Specialist occupational therapist

Job overview

The post holder will be expected to work within the multidisciplinary Tameside adult learning disability team managing a defined caseload of service users providing core occupational therapy interventions that enables individuals to work towards valued lifestyle and aim for optimum level of functional ability including: Bringing a focus on meaningful occupation and its impact on behaviour and function for service users.  Specialist advice to other team members and other agencies.  To provide leadership for junior staff through supervision and appraisal and regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement. To contribute fully to the planning, development and evaluation of occupational therapy services within the Community Team initiating and leading defined projects and participating in multidisciplinary working parties. To develop and deliver bespoke training and support packages to provider agency staff and others including families in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

To undertake occupational therapy assessments, addressing occupational performance, strengths and skills deficits, enabling the service user in areas of self-care, productivity and leisure. To collaboratively identify the goals of occupational therapy intervention with the service user as part of the overall care plan. To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to meet the wide range of therapeutic needs of our service users. To plan and implement individual and / or group evidence-based interventions, in collaboration with the service user, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Plan interventions to take place in the most appropriate settings including the service user’s own home, the community, day service or work base where they might attend. To monitor and evaluate intervention, to measure progress and ensure effectiveness using evidence based practice. Demonstrate collaborative working across multi-agencies; both within and beyond learning disability and statutory services. To work closely with service users, carers and families to establish good therapeutic relationships which allow joint problem solving and management planning. To provide support and education to service users and carers regarding specific therapeutic intervention / approach. To facilitate therapeutic groups or projects where there is an identified OT role. To attend appropriate case conferences, referral and review meetings, contributing to decisions with regard to service user care plans.