Band 6 Occupational Therapist - Rotational

We are pleased to offer an opportunity to join our forward-thinking Integrated Therapy Team, consisting of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dietitians and assistants working seamlessly together. Our diverse Band 6 rotations include:

• Acute Medicine
• ICU/Cardio-Respiratory/General Surgery

Rotations are six months giving you time to develop and embed new skills as well as play a key role in service development ideas and projects before transferring these to your next rotational area. We have a strong positive relationship with our community partners enabling us to work closely together. You will receive protected time for supervision, training and skill development opportunities within each specialism provided by supportive clinicians and also opportunities to build on skills such as student/junior supervision, audits and service development projects. Individual support is high on our agenda, and we are an inclusive department, experienced to support specific needs. We have a strong reputation for home grown career progression through welcoming every new team member and supporting them to settle, develop and grow. We are large enough to offer a number of rotational experiences but small enough to be able to respond quickly in delivering services in response to patient needs.

As a Band 6 Occupational Therapist you will be responsible for your own complex caseload consisting of patients with a variety of different conditions whilst supporting junior members of the team. Good prioritisation, organisational and time management skills will be needed to balance clinical and non-clinical duties. You will be responsible for ensuring the use of advanced effective assessment skills to identify appropriate patients and to formulate, implement and evaluate individualised treatment plans, some of which will be specialist in nature, based on expert analytical and clinical reasoning skills. You will need advanced communication skills to ensure a successful multidisciplinary approach to patient care and will be in regular discussions with patients, carers, JPUH colleagues, community partners etc. on treatment plans and future care. You will be responsible for non-clinical duties, including participating in team meetings, in-service development, training and supervision of students, assistant staff and Band 5 colleagues. You will be key to being actively involved in the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, audit and outcome measures. There will be opportunities to work on group projects with your Band 6 peers. Recent projects have included developing the Therapy Assistant Practitioner competencies and improving the palliative care service.

JPUH is a vibrant university hospital providing the best possible care to the people of east Norfolk and north Suffolk. Situated on the coast with beautiful beaches and the Broads National Park on the doorstep we are within commuting distance of Norwich City. The Integrated Therapy Department is positive and forward thinking, always striving to improve services. Our links with the Research Department is growing with joint projects being worked on. Our therapists represent the Trust at CSP, RCOT, BOA and BGS conferences. Personal and professional development is key. We are developing our research and innovation strategy in line with the national AHP Strategy. We will support you in achieving your career goals through our well-structured supervision and appraisal system, actively encouraging utilisation of training courses (clinical, non-clinical and leadership skills) with use of CPD funding. We also have a Band 6 peer support group, which incorporates shared CPD time. You will be supported to provide education to your team but also to our wider workforce. We also support development of our future workforce through our close links with the University of East Anglia, Suffolk College and City College Norwich, providing teaching and placements to apprentices, under and postgraduates.

The Band 6 rotations cover the following clinical areas:

• Stroke/Neuro: Working within our Stroke Team, you will be part of the wider multidisciplinary team providing specialist therapy rehabilitation to our acute patients. Part of this role will also be outreaching to other areas to provide specialist neuro assessments and therapy to our patients with complex neuro needs.
• Acute Medicine: Working as part of the multidisciplinary team to provide a holistic approach to patients admitted to a range of general medical wards including functional and cognitive assessments to increase independence and enhance quality of life. This will expose you to patients with a wide range of conditions.
• ICU/Cardio-Respiratory/General Surgery: Being part of the development and management of the Occupational Therapy service provision to our Intensive Care Unit involving using specialist skills in function and cognition. This role also involves working as part of the multidisciplinary team to provide specialist respiratory management across wards using a range of respiratory skills as well as providing specialist surgical management and enhancing patients’ surgical pathway to reduce complications and increase independence.
• Orthopaedics: Providing specialist therapy skills to patients who have experienced complex orthopaedic trauma including spinal injuries as well as supporting elective pathways.

