Advanced Clinical Specialist - Occupational Therapist - Discharge Team

Job overview

Band 7 Advanced Clinical specialist occupational therapist- DART

There is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, dynamic and innovative band 7 occupational therapist to join our already established DART service.

The main focus of this team is to support reducing length of stay, facilitating early discharge and improving patient flow, as well as timely responses to requests from senior management. One of the main priorities for this team is to ensure patient centred care and patient satisfaction while contributing to the delivery of the service in a variety of clinical settings.

You will be expected to lead the OT service on the 3 inpatient medical Acute wards and provide support to another Band 7 Occupational Therapist and Band 7 Physiotherapist. You will need to have a clear understanding of working in an acute setting and will hold responsibility for supporting the junior therapy staff that are ward based on 3 of the medical wards.

The post holder will need to be motivated, dynamic and with proven expertise managing complex discharges, demonstrating excellent communication skills.   An experience in team leadership  would be required as the post holder will serve as a clinical lead in an already established team structure, although there'll be support provided by other band 7 occupational therapist and band 7 physiotherapist.

Main duties of the job

Key Objectives

• To develop and promote a clinically effective therapy discharge team.
• To ensure safe and timely discharge of patients from the caseload while liaising with other agencies as required.
• To provide expert knowledge of complex, timely and safe discharges.
• To develop effective discharge pathways working closely with the wider MDT, therapy team, community services and external agencies.
• To provide education and support to the wider service.
• To work autonomously to manage a rapidly changing caseload of complex discharges while working as part of the multidisciplinary team.
• To support with managing daily bed pressures within the organisation.
• To be an active member of a weekend weekly rota or rostered service, dependant on the service need.
• To actively contribute innovative ideas and lead on the development and implementation of service improvement.
• To audit and disseminate findings of this service development.

Formal training and experience of leading a team, service development and audit is essential.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To act as an expert source of knowledge, offering specialist clinical advice and support to other healthcare professional and agencies across organisational boundaries.
• To work autonomously to manage a defined highly complex patient caseload whilst working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• To provide clinical leadership and support junior staff and assistants, through case supervision, and the development and monitoring of competencies.
• To utilise highly advanced communication skills to ensure clinical advice and treatment programmes are delivered sensitively, taking into consideration the needs of carers.
• To gain consent for treatment and motivate patients to comply with treatment programmes, overcoming barriers such as dementia, cognitive impairment, hearing, visual or speech impairment.
• To comply with the Mental Capacity Act to gain valid and informed consent to specific treatment and intervention for patients who lack capacity to consent themselves.
• To undertake highly specialist clinical assessment, taking into account all relevant information and clinical reasoning to formulate evidence based individualised treatment plans in agreement with the patient.
• To take the lead for clinical audit and research within a highly specialist field of practice, developing clinical practice and treatment outcomes.
• To actively contribute innovate ideas and lead on the development and implementation of service improvements.
• To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to patient care programmes through attendance at ward rounds, huddles and other multidisciplinary meetings.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of service objectives, leading on designated projects
• To lead the recruitment of new junior and assistant staff, as delegated by the team leader, including the planning and delivery of the induction programme