Occupational Therapist

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our forensic Occupational Therapy inpatient team.  The Shaftesbury Clinic holds 52 beds within 4 wards including a male MSU a male LSU, a women’s MSU and the newly developed unit for those with intellectual disabilities and autism.   Although this post will sit within our low secure provision, there are opportunities to work with the patient group across the service.

This team sits within the supportive framework of a leadership team that compromises of a sensory specialist LD lead and a Band 7 clinical specialist Mental health lead, working closely with the deputy head of therapies for the forensic service line, providing close clinical guidance and support to a team of Occupational therapists, technical instructors, clinical exercise therapists and activity support workers.

We are fortunate to have a sizeable OT team of 17 staff, allowing a broad service offering to our patient group.  The team offer individual and group interventions to support physical and mental health as part of our patient’s recovery journeys.  We are currently working on closer working relationships with the community forensic team to develop improved pathways into the community.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a specialist Occupational Therapy service to service users within medium and low secure services providing interventions underpinned by the Model of Human Occupation and the principles of Recovery.
• To manage a defined caseload of patients with multiple and complex needs, using evidence based /person centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in an in-patient forensic setting and during escorted community leave.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT services within a designated area/team, holding responsibility for defined projects.
• To maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records and produce specialist reports for case conferences.
• To provide leadership for junior staff, through supervision and appraisal.
• To represent occupational therapy within the multi-disciplinary team.
• To provide group and 1:1 interventions.
• To promote recovery and social inclusion.
• To maintain standards of OT practice as directed by the Director of Therapies.
• To undertake regular audit and R&D activities.
• To undertake the supervision of OT students on fieldwork placements.
• To provide ‘Disability Champion’ duties leading the multi-disciplinary team in Disability Equality matters within Specialist Services as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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• To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of disability on occupational performance and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service user’s social and physical environment.
• To provide treatment in an environment where security and safety procedures must be strictly adhered to and ensure that these are taken into consideration when planning interventions.
• To promote equality of outcome for patients that reflect their mental health needs and those of ethnicity, gender, culture, physical health and age.
• To promote social inclusion and physical and mental well-being using evidence based practice. This is underpinned by the principles of hope and recovery, health promotion and relapse prevention.
• To independently manage and support a clinical caseload of patients with complex mental health needs through the forensic care pathway.
• To identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall care plan, using specialist mental health and occupational therapy assessments, including MOHO tools.
• To exercise clinical professional judgement in complex clinical cases and difficult clinical situations, referring to senior staff when necessary.
• To consider both physical and mental health needs as part of the occupational therapy assessment.
• To plan and implement specialist individual and/or group interventions collaboratively, to enable patients to achieve valued goals and satisfactory occupational performance outcome.
• To identify any significant risk factors in line with local policies, with support from senior staff
• To contribute to and work within clinical pathways and protocols