Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job overview

A permanent  opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join the Acute Team within the  In Patient Therapy teams at CHFT.  Successful candidates will support the Clinical Leads and Team Leaders in the delivery of Occupational Therapy interventions across the Medical and Orthopaedic wards within the Acute Therapy Team, and support in the development of the service and its staff.  There will be opportunities to be involved in local and Divisional projects which contribute to the overall vision of the organisation.

Applicants should be aware that we provide a 7 day service provision and the successful candidate would be expected to participate in weekend working as part of their role.

Applicants must have had experience in the NHS at under graduate or post graduate level.

Please note this role will be based at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, however there is an expectation of cross site working if required.

Interviews will be held face to face at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary

Main duties of the job

• To carry out specialist assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients across Calderdale and Huddersfield inpatient wards with the aim of preventing hospital admissions and/or facilitating safe and timely discharges and appropriate transfer of care/referral to community health and social care services.
• Determine a clinical diagnosis, develop, deliver, implement, evaluate and modify individualised treatment programmes and/or provide specialist advice, ensuring appropriate pathways of care and communication via liaison and referral to other agencies as required.
• Take part in the education and training of Occupational therapists and qualified and non-qualified healthcare / social series / education staff including medical staff.
• To support the Clinical Leads / Team Leader in the day to day running of the OT service within the Acute therapy team
• To support and advise within the wider MDT on the delivery of the service.
• To work across a 7 day service .

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work within the acute therapy service, developing effective clinical contribute to clinical practice in the team in line with current evidence base.
• Interventions within the specialty of medicine and elderly care and orthopaedics in order to aid safe discharge
• To manage autonomously a clinical workload of patients / clients at a
• Specialist level, assessing and treating patients and maintaining clinical records

To have specialist assessment and treatment skills in the areas listed but not  limited to:

*Physical rehabilitation through exercise and function

*Assessment of risk for discharge

*Complex psychosocial assessment of patients and carers

*Discharge and transfer of care planning and co-ordination

*Assessment of the home / discharge environment

*Assessment for assistive equipment and adaptation

*  Falls assessment and treatment

* Crisis intervention

* Cognitive and perceptual deficits

• To apply evidence based knowledge within the specialist clinical area acquired through experience and academic study to a specialist post graduate level.
• To act, within the acute therapy service, as a resource and provide advice for colleagues within the MDT about the assessment, treatment, management and care of patients / clients who have a multi-pathological illness and/or complex psychosocial need.
• Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and other professionals and to work collaboratively with health and social care community and acute colleagues.
• To work with other members of the MDT to ensure effective care pathways and transfer of care / discharges.
• To proactively and appropriately facilitate a seamless transfer of care and continuing therapeutic management of medical and elderly care patients between care settings.
• To work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary manner within the MDT, being able to aspects of blurred boundary working, where appropriate.
• debate the blurring of boundaries across professions and where competent take on
• To develop specialist programmes of assessment, treatment and intervention for medical and elderly care patients in the acute hospital setting.
• To manage and prioritise own clinical workload as appropriate, working efficiently levels of other team members to ensure the effective delivery of the service.
• to manage professional time and delegate according to the training and competency
• To participate in the supervision process with staff on a daily basis and for students as required.
• To ensure a high standard of patient care is provided including implementing and reviewing clinical standards relevant to the work undertaken.
• To provide specialist assessment and advice for the multidisciplinary team and actively participate in MDT meetings as appropriate.
• To be a manual handling key trainer.