Occupational Therapist Advanced (XR07) in Leeds

We have an exciting opportunity to recruit a dedicated and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to work in our Hands & Plastics Therapy Team at LGI. Clinically you will be working closely with the MDT during daily trauma clinics and will also support a range of more specialised Regional Clinics such as Children's upper limb, Major Nerve injuries, Spasticity and Hand Transplant. The caseload of the Leeds Hands and Plastics service covers both Adults and Children. The team also in-reach onto the Plastics and Major Trauma wards to support in-patient staff in the management of complex patients in their care.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate significant post-graduate experience and clinical knowledge of the assessment and management of hand, wrist and upper limb injuries including splinting. They will be required to demonstrate an ability to work both as an autonomous practitioner, and also as part of the multidisciplinary team. Evidence of management of complex patients with Occupation at the heart of your treatment and management strategies is essential.

This post holder will be a lead clinician for the hands and plastics outpatient team. You will be outpatient based and have significant expertise in the field of orthopaedics with a specific interest in the assessment and treatment of patients attending the Hand Unit. This post will share operational leadership responsibility along with other senior therapy staff, for the team in which they are working. The post holder will work closely with other senior staff to lead their team on a day to day basis, liaising effectively with the Therapy Clinical Service Manager.

To provide the advanced therapeutic assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients within this specialist field who may have complex physical and psychological conditions and/or chronic presentation. He/She will play a key role in the development, implementation and evaluation of specialist therapy rehabilitation programmes and packages of care.

As an experienced therapist the job holder will assist in co-ordinating the activities of the team ensuring efficient and effective service provision. He/she will be required to ensure effective communication is maintained at all times, whilst providing training, supervision and clinical expertise to qualified and unqualified staff and students.

As a lead clinician in this speciality, the job holder will act as a role model to the therapy team, promoting quality evidence-based practice, developing the therapy team and contributing to the effective management of the team in the absence of the Therapy Clinical Service Manager. The post holder will be responsible for managing their own individual caseload which will be varied and on occasions require prioritisation to best meet the service demands.

To undertake all aspects of work as an autonomous practitioner within this specialist field. He/She will be required to support the Therapy Clinical Service Manager in the day to day management of this team of physiotherapists, support staff and students.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Degree or equivalent.
• Attendance on relevant post-graduate courses.
• Diverse experience across a number of specialties within this specific clinical field including a significant period working as a senior clinician.
• Clinical audit and standard setting.
• Working with a wide range of professionals including medical, nursing, therapy and management colleagues.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing within a uni and multi-professional team.
• Ability to prioritise, organise and allocate workload.
• Ability to teach, supervise and assess qualified and unqualified staff and students.
• Clinical leadership.
• Sound knowledge of clinical speciality acquired through in-depth experience and/or academic study to post-graduate level or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of current professional issues and those influencing the NHS.
• Standards of professional practice.
• Professional and patient focused.
• Flexible, adaptable, capable of lateral thinking.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Professional and legally responsible for all aspects of your own work relating to the assessment and treatment of patients in your care, undertaking clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• Undertake the comprehensive assessment and treatment of patients including those with diverse/complex/multipathological presentation.
• Use advanced investigative and analytical skills to formulate an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
• Develop complex discharge plans.
• Accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients within this specialist field.
• Demonstrate dexterity, coordination and palpatory skills in the assessment and manual treatment of patients.
• Develop and deliver the therapy element of the rehabilitation programme.
• Active member of the out-of-hours service (Physiotherapy only).
• Flexible working pattern, including seven day working.
• Effective verbal and non-verbal communication with patients.
• Work in a stressful environment delivering complex information.
• Manage emotional and aggressive patients and carers.
• Ensure a high standard of clinical care and support junior staff.
• Represent the therapy service at multi-disciplinary team meetings.
• Initiate, lead and participate in specialist research.

Experience

• Post graduate clinical experience having worked at a senior level across a number of MSK clinical specialties.

Skills & behaviours

• Confident and able to take responsibility.
• Able to maintain judgement under pressure.
• Able to work effectively in a stressful environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in occupational therapy.
• HCPC registration.

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.

For enquiries and more information please contact Kelly Harrison (kelly.harrison2@nhs.net) / 0113 3922720 or Joanna Burdon (joanna.burdon@nhs.net).