Band 7 OT Neuro Therapy and ITU London

Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist looking for an exciting opportunity to develop specialist skills across Neurorehabilitation and Intensive Care? Do you thrive in fast-paced acute environments and enjoy supporting patients with complex neurological and critical care needs? If so, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust would love to hear from you. We are seeking an enthusiastic, skilled and forward-thinking Band 7 Neuro and ITU Occupational Therapist to join our dynamic Therapy Services team at University Hospital Lewisham.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced clinician to take on a specialist leadership role working across critical care, neurosciences and acute rehabilitation pathways. As a Band 7 therapist, you will play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based occupational therapy services to patients with complex neurological presentations and those recovering from critical illness. You will work within an established multidisciplinary team, helping patients maximise independence, improve functional outcomes and achieve meaningful goals throughout their recovery journey. This role offers the chance to influence service development, contribute to workforce education and support innovative approaches to rehabilitation within one of South East London's busiest and most diverse healthcare organisations.

Main duties of the job:

• You will manage a highly complex caseload including patients presenting with:
• Acquired brain injuries
• Early Stroke
• SCI
• Long term conditions
• Neurological conditions
• Critical illness neuropathy and myopathy
• Prolonged ventilation and deconditioning
• Cognitive and perceptual impairments
• Functional neurological challenges
• Optimising flow and Complex discharge planning needs

You will:

• Deliver specialist occupational therapy assessment and intervention for patients with complex neurological and critical care needs.
• Lead occupational therapy practice within Neuro and ITU services, supporting rehabilitation from critical illness through to discharge.
• Undertake functional, cognitive, perceptual and environmental assessments to inform individualised treatment plans.
• Develop and implement evidence-based rehabilitation programmes that promote independence and meaningful occupational engagement.
• Facilitate safe, effective discharge planning across acute, rehabilitation and community pathways.
• Provide expert advice on equipment, adaptations and ongoing rehabilitation requirements.

You will also:

• Contribute to the development of Neuro and Critical Care rehabilitation services.
• Participate in audit, quality improvement and service evaluation activities.
• Support implementation of evidence-based practice and national clinical standards.
• Identify and deliver innovative approaches to enhance patient outcomes, experience and early rehabilitation within acute care settings.

To lead and manage the O.T. neuro outliers service, you will:

• Review and develop rehabilitation practice within UHL, including weekend practice.
• Provide leadership and supervision to the neuro outlier OT team.
• Provide support to therapists in teams working with complex patients.
• Review and develop OT service provision in ITU.
• Manage a designated case load with complex needs using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• Maintain records which fulfil legal requirements.
• Supervise O.T. students on practice placements.
• Provide leadership for junior staff, through supervision and performance reviews.
• Participate in the planning, development and evaluation of O.T. neuro outlier service.
• Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust O.T. service.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

• Assess and treat a specific caseload of patients with complex needs, prioritising efficiently to help prevent readmissions.
• Apply a high level of knowledge and understanding in the speciality including neurological conditions.
• Undertake individual initial screens to identify patient need including areas affecting functional ability, followed by agreed assessment plans.
• Design/plan individual patient programmes to implement oneself or to delegate as appropriate.
• Assess and treat the patients personal and domestic daily living functional activity level to maximise independence.
• Select and conduct standardised cognitive and perceptual testing to identify areas affecting functional ability and indicate need for further assessment/treatment.
• Carry out an initial risk assessment where necessary and monitor ongoing risk.
• Assess need and risk factors for hoist and wheelchair provision.
• Carry out home visits with or without the patient to assess environmental risks and functional ability at home.
• Advise on, recommend, make provision for the installation of appropriate aids and adaptations to the patients social and physical environment.
• Assess and manufacture appropriate upper limb and lower limb splints as needed.
• Design and monitor ongoing splint regimes.
• Carry out community visits to assess for and practise daily living skills as needed.
• Monitor and evaluate treatment, including using outcome measures in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of the intervention.
• Undertake discharge planning and coordination of complex patients.
• Take a lead in the decisions regarding placement after discharge.
• Refer onto appropriate agencies for the continuation of treatment, reassessment, monitoring, provision of further adaptations.
• Carry out joint working with others from the Trust and across other agencies.

Documentation:

• Maintain up to date activity data and activity records in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
• Provide reports on home visits.
• Provide specific reports to other agencies as appropriate.

Professional Ethics:

• Adhere to the COT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and all other relevant policies and procedures.
• Provide guidance to junior/support staff on ethical issues.

Leadership, Supervision and Appraisal:

• Lead and manage the O.T. team in the Stroke Unit.
• Participate in the planning and implementing of the induction, training and education of students and other staff in this setting.
• Undertake the supervision and appraisal of junior/support staff as delegated by the Lead O.T.
• Provide specialist training on an individual basis.
• Provide advice to junior/support staff and students on a day to day basis as required.
• Deputise for the Lead O.T. in an absence.

Training Staff and Students:

• Participate in the planning and implementing of the induction, training and education of students and other staff in this setting.
• Be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of O.T. students on practice placement on a regular basis.
• Give presentations/training on specialist topics.
• Organise and implement the training programme for O.T. team in the Stroke Unit.

Service Development and Delivery:

• Work with other staff within the department to ensure that equipment is maintained and stock monitored.
• Manage own caseload efficiently, including methods of prioritisation in order to achieve timely and safe discharges of patients from hospital and to help prevent admissions/readmissions.
• Facilitate, coordinate and monitor the workloads of the O.T team members in the Stroke Unit.
• Participate in the operational planning and implementation of policies within the department.
• Assist with the recruitment and appointment of O.T. staff.
• Represent O.T. on Trust wide (and linked agencies) working parties and groups as delegated by the Lead O.T.
• Take a lead on specific projects as delegated by the Lead O.T.
• Participate in, and take a lead as needed, in the Therapies special interest group for the relevant clinical area.

Personal/Professional Development:

• Participate in internal and external training opportunities to meet identified Person Specification Qualifications.

Essential qualifications include Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy & HPC registration. Desirable qualifications include Post Grad Qualification.

Essential experience includes 3 years post qualification experience, broad based OT experience including ITU, specialist neuro knowledge, experience within major trauma, experience of wheelchair and specialist seating prescription, use of EBP, leadership experience, and splinting experience. Desirable experience includes being a member of a special interest group.

Essential knowledge includes communication skills, record keeping, presentation skills, audit and service evaluation. Desirable knowledge includes being a car driver.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.