Rotational Occupational Therapist

Job overview

Band 5 Rotational Occupational Therapist  at West Middlesex University Hospital

We are looking for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join our Band 5 acute inpatient rotation. The ideal candidate will understand the impact of acute illness and injury on occupational performance, and are able to independently assess a patient within this fast paced acute hospital environment.

The six month rotations are in the following clinical areas: Accident and Emergency Department, Respiratory and Surgical Medicine, Medical Rehabilitation and Frailty, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Neurology. Each rotation will provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop a wide range of clinical and professional skills.

Throughout the duration of the rotations you will be expected to demonstrate increasing independence in managing your own caseload with support from senior therapists. You will be supported to achieve this through regular supervision and structured development opportunities.

The role does require strong organisational skills, ability to adapt and be flexible, and a commitment to ongoing professional development and reflective practice. Success within this role will involve developing safe, effective, and person-centred practice, working collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, and progressing towards confident clinical decision-making.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Main duties of the job

Role and Development Expectations for Band 5 rotational Occupational Therapists

This is an exciting time to join the team as we are currently improving how we recruit and induct new graduate Occupational Therapists.

The role of the Band 5 Occupational Therapist involves developing your knowledge and understanding for a range of acute conditions and injuries, and integrating this into your occupationally-focused practice within the acute hospital Occupational Therapy process.

Your development will be structured around:

• Knowledge of common health conditions and how these affect occupational performance.
• Skills in providing essential acute care including taking and interpreting clinical observations and communication skills.
• Skills in completing an initial assessment
• Skills in completing further Occupational Therapy specific assessments including the assessment of cognition, upper limb, daily activities and environment.
• Skills in providing Occupational Therapy specific interventions including advice and education, rehabilitation activities, and provision of equipment.
• Skills in discharge planning including assessing and managing risk, working with the MDT to co-ordinate discharge and making referral on to other services including community therapy and social services.
• Skills in non-clinical duties including recording data,  managing time, reflecting on your professional development and working as part of a team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work, including the management of patients in your care.
• To be able to carry and prioritise your own designated clinical caseload, working as an autonomous practitioner, with regular supervision from your supervisor.
• To undertake competent occupational therapy assessments in line with department and professional standards to establish the patient’s level of function.
• To carry out appropriate and effective occupational therapy assessments e.g. observation, kitchen assessments, washing and dressing assessments, functional assessments, cognitive assessments, home environment assessments and access assessments.
• To be responsible for organising, and undertaking access visits and patient assessment and follow up home visits and on occasion to work as a lone practitioner in the domiciliary setting.
• To use problem orientated medical records to aid the clinical reasoning process in the assessment and treatment of all patients.
• To use good communication skills to identify occupational therapy goals with individual patients.
• To use clinical reasoning, understanding of the medical diagnosis, knowledge of treatment options and assessment results to plan and implement individual therapy programs.
• To make use of treatment options such as provision of disability equipment, group therapy, neurology techniques, graded activity programs, relaxation and anxiety management programs, advice and education and therapeutic handling.
• To monitor and evaluate treatment to measure progress and to ensure effectiveness of the intervention. To be able to identify problems and modify treatments in routine cases but with support of senior in more complex cases.
• To provide comprehensive written occupational therapy records of assessment and treatment according to departmental standards.
• To determine the patients understanding of the occupational therapy intervention in order to gain valid, informed consent and to be able to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools when communicating with patients/carers to maximise the patient’s rehabilitation potential. This will include communication with people with complex communication difficulties such as dysphasia, deafness, and dementia, mental health problems or speak English as a second language or who have difficulty accepting their diagnosis.
• To attend multi-disciplinary team meetings such as case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings to communicate information about individual patient progress and to assist MDT decision making, eg regarding discharge plans.
• To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all adaptive equipment in line with departmental standards.
• To be responsible for the safe and appropriate provision of adaptive equipment to patients according to the Integrated Community Equipment Store, social services and departmental guidelines.

Leadership and management

• To demonstrate good time management and organisational skills during daily management of own workload and to be able to adapt flexibly to sudden changes in workload.
• To carry an identified bleep as required by each clinical area and be able to respond to frequent interruptions.
• To ensure accurate and timely communication of assessment findings, treatment and outcomes to other involved disciplines through the provision of social services reports, discharge letters etc.
• To make appropriate and timely referrals to other occupational therapists, other members of the multidisciplinary team and community partners when required.
• To keep accurate and up-to-date patient records and statistics at all times in line with departmental, professional and legal standards.
• To delegate specific tasks to therapy assistants in line with departmental and professional guidelines.
• To understand and apply clinical governance principles to your own caseload and to be involved in departmental clinical governance sessions.
• To contribute to service and policy developments.
• To develop and maintain effective communication and working relationships with other professional groups, and staff generally within the Division and the Trust.
• To assist in the delivery of induction / orientation of new staff.
• To provide clinical support and guidance to staff and to act as a resource for clinical knowledge to staff.

Education and research

• To participate in and contribute to in-service training programmes.
• To be responsible for the teaching and assessment of graduate level therapeutic skills and knowledge to occupational therapy students and therapy assistants.
• To provide clinical supervision to students and therapy assistants.
• To be involved in data collection during any research and audits being undertaken in each area and to be able to monitor and implement change.
• To have the opportunity to be involved in audit and research projects.

Professional development

• To comply with the College of Occupational Therapy and the Health and Care Professions Council codes of professional conduct at all times.
• To maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• To be responsible for personal continuous professional development by the use of self-education, reflective practice, active participation in the in-service training program including giving presentations and attendance at postgraduate courses as agreed in your personal development plan and to maintain an up to date CPD portfolio.
• To further develop understanding and use of evidence based practise, occupational therapy techniques, therapeutic handling skills and detailed knowledge of particular conditions, pertinent to the area of each rotation.
• To ensure that all mandatory training is completed within the required timescales.
• To carry out an evidence-based project during each rotation, communicate findings to other therapists in that team and make recommendations for change.
• To have an awareness of current professional and clinical developments within your area of practice and promote this to others.
• To participate in the appraisal system as appraisee during each rotation and be responsible for fulfilling your agreed objectives and personal development plan.
• To ensure adherence to Trust policy and guidelines at all times.
• To role model Trust values at all times.

General

Covid-19 vaccination is a condition of employment for this role, unless an exemption applies. The successful applicant may have contact with vulnerable service users and we will therefore seek proof of being fully vaccinated during the recruitment process.