Senior Occupational Therapist

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a dynamic, forward-looking Band 6 occupational therapist to join our Adult Eating Disorders Day Unit providing intensive input for a small number of patients as part of a multi-disciplinary team.  You will have experience in mental health and occupational therapy and whilst desirable, eating disorder experience is not necessary as full support will be given to develop expertise in this area.  A band 5-6 development opportunity will be considered for the right candidate.

You will be part of a wider occupational therapy team within the eating disorder service and provide specialist assessments and plan and implement treatment for people with severe eating disorders which will include eating with clients on the unit and the community.

Main duties of the job

• To manage a caseload of clients with complex psychological and physical needs, using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To provide outcome-oriented group and individual occupation-focused interventions including community work.
• To provide safe, effective, quality OT interventions that ensure positive client experience.
• To provide generic keywork or hold a link worker role for a specified number of clients.
• To provide carer interventions.
• To work within other parts of the service as required.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT services within the eating disorders service, leading on delegated projects.
• To act as the designated ‘Disability Champion’ leading the multi-disciplinary team in Disability Equality matters within your area and other areas as required.
• To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust OT Service
• To support OT students on practice placement.
• To promote recovery and social inclusion.
• To take responsibility for managing clinical risk and single-handedly implementing OT treatment

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of disability on occupational performance and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and adaptations to the client’s social and physical environment.
• To promote equality of outcome for service users 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 a clinical caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, taking on the role of keyworker and/or vocational lead where relevant.
• To identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall care plan, using specialist mental health and occupational therapy assessments, including Model of Human Occupation tools.
• To exercise clinical professional judgement in complex clinical cases and difficult clinical situation, 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 service users to achieve valued goals and satisfactory occupational performance outcome. To use psychological interventions in conjunctions to occupation-focussed interventions (e.g. CBT, DBT, MBT etc)
• 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.
• To evaluate effectiveness of therapy interventions and quality of clinical decisions in conjunction with service users/carers, other professionals etc.
• To fully adhere to defined OT care pathways or protocols

To work flexible hours according to the requirements of the post