The main responsibilities for working within each area are:

• To be responsible for delivering Occupational Therapy in the specialist assessment and treatment of patients within Acute Medicine, Cardio-Respiratory/Surgery, Orthopaedic and Stroke Teams.
• To carry your own caseload of patients, who may have complex presentations, and maintain own records as an autonomous practitioner, prioritising own workload alongside the demands of the team.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management and assist junior staff, support staff and students to do so.
• To assess capacity, gain informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment and support junior staff to do the same.
• To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, schools, workplaces and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of Occupational Therapy to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To be responsible for priority cases as delegated outside the scope of current post, when departmental pressures dictate (i.e. staff shortages) and to co-ordinate junior staff to do the same.
• To work a rostered seven-day service within the James Paget University Hospital or in a community health setting as required.
• To assist in the production of reports on own area of work and to make recommendations for change as requested.
• To be responsible for and maintain own Clinical Professional Development, actively reading around any updates/developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
• To maintain comprehensive and accurate assessment and treatment records in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of letters and reports.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work situation, and encourage others to do likewise.
• Be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department.
• To implement policy and suggest policy changes for your clinical area of work, which may affect the whole Occupational Therapy Service.
• To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice, including manual handling according to Trust and professional guidelines.
• To participate in providing clinical shadowing experiences for Occupational Therapy students being supervised by senior staff on their introductory placement, and to explain the role of the Occupational Therapist to department visitors. To assist senior staff in the training of students and support staff.

We offer:

• Training and development opportunities.
• Preceptorship during your first year.
• Generous annual leave: 27 days on appointment, 29 days after five years’ service, and 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Salary Sacrifice car scheme.
• Flexible working options, including nine-day fortnights, part-time working.
• Employee celebration - regular staff awards.
• International peer support group and celebration events.
• Neurodiversity support.
• Health and Wellbeing Service, including counselling, physiotherapy, mental health, and menopause support etc.
• Career pathway development, supportive PDP to help you achieve your goals.
• Long service recognition.
• Single accommodation on site for new staff.
• Occupational Therapy specific training in an integrated therapy department.
• Recruitment support.
• Excellent maternity package.

Core working hours would usually be 8.00am-4.00pm working as part of a seven-day roster but we can offer flexibility. A Band 5-6 development opportunity could be offered to the right candidate. Onsite parking is available and car shares are possible.

Person specification:

• Education and Qualifications: Diploma/Degree/MSc in Occupational Therapy, Current Health Care Professions Council registration, CPD record should include evidence of up-to-date manual handling, relevant clinical courses and reflections of learning.
• Experience and Knowledge: Experience at Band 5 level within a range of areas: patients with multi-pathology, including dementia, falls, palliative care and bariatric patients, Significant clinical experience within the NHS to include acute hospital setting and discharge planning, Experience of working with a range of professionals within multidisciplinary teams, Evidence of acting in a supervisory manner, providing specialist guidance, training and support to other staff or students, Evidence of reflective learning, Awareness of relevant professional practice, new research and guidelines, Understanding of legal issues, safeguarding and mental capacity, Working knowledge of clinical governance and implications for own work.
• Skills, Abilities and Competencies: Communication skills including empathy, assertiveness and negotiation skills, Ability to build good rapport with a wide variety of people, Ability to prioritise and organise workload and support others with this, Ability to act as an autonomous practitioner with minimum supervision, Ability to work proactively under pressure and work flexibly, Recognise own limitations and know when to ask for help, Forward thinking, able to problem solve with positive approach, Ability to travel within the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area. Should hold a full current driving licence or be able to make own travelling arrangements to fulfil the duties of the post, including visits to patients’ homes with and without patients, Basic IT skills.
• Other: Physically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines, Evidence of interest/motivation for this Band 6 role, Evidence of interest/motivation to work within this geographical area for James Paget University Hospital.

The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recognises the requirement to promote health and reduce ill-health. The Trust is committed to the principles of improving working lives through a number of initiatives such as job share, flexible working and the development of a culture of openness and transparency. The Trust is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.