Senior Occupational Therapist- Children'S Team

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Children’s Occupational Therapist for a 12‑month fixed-term post within the Children’s Occupational Therapy Team. The role involves providing assessments and interventions with children aged 0–18 in home, school and clinic settings, addressing coordination, sensory and physical difficulties affecting multiple life skills.

The post sits within a supportive MDT with CPD and supervision, requiring a UK driving license for community work.

Qualifications

• Experience of MDT working to deliver holistic care.
• Autonomous caseload management using evidence-based practice.
• Experience with children’s sensory and physical assessments and intervention planning.

Responsibilities

• Act as an autonomous practitioner providing occupational therapy assessments and treatment.
• Independently manage a caseload with evidence-based, client-centred interventions.
• Work with children, families and carers to set meaningful goals and participate in MDT.
• Contribute to service development projects and staff training.
• Provide supervision to colleagues and students where appropriate.
• Maintain CPD and participate in supervision processes.

Skills

MDT working

Autonomous practitioner

CPD

Driving license

Education

HCPC registration as OT

Job description

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to join Gateshead's Children's Occupational Therapy Team for a 12 month fixed term contract. Our service works with children aged 0-18 completing assessment and intervention at the environment best suited for the child including home, school, and clinic. We work with children who present with coordination, physical and sensory related difficulties where there is an impact on more than one functional area/life skills. This is an exciting time to join our service as we are introducing new projects such as Coordination groups, sensory related parent groups, MDT intervention groups, Occupational Therapy/Portage pathway focused on neurodiversity preschool children.

The post is fortunate to sit within a well-established and supportive Children's MDT and benefits from excellent support from the OT department. Here in Gateshead, we encourage and support continuing professional development and have robust supervision processes. We are looking for a highly motivated, experienced person to work with the Children's Occupational Therapy team. Please see the job description for a detailed list of the knowledge, skills and experience required for this post.

A UK Driving License and access to a vehicle for work purposes will be required for this post for community working. You will be based at one of the Gateshead Health Locations as directed by your line manager.

Main duties of the job

• To act as an experienced autonomous practitioner, providing specialised occupational therapy assessment and treatment for client's
• To independently manage a caseload, using evidence-based practice and patient centered principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To work closely with children, families and carers to identify individualised and meaningful goals incorporating the child's voice.
• To work as a key member of the MDT.
• To participate in service development projects and training including in service training and support of colleagues. Where appropriate, to provide supervision to team colleagues and students.
• Actively maintain CPD.
• The post holder will assist in the delivery of the occupational therapy service across community settings, including a range of health and social care locations and the patient's own home.
• To be involved in a variety of service improvement initiatives and support delivery of OT business plan as directed by Team/Service Lead.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the BAME network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our armed forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities

• To be automatously responsible for a caseload with complex and multiple needs.
• To undertake complex clinic, home, community and school-based assessments with interventions that have a focus on improving occupational performance and maximising participation in children.
• To work closely with children, families and carers to identify individualised and meaningful goals incorporating the childs voice.
• To be able to identify and utilise appropriate standardised assessments and outcome measures.
• To appropriate incorporate risk assessments as required in more complex assessments, for example specialise equipment such as seating, sleep systems, moving and handling, etc.
• To create Occupational Therapy programmes and review and grade these accordingly.
• To work within the Multi-professional Team advising other professionals and joint working where appropriate.
• To participate in service development projects and training including in service training and support of colleagues.
• To actively engage in both individual CPD and encouragement of colleagues and the CPD of the team as a whole.
• Where appropriate, to provide supervision to team colleagues and students.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of MDT working to deliver holistic patient centered approach to care including within educational settings
• Experience of supervising students and support staff
• Enthusiasm for and experience of working with children, sensory and physical assessments, and intervention planning
• Experience of risk management, home first principles and community ways of working

Desirable

• Children's specific experience- assessment tool, interventions, outcome measures

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Hold a qualification enabling registration with the Health Professions Council (HCPC) as an Occupational Therapist
• Maintain HCPC Registration
• Evidence of knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of complex Children's caseload, sensory and physical components.

Desirable

• Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapists.
• Understanding of NHS organisation

Skills

Essential

• Full UK driving liscence with access to vehicle for work purposes

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.