Specialty Occupational Therapist – Oncology & Haematology

Job overview

We are excited to be able to advertise a role which will be ideal for an Occupational Therapist who is looking to gain further experience within a specialty clinical area, consolidating and developing on previous experience. You will deliver occupational therapy care to our inpatients and will work closely with Occupational Therapy and Macmillan Therapy colleagues to assess, rehabilitate, and discharge patients across the oncology and haematology wards. Patients are admitted for elective chemotherapy, emergency admissions with new diagnosis or complications from treatment or disease and those requiring palliative management and end of life care.

The Churchill Hospital is a centre of excellence for cancer and haematology services and other specialties, including renal services and transplant, clinical and medical oncology, dermatology, haemophilia and palliative care. It is part of Oxford University Hospitals which is one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in the UK and is one of the busiest tertiary cancer centres, treating patients within the Thames Valley Cancer Network. There is a purpose-built development including a Surgery and Diagnostics Centre and an integrated Cancer and Haematology Centre. The OUH has a national and international reputation for the excellence of our services and our role in teaching and research.

Main duties of the job

• To deliver high-quality, safe and effective occupational therapy services primarily to oncology and haematology patients as part of a cohesive multidisciplinary team, with flexibility to support other clinical areas in response to service need.
• To provide occupational therapy services across inpatient wards and contribute to targeted community follow-up for patients who meet defined clinical criteria, supporting safe discharge, continuity of care, ongoing rehabilitation and the reduction of avoidable readmissions.
• To work collaboratively with patients and their carers to undertake comprehensive assessment, goal setting, intervention planning and rehabilitation, with the aim of maximising independence, function and quality of life.
• To provide clinical supervision, teaching and support to junior occupational therapists, therapy support workers and students, contributing to workforce development and learning.
• To actively contribute to service development through participation in quality improvement initiatives, clinical audit, research activities and the ongoing development of rehabilitation pathways across inpatient, outpatient and community settings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• To consistently deploy effective communication and engagement skills enabling effective working relationships with all members of the multi-professional team.
• To effectively communicate with patients and their carers/family members, including the sensitive management of complex or contentious issues.
• To communicate effectively with patients suffering from conditions that may lead to psychological distress including anxiety, depression, and aggressive behaviour
• To overcome barriers to effective communication, such as those caused by pathological impairment or language differences, by deploying effective mitigating strategies.
• To engage and build relationships with external agencies and providers to enhance patient care continuity and outcomes.
• Be able to write complex reports accurately describing patients’ clinical status and ensuring that the information provided aids effective continuing care and clinical management.

Clinical

• To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.
• To carry out comprehensive assessments of patients following hospital admission and surgery, including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.
• To interpret and analyse multiple sources of clinical information to form accurate occupational therapy assessments and clinical reasoning, seeking guidance from senior occupational therapists when appropriate.
• To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.
• To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.
• To determine a patient’s mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.
• To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards.
• To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trust’s manual handling policy.
• To demonstrate physical ability to carry out occupational therapy assessments and interventions, including functional assessments, therapeutic handling and equipment provision.

Leadership and management

• To be responsible for the competent use and maintenance of rehabilitation equipment and support others in the effective and safe use of this equipment.
• To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants.
• To undertake delegated tasks and roles from the team lead and be able to deputise for them on occasions.
• To effectively plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and be able to adjust plans as required according to staffing levels and unpredictable factors.
• To assist in the planning of junior staff, students and assistant timetables and deputise for senior staff in organisational duties.

Education and training

• To organise and contribute to the team’s training and post-registration education programme.
• To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.
• To be responsible for individual undergraduate student occupational therapists’ supervision and practice-based learning.
• To adopt a proactive approach in learning from others within, and outside of the occupational therapy profession.
• To be responsible for continuing professional development and maintain a portfolio record to evidence this.

Research and development

• To actively participate in the department’s quality improvement and clinical audit programme through the completion of authorised projects
• To implement and maintain evidence-based occupational therapy practice through continuing professional development.
• To ensure good working knowledge and application of national and local clinical standards
• To participate in local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field, and to demonstrate the ability to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working in the team.

Effort

• To be able to undertake episodes of moderate physical effort for several short periods during a shift.
• To be able to effectively maintain concentration at work despite frequent interruptions and, at times, an unpredictable working pattern.
• To tolerate and manage frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances and maintain a high level of professionalism.

Please refer to the job description document for further details on person specification

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.