Specialist Occupational Therapist - Housing Huntingdon

Job summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Specialist Occupational Therapist (Housing Speciality) to join our Children's Occupational Therapy Housing Team. You will provide specialist assessment and intervention for children and young people whose disabilities or additional needs impact their ability to access and participate safely within their home environment. Working closely with families, local authorities, housing providers and multidisciplinary colleagues, you will use your expertise in occupational therapy, housing adaptations and relevant legislation to assess needs, recommend equipment, major and minor adaptations, and support housing solutions that promote independence, safety and quality of life. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a specialist service, managing a varied and complex caseload while contributing to service development and improving outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Main duties of the job

To provide an integrated Occupational Therapy service to children and young people and their families, with a focus on major housing adaptation. This will involve expertise in the assessment of housing needs and provision including adaptations and equipment needs for children and young people and their families with close, effective working relationships with the community occupational therapists and with colleagues in social care.

You will be responsible for your own caseload and in a supervisory capacity for that of junior staff working within your team.

To provide specialised children's occupational therapy assessment and treatment for children in the domain of housing adaptations, safety within the home and equipment needs related to a major housing adaptation.

To assess and prescribe specialist equipment for home to support function and participation (e.g. positioning, beds, toilet and bathing, hoists and slings, safety) and link with the community Occupational Therapists within the service to ensure a fully integrated service.

To appropriately delegate work/tasks to therapy assistants, maintaining oversight of their input with children and young people.

About us

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.

Job responsibilities

Nature of work

To provide specialised childrens occupational therapy assessment and treatment for children in the domain of housing adaptations, safety within the home and equipment needs related to a major housing adaptation.

To assess and prescribe specialist equipment for home to support function and participation (e.g. positioning, beds, toilet and bathing, hoists and slings, safety) and link with the community Occupational Therapists within the service to ensure a fully integrated service.

To appropriately delegate work/tasks to therapy assistants, maintaining oversight of their input with children and young people.

To participate in training/lecturing programmes, with support from senior colleagues, for Occupational Therapists staff, Occupational Therapy students and external agencies, as required.

To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the children and young peoples Occupational Therapy service.

To complete assessments with support from senior occupational therapist to inform the SEN tribunal process.

The nature of childrens practice will require the post holder to bend, stretch, lift childrens limbs, crawl, kneel, work in confined spaces and at times work from the floor employing light physical effort on a day-to-day basis.

Planning

To plan their own diary and prioritise their caseload in line with the service offer.

To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the children and young peoples Occupational Therapy service.

To work as an autonomous practitioner supported by regular clinical and management supervision.

To comply with departmental and organisational policies and procedures.

Specific projects

To participate in defined, delegated projects.

To liaise with Team Leaders to ensure that all children referred into the occupational therapy Housing Team receive an equitable service.

Communication

To provide excellent communication with Children and Young People, Parents, carers, schools, local education authority, social services, acute hospitals, paediatricians, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, pre-school teachers, psychologists (clinical and educational) and child and family nurses.

Often information handled will be sensitive and highly complex. Occasionally children are seen with extremely sensitive rare and complex medical conditions this requires communication at a high level with specialist doctors and national centres of excellence.

To investigate and manage concerns, incidents and complaints recognising limitations and referring to more senior colleagues, where appropriate.

To provide clear, concise written reports for other agencies for statutory processes to meet legal requirements, e.g. Education, Health and Care Plan, Tribunal cases.

Contribute to EECs internal communication strategies ensuring effective two-way communication and engagement within the organisation.

Contribute to EECs external communication strategies working with the Head of Communications to raise awareness and promote the reputation of EEC services.

People Management

To be involved in the supervision of Therapy Assistants (alongside the team leader Occupational Therapist).

To be involved in the supervision of occupational therapy students in their clinical practice.

Maintain their own professional development and ensure complies with mandatory requirement to take part in appraisal process.

To provide support, guidance and training to therapy assistants assessing and evaluating competence and delegating work appropriately.

To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraiser for therapy assistants, where appropriate.

To support in the recruitment of therapy assistants and administrative staff, where appropriate.

Research & Development Activity

To maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.

To participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice. To have support from senior colleagues to make recommendations to the clinical lead of the service for changes to practise by the team. This may lead the implementation of specific changes to practise or contribute to service protocols.

To participate in undertaking the measurement and evaluation of her work and current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, with support from senior colleagues.

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and to maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.

To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in childrens occupational therapy developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.

To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with his agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.

To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review, ensuring delivery of feedback following attendance at external courses.

To be competent in carrying out literature searches and to actively maintain/update specialist knowledge.

Clinical and Practice Governance

Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies.

The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes.

The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures.

It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with HCPC, and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration.

Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required.

Provide patients and their families /carers with information on standards they should expect from the team.

Participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis.

The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.

General

Safeguarding people responsibility

Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility.

There is an expectation that all staff develop and maintain their role relevant safeguarding people competencies and comply with local safeguarding partnerships practice. Alongside this employee who are registrants are reminded of their professional duty of care.

Safeguarding means protecting a citizens health, wellbeing, and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high‑quality health care.

• Children and young people
• Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory, and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities

The post holder must always carry out their duties with regard to East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust Equal Opportunities Policy.

To be aware of the responsibilities of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff.

All post holders must adhere to the code of conduct on confidentiality and be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.

This job description is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within the Trust.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure and Barring Service to be made to check for any previous criminal convictions. East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff or users in line with its equal opportunities policy and policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential

• Degree or Diploma of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (DipCOT)
• Registration with HCPC

Experience

Essential

• Experience in major adaptations and equipment
• Experience working in multi disciplinary or multi agency teams

Desirable

• Experience working with children and young people
• Shows a realistic appreciation of the challenges of working with children and young people/vulnerable adults

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of relevant housing legislation
• Seeks support where appropriate in line with the professional code of conduct

Desirable

• Ability to work in a team and also work independently

Safeguarding

Essential

• Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues

Desirable

• Shows awareness of current safeguarding legislation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)

The Oak Tree Centre, 1 Oak Drive, Huntingdon, PE29 7HN, United Kingdom