Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist - REACT

Job overview

12 months fixed term contract - 25hrs per week

We are currently recruiting a B6 or experienced B5 Occupational Therapist to join our friendly, enthusiastic and driven Emergency Care Therapy Team. We expect excellent time management skills, organisational skills and an ability to work under pressure, in order to efficiently manage a caseload within this demanding and unpredictable field.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate confident clinical decision making in a timely manner and will need to have post graduate experience of working within a fast-paced acute hospital setting utilising the OT process. An understanding of discharge pathways and community services is essential together with a basic understanding of SAFER principles and Discharge to Assess model.

Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be confident working alongside colleagues within the MDT at all levels. You will be an autonomous clinician, using analytical and clinical reasoning skills to interpret assessment findings, identify patient problems, set goals, and provide appropriate treatment plans.

The service we deliver allows many opportunities for excellent interdisciplinary working within the team and positive relationships with medical, nursing and social care colleagues across frailty, emergency care, and community services.

Main duties of the job

The Rapid Emergency Assessment Care Team (REACT) comprises of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants. We aim to avoid hospital admission by providing comprehensive assessments within the A&E Department. Timely discharge assessments are provided for patients on the medical assessment ward, for patients whose discharge cannot be avoided. Assessment and detailed intervention plans ensure that their journey through the hospital is streamlined, and discharge planning is paramount.

The right candidate should have experience of service improvement. Experience of contributing to audit is an advantage. The team embraces supporting student placements and experience of student mentorship is desirable.

The team is welcoming, friendly and supportive. There is a structure in place to receive regular supervision, dedicated CPD time, in-service training and regular peer review sessions to support professional development.

Fundamental to the service delivery model, is that our team provide a 7-day service, which compromises a fixed, four-week repeating rota. Due to the nature of the service, we work slightly longer days, but our hours are condensed over 4 days per week allowing for a greater work-life balance. This includes one weekend, every 4 weeks.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• As a clinical specialist provide a high standard comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment service to patients with complex presentation and provide clinical leadership and support to delegated staff.
• Work across the A&E, assessment and short stay wards to prevent or facilitate early discharge.
• To collaborate closely with the patient and members of the multidisciplinary and multi-agency team to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients
• To continuously contribute to service development and innovation
• To work autonomously to manage a defined complex patient caseload whilst working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• To contribute to the delivery of the service in a variety of defined clinical settings, which may include in-patient wards, and the patient’s home.
• To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to patient care programmes through attendance at ward rounds, case conferences and other multidisciplinary meetings.
• To maintain accurate documentation in line with professional standards, and local policies and procedures.
• To utilise advanced communication skills to ensure clinical advice and treatment programmes are delivered sensitively, taking into consideration the needs of carers.
• To manage a specialist case load, demonstrating appropriate time management and organisation skills.
• To contribute to effective day to day organisation and provision of service, including the coordination of junior staff and assistants to meet service priorities.
• To provide clinical leadership and support to junior staff and assistants, through case supervision, and the development and monitoring of competencies.