Senior Occupational Therapist

Main area Band 6 Static Senior Occupational Therapist Grade NHS AfC: Band 6

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Employer: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Site Princess Royal University Hospital, Town Orpington.

Salary: £45,953 - £54,254 per annum, including high cost allowance.

Responsibilities:

• Identify, prioritise and manage patients presenting with impairments for Occupational Therapy intervention.
• Assess and treat patients with complex needs who would benefit from a coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, rehabilitation and discharge service.
• Administer specific Occupational Therapy assessments of motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and functional areas.
• Develop and implement remedial and preventative treatment programmes addressing motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and functional areas, both individually and in group settings.
• Work closely with patients and carers to incorporate service user views in setting goals, implementation and evaluation of treatment programmes.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement risk management strategies including the use of Therapeutic Manual Handling techniques and the Lone Working Policy.
• Assess and demonstrate the safe use of equipment and adaptations to clients and mandate provision; advise carers on safe use of equipment.
• Write Occupational Therapy reports for referring hospitals, Social Services and other agencies detailing functional status, discharge recommendations and recommendations regarding ongoing occupational therapy intervention.
• Liaise with referring hospitals, Social Services and other agencies to ensure continuity of care.
• Assist in planning and prioritising patient workload in events of staff absence to ensure the Occupational Therapy service is maintained.
• Communicate complex information to patients and carers with understanding and reassurance.
• Participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within the Occupational Therapy Service to measure efficiency and ensure high quality standards.
• Deliver the Occupational Therapy Service development plan.
• Supervise and provide support for Junior Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Students, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Technicians as instructed by the Head of Occupational Therapy.
• Carry out mandatory administrative duties such as ordering, receiving and maintaining stock and managing petty cash.
• Implement and comply with the Health and Safety Act, Occupational Therapy Departmental policy and Trust policies.
• Adhere to the COT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, local and national procedures.
• Respect the individuality, values, and cultural and religious diversity of patients and provide a service sensitive to these needs.
• Review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
• Instruct and supervise staff and students, fostering independent learning.
• Critically evaluate current research, apply findings to practice and disseminate outcomes locally.
• Engage in audit and research projects to broaden research and development skills.
• Participate in internal and external development opportunities, recording outcomes in a portfolio.
• Demonstrate leadership by managing designated projects and presenting at in-service training programmes, multidisciplinary trainings and external conferences.
• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team, ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Engage in regular performance appraisal meetings and develop clear objectives and development plans for each team member.
• Ensure team compliance with all statutory, mandatory training and professional training requirements.
• Manage team absences, ensuring return-to-work meetings and e-roster updates to maintain productivity.
• Identify and fill vacancies within the team in line with Trust recruitment policy and process.
• Support internal talent management, retention and succession planning.
• Review skills mix regularly to maximise resource utilisation and keep job descriptions up to date.
• Promote overall wellbeing of the team, encouraging morale and a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
• Observe strict confidentiality of personal information related to patients and staff.
• Take personal responsibility for health, safety and wellbeing of self and colleagues.
• Understand and support the Trust’s responsibilities in safeguarding children, adults and domestic abuse.
• Contribute to infection control and hygiene processes, complying with national and local policies.

Qualifications:

• Diploma in Occupational Therapy or Degree/HPC Registration.
• HPC Registration.
• Membership of BAOT.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Good understanding of the nature of illness and models of treatment and their impact on patients.
• Understanding of departmental systems for patient assessment and treatment management.
• Understanding of the supervisor–supervisee relationship.

Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrate and articulate clinical reasoning.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to cope with stress.

Safe Guarding:

• Attend mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults.
• Familiarise with the Trust’s processes for reporting concerns.
• Report any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately.

Infection Control:

The post holder has an important responsibility to contribute to infection control and must be familiar with local infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements, as set out in the National Code of Practice and local policies.

Equal Opportunities:

The Trust is committed to a workplace that values inclusion, diversity and an environment where everyone feels respected and welcomed.