Senior Occupational Therapist- Children's Team

Gateshead Health; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health is seeking a Senior Occupational Therapist to join the Children’s OT Team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. The role involves autonomous assessment and therapy for children aged 0-18, across home, school and clinic settings, within a supportive MDT.

You will work with families to set meaningful goals and contribute to service development. Based in Gateshead, you will participate in CPD, supervision and leadership within the team, driving projects and ensuring high-quality care

Qualifications

• Hold HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.
• Experience working with children and families in an MDT setting.
• Strong commitment to CPD and professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide autonomous occupational therapy assessment and treatment for children.
• Manage a caseload across home, school and clinic settings.
• Collaborate with families, carers and the MDT to set meaningful goals.
• Contribute to service development and supervision where appropriate.
• Deliver CPD activities and participate in team training.

Skills

Autonomous practitioner

MDT collaboration

CPD

Child-focused care

Education

HCPC registration as Occupational Therapist

Job description

Senior Occupational Therapist- Children's Team

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 sitwithin 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 was 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 acronymICORE; 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

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

Qualifications and Training

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

Skills

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

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.

Children's Occupational Therapy Team Lead