Senior Occupational Therapist - Learning Disabilities Team in Plymouth

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Community Learning Disability Team. This is a team who is forward-thinking and wants the best care for people with a learning disability. The role purpose is to provide a community-based specialist occupational therapy service to adults with a learning disability in accordance with the principles set out in Valuing People. Referrals to the learning disability occupational therapy team are made when the primary reason for referral relates to the effect of the learning disability upon the person's occupational performance and engagement. The Occupational Therapy team liaises with colleagues in other health services to ensure fair access to mainstream health services. The occupational therapy team is part of a multi-disciplinary learning disability team working across the city.

Main duties of the job:

• To manage a caseload of clients with complex needs, including those with complex distressed behaviour/dual diagnosis, using evidence-based/client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. This will include lone working for long periods of time.
• To be responsible for implementing occupational therapy intervention through both individual and group therapy.
• To work closely with other clinicians within the learning disabilities team, as well as with appropriate persons within the independent/voluntary sector.
• To be a point of contact and advice for Occupational Therapy for adults with a Learning Disability.
• To be responsible for the planning, development, evaluation and maintenance of Occupational Therapy services within the Learning Disabilities team/Livewell Southwest, holding additional responsibility for defined projects.
• To provide leadership for junior staff and occupational therapy students through supervision and appraisal.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information regarding eligibility. Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity. All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7-day service.

About us:

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we are guided by our values: kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions, and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities:

• To manage autonomously an individual caseload of clients with complex needs, which may include clients with additional physical health needs, behaviours that challenge, and mental health needs.
• To be responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating client-centred individual and/or group interventions using specialised occupational therapy assessments and approaches, such as environmental and sensory assessments.
• To develop individual programmes of care working with the client, carers, and other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To provide advice to staff, clients, and carers relating to clinical interventions, policy, and service development.
• To actively engage in the training of staff, families, and carers.
• To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of occupational therapy students on practice placements within the organisation.
• To contribute to the recruitment, induction, and training of other staff and students both within or external to the organisation.
• To provide supervision including practice, caseload, line management, and appraisals to junior staff as agreed with the clinical lead.
• To ensure that contemporaneous, written and electronic records, specialist occupational therapy reports, and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and organisational standards.
• To liaise and communicate with clients, carers, other disciplines, professionals, and other agencies using appropriate and accessible methods.
• To actively promote awareness of the role of the occupational therapist within the team.
• To liaise, plan, coordinate with, and refer to other professional staff and agencies as appropriate, to provide an integrated service to the client.
• To actively engage in line-management, clinical, professional, and peer supervision both as a supervisor and supervisee.
• To assess and order appropriate materials/equipment when necessary. Demonstrate and teach the safe use of materials/equipment in an appropriate manner to clients and/or carers. Maintain equipment inventory and ensure equipment is used and stored in line with infection control policies.

Person Specification:

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of government law and policy regarding services for people with Learning Disabilities, including those with complex needs (Mental Health Act; Mental Capacity Act; Safeguarding).
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic approaches and assessments applicable to people with a learning disability and underlying causes of distressed behaviour.
• Knowledge and understanding of risk assessments.
• Evidence of specialist knowledge, e.g., Model of Human Occupation, Specialist Occupational Therapy Assessments and interventions.
• Knowledge and training in Breakaway techniques.
• Understanding of group processes/dynamics.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Good organisational, leadership, and motivational skills.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to communicate complex information well both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients and carers with reassurance.
• Ability to adapt information into an accessible format.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work alone and on own initiative within the Occupational Therapy code of practice and professional guidelines, seeking guidance when necessary.
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations, including areas not served by public transport.
• Ability to build effective working relationships.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Adaptable, flexible, and innovative.
• Good concentration.
• Ability to work under pressure in unpleasant and unpredictable environments when necessary.
• Commitment to person-centred, non-discriminating practice.
• Ability to maintain HCPC registration including compliance with fitness to practice, including the ability to recognise and manage stressful and demanding situations.
• Experience of using Total Communication Principles, i.e., Pictures, symbols, Makaton, etc.
• Experience of audit procedures.
• Presentation and training skills.
• Membership of Professional Body and/or Specialist Interest Group.
• Excellent assessment skills, including undertaking a holistic and/or eligibility assessment of a person's needs to inform decision-making by the MDT.
• Ability to provide case management for people who are health funded, where identified appropriate.
• Using an SBARD format to summarise written information to share with MDT.

Qualifications:

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Valid registration with the HCPC.
• Evidence of ongoing training/development in the theory and practice of Occupational Therapy.
• Postgraduate training in theory and application of Sensory Integration.
• Formal training in Sensory Processing.
• Other postgraduate training relevant to the post.

Experience:

• Experience of working with adults with complex needs.
• Experience of working within a community setting.
• Experience of working as an autonomous practitioner managing a caseload and working within identified priorities.
• Documented evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience and understanding of the different types of supervision.
• Experience of using a range of computer applications (including Microsoft or equivalent) and recording systems.
• Experience of change management, understanding the need and supporting changes within practice.

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.