Specialist Neurology Occupational Therapist - B7 in Beccles

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Band 7 Specialist Neurology Occupational Therapist & Team Lead to join our integrated community neurology service. This is a senior clinical role for an autonomous practitioner with advanced neurological expertise, delivering specialist occupational therapy assessment, treatment and goal-focused rehabilitation to adults with complex neurological and trauma-related conditions. You will work across domiciliary, clinic and community settings, using evidence-based practice to maximise independence, participation and quality of life for service users, while working closely with patients, carers and a wide range of health, social care and voluntary sector partners.

As Team Lead, you will provide clinical leadership and supervision to the specialist neurology occupational therapy team, contributing to service development, workforce planning and multidisciplinary collaboration. You will support and develop staff and students, promote high standards of clinical governance, and play a key role in shaping an integrated, compassionate and responsive service aligned with ECCH's CARE values. This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled clinician and leader who is passionate about neurological rehabilitation, professional development and delivering outstanding, person-centred care within a supportive and forward-thinking organisation.

Main duties of the job

• To work as an autonomous practitioner in providing neurological occupational therapy, assessments and treatments and goal setting to own designated caseload of patients in domiciliary, clinic and community settings.
• To provide the role of team leader for the neurological specialist occupational therapy team and in the wider context of the integrated community neurology team.
• To maintain up to date occupational therapy records in line with professional standards.
• To use evidence based practice and specialist skill to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To liaise with other health care professionals, carers and relatives.
• To provide education and training as required.
• To actively lead the organisation of health and social requirement of patients with neurological conditions and other complex trauma patients.
• To participate in CPD and other developmental activities.
• To work with other members of the multidisciplinary team and deliver teaching and supervision to qualified staff, therapy assistants and students.

About us

ECCH is a well-established health care provider and has been successfully delivering NHS care within the community since 2011. We provide a range of NHS, community health and social care services predominantly across the easterly region of the Norfolk/Suffolk borders. We are aligned to NHS terms and conditions, and offer many employee benefits. We are a social enterprise and staff owned organisation which means staff can opt to be shareholders and have a real say in how ECCH is run and evolves to deliver healthcare for the future.

At the heart of our ambition, we work in partnership with and for the community to become the provider and employer of choice for community healthcare. We encourage you to apply as early as possible as this job may close earlier than the advertised closing date once enough applications have been received.

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a highly skilled multidisciplinary service supporting adults with complex neurological conditions, including progressive and long-term neurological disorders, within their own homes and community settings. The Neurology Team delivers patient-centred, holistic care with a strong emphasis on maximising function, participation, wellbeing, and quality of life. Working collaboratively with patients, families, carers, and wider health and social care partners, the team supports individuals across the neurological pathway.

Job responsibilities

• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
• To ensure high standards of clinical care for the patients under your management and support others to do likewise.
• To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form an accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of neurological conditions, of which some will be highly complex, to recommend the best course of intervention/advice and to develop comprehensive management strategies for the patients presenting condition.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of patients including those with complex neurology presentations, using investigative and analytical skills to formulate individualised management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning and utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a specialised programme of care.
• To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regards to clinical priorities and use of time.
• To demonstrate highly developed precise dexterity coordination and palpation skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
• Other interventions may include on an ongoing basis: Energy conservation techniques, self-management strategies, specific hand therapy techniques, relaxation techniques, lifestyle management and health promotion advice, retraining service users in personal and domestic activities, return to work advice and support, prescription for specialist splinting.
• To provide spontaneous and planned specialist neurology advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of the therapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To train and supervise staff, including qualified professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurses, assistant practitioners and therapy assistants.
• To provide specialist clinical supervision in the management of neurology conditions for students at both MSc and BSc level.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise the rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of the condition.
• To communicate effectively with all members of the integrated community neurology team, GPs, Consultants and other professions to ensure a collaborative approach to the management of patients' conditions.
• To assess capacity, gain valid consent and have the ability to work with the legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

Professional

• To act as team leader in a designated clinical area including initial stages of grievance/discipline reporting and monitoring of sickness and return to work interviews.
• To maintain own clinical professional development by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
• To maintain accurate and up to date documentation in line with legal and departmental requirements and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
• To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with the MDT colleagues across the health economy to ensure delivery of a coordinated integrated service.
• To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance agenda through participation in risk management assessment, audit, data evaluation and apply to work situation ensure others do likewise.

Organisational

• Responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the clinical coordinator.
• Plan and organise this effectively and efficiently with regards to patient management and use of time.
• Decide priorities for own work area balancing other patient related and professional demands.
• Responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatment resources available in the department.
• To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department.
• Be aware of the health and safety aspects of your work and implement any policies which may be required to improve the safety of your work area.
• To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate.
• To lead by action and inspire others activity as a role model, demonstrating the leadership behaviours and values identified by the organisation aims and objectives.

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word CARE: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead | Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.

Person Specification

• Experience working at band 6 level or above.
• Ability to demonstrate clinical appraisal and supervision skills.
• Experience working in the community.
• Experience at band 7 level.
• Clinical educators course.
• Experience managing teams/change.

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to demonstrate clinical skills and knowledge within specialist area.
• Forward thinking.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Self-directed learning.
• Ability to work autonomously.
• Presentation skills.
• Critical appraisal.
• Audit.
• Research.

Qualifications

• Degree or Equivalent in Occupational Therapy.
• Leadership/Management qualifications or willing to undertake.
• Evidence of post registration study at masters level or equivalent experience.
• Registration with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC).
• Previous experience in neurology.
• Teaching qualification.
• Relevant validated clinical course.

Personal Attributes

• Able to lead and motivate a team.
• Able to work collaboratively with a team.
• Able to work independently.
• Committed to personal and team development.
• Able to work with others and pass on skills and knowledge.
• Able to maintain judgement under pressure.
• Able to maintain motivation, drive and enthusiasm.
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.