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Job overview
Band 7 Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist in Critical Care UHP NHS Trust.
The caseload is variable between neurological critical care including neurosurgical and stroke patients, to specialist surgery and this may include cardiology/ cardiac surgical pathway patients.
You will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of complex conditions to enhance clinical experience within neurology and acute medicine specialties.
Developing and consolidating specialist skills, knowledge and leadership working within critical care, whilst imbedding the role of occupational therapy within the critical care unit.
Responsibilities include further development of Occupational Therapy within critical care, including the training of team members and wider MDT.
As one of the lead therapists you will be responsible for the assessment and patient centred rehabilitation of the patients within the critical care unit and the stepdown wards.
The role calls for a driven individual who is committed to continuous improvement and possesses strong communication and teamwork skills.
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be part of an integrated therapy service, meeting the needs of a diverse population.
As a senior member of a committed team, they will be responsible for providing an advanced standard of Occupational therapy to patients within critical care caseload at UHP NHS Trust.
The post will manage a complex caseload within the critical care units (neurological, renal, surgery and medical critical care patients), using advanced clinical reasoning to assess and create tailored intervention and rehabilitation plans.
They will manage a caseload of patients with neurological diagnosis, Intensive Care Unit Acquired Weakness and those with general rehabilitation needs within critical care and stepdown wards.
To work closely with Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Specialist Rehab nursing teams.
They will provide leadership for junior Occupational Therapists and assistants and support service development and quality improvement projects.
With other senior staff the post holder will act as a resource of advice to the rest of the Occupational Therapy service and wider multi-disciplinary teams
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical:
- Ensure that patients, relatives and those whom you encounter are aware of the role of the Occupational Therapist and components of the Occupational Therapy treatment programme.
- Obtain informed consent from the patient, and work within the current legal framework for patients who lack capacity to consent, prior to commencing any treatment.
- Select from a range of standardised and non-standardised assessments to assess and aid diagnosis, addressing disease management, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, behavioural, motor, splinting, psychosocial needs and functional abilities. This includes but is not limited to; social and environmental interviews, cognitive & perceptual tests, personal care assessments, kitchen assessments, and feeding assessments.
- Make reliable interpretations of the assessment results, to inform other professionals in the diagnosis and management of the patients’ needs and guide the Occupational Therapy treatment plan and provide recommendations for rehabilitation and discharge planning.
- Carry out home assessments and/or follow-up visits, where appropriate, to facilitate discharge.
- Assess for and provide aids and adaptive equipment to increase, enable or compensate for independent function, teaching compensatory techniques as required. These include but are not limited to feeding, dressing, domestic activity and employment. Responsible for providing information and instruction for the safe use of the items provided.
- Raising or authorise equipment requisition, as per policy.
- Assess for wheelchairs, specialist seating and positioning needs and treat as required referring on to the wheelchair/seating clinic as appropriate.
For further information please see attached job description
Person specification
Other factors
Essential
- To be available to work weekends and bank holidays
- To be able to travel across Cornwall, Plymouth and Devon if required. •
Desirable
- To understand Health & Safety and Risk Management policies and how to implement them
- To have a clean driving license.
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential
- Show initiative and commitment to improving patient experience and developing the OT ICU service through change.
- To be interested in promoting independence.
- To be skilled in helping people to problem solve.
- Skilled in persuading, teaching, and managing all age groups.
- Strong attention to detail
- Effective time management skills.
- Be committed to always advocating for patients.
- Have a clear understanding of confidentiality.
- Be skilled in supporting traumatised or anxious patients and their families.
- Proven ability in leading and working as a team member and developing team spirit.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- To have extensive demonstrable experience as an Occupational Therapist in physical fields.
- To have worked with a wide range of conditions, e.g. falls, fractures, SCI, TBI/ABI and a range of medical conditions.
- To have specialist knowledge & demonstrable experience of a wide range of OT assessments and interventions relevant to these patient groups, demonstrated by advanced clinical reasoning.
- To have knowledge of a wide range of OT equipment and minor adaptation.
- To have demonstrable experience in complex caseload management.
- To have demonstrable experience of allocating and assessing the work of a Team.
- To have evidence of continuing professional development
- To have completed clinical supervisor training.
- To have demonstrable experience of working in a critical care setting.
- To have demonstrable experience in conducting audits and research & development activities.
- Demonstrable experience of building productive working relationships with senior team members to support strategic and operational goals.
- Evidence of CPD portfolio/training that is relevant to this post.
- Demonstrable experience in acute discharge planning.
- Demonstrable experience with delirium and altered neurological presentations.
- Knowledge and demonstrable experience of a range of treatment approaches including postural management and therapeutic handling related to all levels of medical disabilities.
Desirable
- To have demonstrable experience of supervising staff of all grades.
- To have demonstrable experience of supervising student occupational therapists.
- To have demonstrable experience in teaching other members of the MDT team in both internal and external settings.
- To have demonstrable experience in delivering patient education.
- To have leadership training
- Wheelchair prescriber and familiar with specialist seating.
- Evidence of recent post graduate training for Critical Care.
- Presentation and training skills.
- Evidence of demonstrable experience in producing thermoplastic hand splints.
- Awareness of how to treat PDOC patients and able to work within national guidance.
DISPOSITION / ATTITUDE / MOTIVATION
Essential
- Demonstrate initiative and the proven ability to work independently without supervision.
- To collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team while confidently representing the occupational therapy perspective.
- Remain reliable and consistent, maintaining focus and perseverance even in challenging situations.
- Demonstrate strong collaborative skills, even in challenging situations.
- Have insight into your own strengths and weaknesses
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for ICU Occupational Therapist with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in Plymouth, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Occupational Therapist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 Per Annum Pro Rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 03 Aug 2026.
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