Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist - Community (Band 7) - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS[...]

We are currently looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist (OT), to join the Wisbech Community Rehab Service based at North Cambridgeshire Hospital. You would be working as part of a community based rehabilitation team providing high quality rehabilitation to patients with physical disabilities in their home environment. This post will allow the successful candidate the opportunity to consolidate their community, clinical and managerial skills. You will be working within a team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Assistants.

The ideal candidate will have a strong team work ethic, sense of accountability, accompanied by an ability to work under considerable pressure at times. This post is open to professionals with the right attributes to enhance a team.

Main duties of the job

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

We are looking for a self-motivated individual who is able to work as an autonomous practitioner within a multi professional Community Rehabilitation team to provide a high standard of care to our patients. Your role will be leading and motivating a team of Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants to deliver a high quality patient care in the community, alongside Clinical Leads and Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy colleagues. You will work within a wider therapy leadership team under the direction of the Rehabilitation Service managers and collaborate with therapy leads from other organisations within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough structure. You will also offer advanced clinical leadership to support the most complex patients on the caseload.

You will be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own and delegated work and work within codes of practice and professional guidelines. You will be required to undertake holistic assessments (including those with complex presentations and multi pathologies) making use of specialist clinical reasoning skills. Your role includes providing specialist advice to all members of the team, service users and appropriate others, of changes involving current care plans, patients' progress and other relevant matters that pertain to the care of the patient, promoting independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting.

You will use evidence-based practice, to ensure clinical care is effective and appropriate; conduct risk assessments and health and safety assessments and immediately report any changes/newly identified risks. You will be expected to organise and manage own time, delegating work appropriately. You will be actively involved in the development of the service/organisational aims and objectives of the Community Rehabilitation Service and the model of care.

To effectively communicate verbally with patients, carers and colleagues using tact and persuasive skills. This may involve using skills where patients have difficulties in communication, e.g., hearing loss, diminished sight, depression, speech problems, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems, and pain. In doing this you will establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with patients, carers, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals, identifying when to refer into other services as appropriate. You will attend MDT Case reviews as required. This will enable you to assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

Staff development within CPFT is highly valued and you will be supported to attend relevant internal and external courses to develop your knowledge and skills to improve clinical practice as identified as part of your Appraisal process.

Person specification

• Degree or equivalent, e.g. BSc, MSc or Diploma entry level qualification in the OT profession
• Current HCPC registration
• Theoretical study and experience within a community setting to master’s level or equivalent.
• Member of RCOT
• Management/Leadership qualification and experience
• Significant relevant postgraduate clinical experience in a variety of settings including community
• Advanced understanding of clinical conditions and clinical experience in managing long-term conditions
• Implementing change
• Clinical Supervisor
• Specialist knowledge of a broad range of OT client groups.

Skills and Abilities

• Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provisions.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Able to assess, plan and implement care
• Support Therapy Assistants and professional staff
• Time management and prioritisation skills
• Understanding of clinical supervision
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others.
• Recognises the limits of own authority within the role.
• Seeks and uses professional support appropriately
• Understands the principle of confidentiality
• Responsible for maintaining registration with HCPC and/or other professional bodies
• Knowledge of relevant outcome measures

Physical Requirements

• The ability to kneel, bend & stoop and work in cramped environments
• The ability to move and manoeuvre people and equipment
• The ability to manoeuvre patients using moving and handling aids
• Travel around work base locally

Other

• Demonstrates empathy for the concerns of others
• Listens to and understands directly and indirectly expressed feelings
• Manages strong emotions and responds constructively to the source of problems
• Shows respect for others' feelings, views and circumstances
• In highly stressful situations keeps own feelings in check, takes constructive action and calms others down.
• Has a range of mechanisms for dealing with stress, can recognise when to use them and does so.
• Recognise people's right to privacy and dignity, treating every person with respect.

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities.