Occupational Therapist

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and particularly encourage applications from ethnic minorities, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore, we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training, and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

There are a range of exciting opportunities to work as a specialist Occupational Therapist in inpatient mental health. There are multiple opportunities across services which include: Hartley Hospital, Halton, and Peasley Cross Hospital (others may become available during the advertisement period so please contact for further information). The wards include adult mental health and complex care wards. The services provide comprehensive assessment and treatment of people within inpatient services.

Main duties of the job:

• To utilise and develop knowledge providing professional, up-to-date interventions within designated Occupational Therapy Services and to assist in the organisational development, coordination, and evaluation of the Occupational Therapy Service in conjunction with the Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist, Professional Lead for Occupational Therapy, and relevant Team/Service Manager.
• The post holder will contribute to an environment that works with local services to provide evidence-based assessment and delivery of care, using the Model of Human Occupation, and within the context of Effective Care Coordination.
• They will continue with their own professional development and assist with that of other OT staff.
• They will be required to have a flexible approach to working hours to ensure that the needs of their clients are met.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales, and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction, and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable, and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

In summary:

• Provide assessment and intervention for service users residing within the inpatient services in the Mental health care division
• Experience of Service development and innovation
• Experience in providing supervision and mentorship to others

Person specification:

• Degree level qualification in Occupational Therapy
• Registration with HCPC (or in the process of obtaining if newly qualified)
• Membership of professional body

Knowledge / Experience:

• Experience of OT Functional assessment including activity analysis
• Experience of successful team working
• Experience of liaison with internal and external services and agencies
• Knowledge and ability to express an understanding of Occupational Therapy Process
• Have an understanding of clinical and environmental risk assessment
• Experience of planning and facilitating therapeutic groups
• Experience of service development
• Basic understanding of the Mental Capacity Act

Skills:

• Up to date knowledge and application of best practice in OT in relevant area of practice
• Application of the process of audit, evaluation, and review
• To be able to communicate effectively with service users
• Have good listening skills
• Experience of working in an MDT
• Good organisational and management skills