Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Job overview

Are you an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner or an Assistant keen to progress to AP level? This is a Band 4 post but a progressional post from band 3-4 may be considered for the right candidate.

If the answer is yes then you are the person we are looking for to come & join the over 100 members of staff currently working within the Occupational Therapy Service at NNUH who share your passion.

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated staff to join our Occupational therapy department to help us ensure that we meet the Trust’s vision to provide the best care for every patient.

This post is Occupational Therapy Assistant practitioner/Senior Occupational Therapy Assistant in The Orthopaedic Team supporting both our elective and trauma orthopaedic in-patients.

Part time: 28.5 hrs per week

Interview date to be confirmed

Main duties of the job

We will support you to develop current/ new skills with access to in-service training and professional development. You will receive supervision and annual appraisal; have access to support and encouragement to take an active role within your own continuing professional development.

As post holder, you will:

• be responsible for assessing and treating your own delegated caseload of patients and maintaining their records as an autonomous practitioner
• carry out day to day maintenance and stock control duties
• assess and provide intervention for people to help them self-manage their long-term conditions.
• provide advice and information to patients/ carers on the use of various aids and issue basic equipment as appropriate.

Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To manage a delegated workload efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time, in accordance with agreed guidance/care pathways.
• To collect relevant patient information from a variety of sources to assist with clinical prioritisation and patient management e.g. ward handovers, observation charts, medical and nursing records, patients and MDT colleagues.
• To use good communication to gain valid informed consent prior to undertaking any clinical tasks. With support, to work within the legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
• To establish and maintain appropriate therapeutic relationships with patients and carers incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building
• To communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, carers and families. To show an awareness in relation to sensitive issues and to deal with difficult situations as appropriate.
• To be aware of barriers to effective communication, e.g. hearing loss, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, dementing illness, cognitive impairment, memory loss, aggression and anxiety, pain and fear and to use clear and effective verbal/non-verbal communication as appropriate.
• To manage delegated individuals or groups of patients as part of treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
• Duties will be in accordance with guidelines and care pathways, where these exist.
• To undertake other duties within the specialty/service in accordance with the specific Appendix for the specialty/team.

Please view the attached job description for full details of the role, and use your supporting statement to confirm how you meet the essential and desirable criteria on the job specification.

This document contains both Band 4 and Band 3 job descriptions.

Please note due to high volume of applications for some posts, this post may close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role asap.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.