety of manual handling equipment
• Experience of teaching

Skills & knowledge

• Highly specialised skills in holistic clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation
• Knowledge of multipathology and the presentation of acutely unwell patients
• Knowledge of safeguarding, mental capacity, community services and the OT process
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Leadership, organisation and time management skills, and skill in multidisciplinary and inter-agency working

Other

• Ability to travel frequently and independently between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations, including areas without public transport

Nice to have

• Previous experience working at senior level
• Management experience
• Community-based employment history
• Experience supervising junior staff or assistants
• Mental health experience
• Experience of Eclipse, SystmOne or Epic
• Knowledge of the Urgent Community Response Standards
• Knowledge of NEWS2 and clinical observations

What’s offered

• Protected CPD time
• Training pathways and leadership programmes
• Funding for qualifications such as the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships
• Induction and preceptorship programmes
• Ongoing training, competency development and access to professional courses
• Supportive leadership