Occupational Therapist

• Band Equivalent: 6
• Responsible to: SENCo; Lead Therapist
• Accountable to: Head, Deputy Head, SENCo; Board of Governors

Responsible for: The assessment, planning and delivery of high-quality occupational therapy services to students enrolled at Fairley House School

JOB PURPOSE

To provide a high-quality paediatric occupational therapy service to a caseload of children with Specific Learning Differences (Sp LD), including children with statutory needs within the school setting.

Successful completion of the level 5 Diploma Sp LD and providing intervention/teaching of word study, reading or maths to a group of students (up to 12 students)

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• 1. CLINICAL
• To be responsible for providing high-quality assessment and recommendations for prospective students referred to Fairley House School and to provide timely verbal and written feedback to parents.
• To provide high-quality assessment and intervention for students enrolled at Fairley House School and to document and disseminate results and progress to relevant staff and parents.
• To write high-quality reports reflecting student strengths and needs, guided by sound clinical reasoning skills and recommendations.
• To contribute to providing optimal education opportunities for students with specific learning differences through a tiered therapeutic framework: the whole school Fairley House transdisciplinary approach, targeted support and direct intervention.
• To be responsible for maintaining clinical caseload (in collaboration with senior colleagues) ensuring that clinical governance, quality assurance and OT professional standards are met.

This includes working with children on a 1:1 basis and in small groups where students’ specific differences are identified, and appropriate programmes are established and implemented.

• Maintaining up-to-date record keeping including progress notes, reassessment reports and other required record keeping.
• Delivering high‑quality therapy in class in liaison with teaching staff.
• Consultation with teachers regarding seating, fine motor skills, motor planning and organisation, sensory modulation, handwriting and ocular‑motor issues in relation to specific children, groups of children and/or classes.
• To assess the child’s abilities and needs and then, as necessary, plan and instigate appropriate therapeutic intervention.
• To use developing clinical reasoning to review own caseload (in collaboration with senior colleagues) to ensure intervention is meeting the needs of the students.
• To reassess children as required and write a report for parents and the pupil’s file.
• To ensure that relevant staff are informed of the outcomes of assessment and treatment.
• To inform parents if therapy is amended or discontinued due to good progress.
• Assessment, reporting, contributing to and attending Annual Reviews of children holding Statements of Special Educational Need/EHCP.
• Producing termly IEPs, IEP reviews and school reports on children under their care.
• Conducting parent consultation meetings, in conjunction with teachers.
• Be involved in arranging Orthoptic screenings for the new students, reviewing children with persistent ocular‑motor differences, informing parents/teachers of the results, and inputting data onto the computer for the attention of staff (in collaboration with OT team).

Communicating orthoptic recommendations to parents and teachers, monitoring recommendations and feeding back to orthoptists.

• Assessing handwriting speed for access arrangements where appropriate.
• Providing home programmes for children with differences in the areas of fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, DCD, sensory processing differences where appropriate and relevant and regular review of these.
• Participating in the planning, organising and delivering of in‑service teacher training.
• Participate and deliver external courses where required.
• To maintain own clinical skills in line with current evidence-based practice.
• To complete the Fairley House Level 5 Diploma in Sp LD.
• Upon completion of the Fairley House Level 5 Diploma in Sp LD, deliver specialist teaching/intervention in word study, reading or maths for groups of up to 12 students.
• To work across both sites (Junior and Senior School sites) as required and as determined by caseload needs and the Lead Occupational Therapist.
• 2. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
• To be an effective member of the transdisciplinary team as well as the occupational therapy service.

This entails maintaining close liaison, including working with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, ELSAs and teaching staff to provide a holistic and informed approach towards therapy and the curriculum.

• To attend or ensure appropriate representation for relevant meetings including occupational therapy development, special provision and whole staff meetings.
• To ensure that all recording is maintained and up to date.

This includes multi-disciplinary assessment reports, reassessment reports, case notes, information entered onto the electronic database, IEPs and school reports.

• To participate in regular reviews of the occupational therapy service.
• To be familiar with and comply with the contents and impact of relevant legislation related to the health, education and social welfare of children/young people and their families.
• To be responsible for managing a personal timetable (in consultation with SENCo/Lead Therapist) ensuring that lessons start and finish at the appropriate time.
• Participating in normal rota duties such as lunch and break duties and providing duty cover in case of staff absence/illness, where appropriate.
• Supporting the school behaviour policy and contributing knowledge and skills on children’s social development.
• 3. SUPERVISION AND TRAINING
• To actively participate in the giving and receiving of supervision relating to clinical work and job performance, including participation in individual staff appraisal.
• To receive regular supervision to ensure clinical best practice and appropriate decision making.
• To set realistic professional goals and targets in collaboration with the Leadership Team during Appraisal.
• To provide clinical support to junior staff and students regarding OT practice within the Fairley House School occupational therapy service.
• To complete the Level 5 Diploma in Sp LD (or equivalent) training in the teaching of children with specific learning differences.
• To maintain CPD by attending school INSET days, relevant courses and meetings and by reading appropriate literature. To share knowledge with others.
• To assist in developing and implementing evidence-based practice and client outcome measures commensurate with knowledge and experience.
• To maintain confidentiality of information consistent with Fairley House School policies.
• 4. ENVIRONMENT
• Contributing to maintaining FHS as a safe and healthy environment.
• To participate in maintenance and ordering of OT specific equipment and tools.
• To comply with relevant legislation and policy relating to the school’s working environment.
• To ensure that all persons using equipment provided understand their function as well as appreciate their responsibility to ensure its safe use.
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