Occupational Therapist (Rotational)

Job overview

This Band 5 post is rotational within the RJAH specialities of General Medicine, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Spinal Cord Injuries. It also incorporates  a system-wide rotation, offering varied experience at a Band 5 level. You will work within an multidisciplinary team,  providing Occupational Therapy interventions to enable patients to achieve their optimum level of function and independence.

Main duties of the job

To have responsibility for a defined case load of patients.  To provide Occupational Therapy interventions within the multidisciplinary team to enable patients to achieve their optimum level of function and independence. To undertake clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, using evidence based, client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.  To supervise the work of more junior staff as delegated by team leader.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including management of patients in your care. - To be responsible for receiving referrals from consultants and other members of the multi-disciplinary team and in taking appropriate action. - To undertake comprehensive assessments of patients, select appropriate assessment tools and use clinical reasoning skills to identify OT goals as part of the overall care plan. - To plan and implement individual and group treatment programmes, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals and enable patients to achieve their highest possible functional level. Treatment skills may include: ADL retraining, home adaptation, patient education, work evaluation, resettlement, splinting, specific remedial activities. - To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention. - To identify specialist equipment to improve the mobility and functional independence of the patient. To instruct patients and their carers in its safe use; to order or issue this equipment in line with OT department and Community Equipment Service protocols. - To carry out assessment visits to the homes of patients accompanied by another member of staff. To take responsibility for part or all aspects of assessment and treatment, depending on experience and competence.

- To liaise with patients relatives and carers, and with community services to achieve treatment goals. - To refer patients to re-ablement teams, community therapy teams, for therapy on discharge advising therapists on appropriate treatment regimes/protocols where appropriate. - To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload. - To communicate effectively with team members, attend multidisciplinary team meetings, e.g. ward rounds, case conferences and discharge planning, providing verbal and written reports on patient progress as required. - To attend and participate in therapy department and speciality team meetings as required. - To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all occupational therapy equipment and appliances used by patients and ensure that all students/assistants attain competency prior to use offering training and supervision of practice if necessary.

- To demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development through participation in internal and external development opportunities and applying specialist skills and knowledge to practice. To record learning outcomes in a portfolio in line with HCPC guidelines. - Review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal in line with Trust guidelines. - To be an active participant of the in-service training programme through both attendance and delivery of presentations and training sessions. - To participate in OT service developments and evaluation, including audit, within the specialist area.

- To produce accurate statistical returns of patients treated in line with department, Trust and NHS requirements. - To ensure that written and or electronic record of all patients treatment is completed and up to date and meets all legal requirements and is in line with departmental and Trust policies and RCOT guidelines. - To allocate work to Therapy support workers in the specialist team. - To participate in the training of students and other staff in this setting. - To be responsible for department duties as delegated and agreed.