Occupational Therapist - Surrey Prisons

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

CNWL Health & Justice within the Surrey Prisons Cluster is seeking an Occupational Therapist to join a forward-thinking multidisciplinary team and deliver high-quality care across a 7-day service in secure settings.

You will lead development of OT services, manage caseloads of prisoners with complex mental health needs, and contribute to Neurodiverse pathways, CPA meetings and student education within the Health and Justice OT network.

Qualifications

• Qualified Occupational Therapist with registration with HCPC.
• Experience or interest in mental health and offender health.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist OT clinical knowledge for prison-based mental health services.
• Manage a caseload of prisoners with complex mental health needs.
• Contribute to Neurodiverse pathway of care and MDT discussions.
• Support development of OT services across Surrey prisons cluster.
• Participate in CPA, multi-agency reviews and risk management meetings.
• Educate students on practice placement as part of the AHP fair share.

Skills

Occupational Therapy

Mental Health

Prison Healthcare

Multidisciplinary Team

Education

HCPC registered

Job description

Job Overview

Make a Difference with CNWL Health & Justice

CNWL is a Top Employer Award Winner, delivering high-quality healthcare to diverse communities across London and beyond. We are looking for a motivated and compassionate.

Surrey Prisons Cluster.

This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people in secure settings, helping to improve health outcomes, promote wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Working within our prison healthcare service, you will be part of a forward-thinking multidisciplinary team providing high-quality care across a 7-day service.

Job Overview

Make a Difference with CNWL Health & Justice

CNWL is a Top Employer Award Winner, delivering high-quality healthcare to diverse communities across London and beyond. We are looking for a motivated and compassionate Occupational Therapist to join our supportive Health & Justice team across the Surrey Prisons Cluster. This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people in secure settings, helping to improve health outcomes, promote wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Working within our prison healthcare service, you will be part of a forward-thinking multidisciplinary team providing high-quality care across a 7-day service.

Guided by our motto, “Caring, Not Judging,” we work alongside the criminal justice system and partner agencies to deliver responsive, person-centred primary care and mental health services that support recovery, rehabilitation and social inclusion.

Join an award-winning team where your skills, compassion and expertise can have a lasting impact.

Find out what it's like to work with us: Hear from our Health & Justice staff.

Main duties of the job

The Occupational Therapist (OT) will oversee the development and implementation of occupational therapy within the mental health services within their location(s) of work. They will be supported by a Band 7 OT who will be overseeing the growth of OT services in our Surrey prisons.

They will manage a caseload of patients in prison with complex, severe and enduring mental health needs, providing interventions which support and promote improved health. The caseload will be OT specific work, utilising an effective referral process. They will also provide input into the Neurodiverse pathway of care.

The post holder will work in conjunction with the multi-disciplined team to promote the understanding of the OT perspective and its application to working with this client group.

The post holder will work alongside senior staff in the MDT to support the development of services. They will also support directorate wide development of OT as part of a supportive and friendly Health and Justice OT network.

The post holder will provide an Occupational Therapy perspective whilst engaging and contributing to professional meetings such as CPA, multi‑agency case reviews, risk management meetings, and any other meetings related to the care and treatment of prisoners.

The post holder will also act as an educator to students on practice placement, as part of the AHP fair share agreement.

Working for our organisation

Why Join Our Team?

At CNWL, we are committed to supporting your wellbeing, development and career progression. You'll benefit from regular supervision, personalised development plans, specialist training opportunities, preceptorship programmes and revalidation support, helping you achieve your professional goals.

We value and celebrate our staff through initiatives such as our Hidden Gem Awards and annual staff recognition events. You'll also have access to a wide range of health and wellbeing services, ensuring you feel supported both at work and beyond.

Through MyTrustBenefits, you and your family can access over 1,400 discounts on shopping, travel, entertainment and dining, alongside free online learning resources to support your personal and professional development.

Staff based at our Surrey sites enjoy additional benefits, including free onsite parking and complimentary access to leisure facilities, making it easier to stay active, prioritise wellbeing and save money.

Join an award-winning organisation where you'll feel valued, supported and empowered to make a real difference every day.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Clinical

• To provide specialist OT clinical knowledge in the assessment, treatment & evaluation of people within prison. Applying an understanding of the effects of multiple, enduring & complex mental health needs on occupational performance.
• To carry out mental health & risk assessment, for a caseload of service users & offer regular monitoring of mental state.
• To work autonomously providing clinical professional judgement in clinical cases & referring to team members when necessary.
• To contribute in the development of specialist individual & group programmes, supporting service users in achieving valued goals & satisfactory occupational performance outcome. Providing advice & support on lifestyle changes &d adaptations where necessary.
• To select & use validated, evidence based standardised assessment tools (Occupational Therapy assessment, screening tools, sensory profiles etc) routinely &, exhibit, advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• To monitor & evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions & the agreed mental health interventions against clear aims.
• To facilitate smooth transitions for service users between prisons & different service settings (i.e. prison to community). Establishing links & working in collaboration with partner agencies in order to contribute & manage aspects of an individual’s care plan.
• To support service users & colleagues in ensuring care plans are developed in partnership with service users & that they reflect ‘personal recovery’ goals. These should be strengths-based & oriented towards reinforcing a positive identity and developing valued social roles.
• To provide care which is culturally appropriate & sensitive, demonstrates trauma awareness & recognises the needs of the individual with regards to accessibility.
• To proactively undertake & ensure rigorous risk assessment & risk management strategies are applied. To ensure maximum ‘risk tolerance’ facilitates the individual’s recovery, in line with risk policies & local guidelines.
• To be aware of & sensitive to safeguarding needs at all times, & knowledgeable both about potential indicators of abuse or neglect & about what to do if they had concerns about a persons welfare.
• To facilitate the development of, & to work within, clinical pathways & protocols with particular reference to the CNWL Occupational Therapy care pathways & the Health and Justice OT pathway.
• To be aware of medication issues in line with the CNWL OT Medication Management guidelines
• To provide specialist OT input into the Neurodiverse pathway, working alongside CNWL colleagues & HMPPS Neurodiverse Service Manager for each site.

Communication