Occupational Therapy Assistant | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool

An opportunity has arisen for a full time Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) position for applicants with an interest in working with people with a range of mental health conditions on Roscoe Ward. The successful applicant will be working as a key member of the occupational therapy service department at Braddock. We are looking for self-motivated and caring individuals who can facilitate group activities, 1:1 sessions and assist the qualified occupational therapy staff as required. The post is Mon-Fri 9-5 to facilitate a 7 day service, alongside a part time OT, which meets the needs of the service users.

The post holder will be responsible for assisting in the development and delivery of treatment and care plans where appropriate under the direction and supervision of a qualified Occupational Therapist and in collaboration with the ward manager. The post holder will be required to actively work as part of The Multi-Disciplinary Team. The Post Holder will be expected to work in an innovative way to support the smooth running of the Ward and will be required to offer individual and group activities alongside Occupational Therapy staff.

These duties will extend to using The Occupational Therapy Process to assist in assessment, planning and the implementation of Therapeutic Activities within an In-Patient Mental Health Setting. The Post Holder will be required to work collaboratively and flexibly with Nursing and Support Worker staff to ensure meeting the diverse needs of service users and the function of the wards.

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.

Under the direct or indirect Clinical Supervision of a Qualified Occupational Therapist you will undertake the following duties:

• To support, with direction, Service Users’ with activities throughout the therapeutic day. This will be under the supervision of senior Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychological Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
• Undertake specific tasks within Occupational Therapy assessments with Service users using a Person Centred Approach in order to assist the Occupational Therapist to identify appropriate Occupational Therapy interventions.
• Work innovatively and effectively and take responsibility for carrying out a range of activities under non-directive supervision where the overall goal is clear to support and deliver the provision of a programme of meaningful and purposeful activities of daily living that relate to Service Users Formulation and Goal Plans.
• Assist in planning and facilitate both individual and group work with Service Users and take an active role in implementing agreed plans/tasks in familiar or defined contexts.
• To support the Service Users’ to engage with their Shared Activity Planner and support the Service Users’ to engage in their choice of activity. There is an expectation to engage with service users on enhanced observations as part of their recovery journey.
• Be fully involved in The Occupational Therapy Process to ensure Service Users increase their independence and well-being through skill and knowledge development and apply clinical reasoning to this approach.
• Participate in the provision of a varied and interesting range of timetabled activities that support Service Users to achieve identified goals.
• Exercise initiative and independence in carrying out delegated activities at a Professional level.
• Be aware of, and apply, the principle of risk assessment and management to all aspects of clinical work including, where appropriate, the provision of information to The Multi Disciplinary Team.
• Maintain the health, safety and security of others and contribute to and comply with risk assessment.
• To contribute to formal Occupational Therapy record keeping and reports and provide feedback on Service Users occupational functioning. Assist in the development of treatment and care plans where appropriate.
• Undertake delegated tasks to contribute to the safe and smooth running of the service.
• Work closely with The Multi Disciplinary Team at all times and involve Nursing Staff and Support workers fully in activity sessions.
• To maintain links with other agencies, both statutory and voluntary in order to support recovery and discharge planning.
• Take some supervisory responsibility for the work of others in the implementation of routine work within identified and agreed scope of practice.
• Participate in the management of incidents in line with The Trusts Policy and Procedure.
• Where appropriate be involved in clinical audit activity.
• Collate information about resources – both within the service environment and in the community – for Service Users access/utilisation.
• Receive clinical supervision from a Qualified Occupational Therapist on a regular basis.
• Maintain a safe working environment with particular regard to the environment and Occupational Therapy resources and equipment.
• Facilitate/Co-facilitate and support service users to attend service user forums, core integrated therapy groups, care pathway groups and risk related treatment programmes and undertake any training required as part of these integrated groups.