Occupational Therapy Assistant

London North West Healthcare NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join the team responsible for rehabilitation and management of complex patients admitted after severe brain injury. You will work within a multidisciplinary team to support holistic rehabilitation and to facilitate cognitive, functional and psychosocial recovery.

You will be motivated, proactive and committed to professional development, with opportunities for in-service training and appraisal.

Qualifications

• Experience in rehab setting and interest in healthcare career is desirable.
• Experience working in healthcare with adults with disabilities is advantageous.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team and take initiative.

Responsibilities

• Assist with cognitive, functional, physical, communicative, emotional and behavioural aspects of rehabilitation.
• Supervise, under OT guidance, preparation of hot drinks and meals.
• Support patient rehabilitation outside the unit (shopping, travel training, recreational access).
• Deliver or assist with individualised exercise programmes.
• Educate patients in the use of electronic assistive technology (EAT) such as powered wheelchair training.
• Establish effective working relationships with patients and liaise with carers and the MDT.
• Attend fortnightly MDT in-service meetings and maintain clinical records and OT stock.

Skills

Teamwork

Initiative

Motivation for development

Job description

• Previous applicants need not reapply unless their circumstances have materially changed.
• Please note that the Trust is unable to provide visa sponsorship (Certificate of Sponsorship) for this role.
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the fixed-term contract.

We are looking for an enthusiastic person to join our dynamic team of Occupational Therapy staff. Your work will involve assisting the Occupational Therapy Team in the rehabilitation and management of complex patients who have been admitted to hospital following a severe brain injury.

Patients are often not able to move or care for themselves and the ability to participate in manual handling tasks is crucial. Competence and capability in undertaking personal care, such as assisting patients with dressing and toileting, is needed.

You will work as part of the Occupational Therapy Team within a larger multi-disciplinary team. Experience of working within a team and contributing to its function is essential.

You need to be well motivated and able to take initiative, with a passion to improve your own skills and knowledge. Opportunities for training and development are available through in-service training and appraisal.

Experience in working in a rehab setting and a significant interest in pursuing a career in healthcare is desirable. The post would particularly suit applicants with experience working within Healthcare with adults with disabilities.

• To work with patients with cognitive, sensory, communicative, physical and psychosocial disabilities .
• To work holistically to encourage optimum patient abilities
• To assist with cognitive, functional, physical, communicative, emotional and behavioural aspects of a patient’s rehabilitation
• To supervise under the guidance of OT the preparation of hot drinks and meals.
• To support patient’s rehabilitation outside the unit i.e. shopping / travel training / recreational access within the community
• To deliver/assist patients in carrying out individualised exercise programmes.
• To support patients in the use and education around electronic assistive technology (EAT) such as powered wheelchair training.
• To establish an effective working relationship with each patient.
• To liaise with and communicate effectively with carers, and members of the interdisciplinary team in a timely manner, including feedback regarding the implementation of rehabilitation and care programmes.
• To respect the patient’s dignity and rights to privacy and individuality.
• To attend fortnightly MDT in-service meetings.
• To maintain patient’s clinical records in accordance with the agreed RHRU and Trust record keeping system and Documentation Policy,
• To maintain and monitor levels of OT stock.
• Report changes noted in patients condition and any concerns expressed by patient/families to the registered nurse and key therapist involved in the patients rehabilitation.

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

We Run Major Acute Services At

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country’s top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark’s Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Alison Knight Job title: Principal Occupational Therapist Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 020 8869 3346

For further information please contact Alison Knight,, Principal Occupational Therapist on 020 8869 3346 or [e-mail]