Specialist Occupational Therapist - Neuro Rehabilitation

Bexley Community Neurorehabilitation Team is looking to appoint a motivated and committed Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist, with a keen interest and proven experience of working with adults with neurological conditions. Ideally you will be an existing B6 OT wanting to further develop your specialist skills in neurology and community working. However, we also welcome applications from experienced Band 5's looking for your first B6 post.

You will be part of a busy community multidisciplinary Neuro-Rehabilitation Team in the London Borough of Bexley, working 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri), with rostered weekend working every 5-6 weeks. Working from home and flexible working is supported by the Trust.

You need to be a confident, autonomous practitioner with high level communication skills, a flexible problem solving approach, good clinical reasoning skills, and be efficient in your time and people management. The team provides a service in clients' own homes, care homes and the local community and provides a great opportunity for joint working, joint goal setting and regular in-service training. In exchange for your professional skills, passion and commitment to patient centred care, we offer you a supportive, friendly team where you will be listened to, feel valued and be developed as a Band 6.

Main duties of the job

• With support and training from the 8a Clinical Specialist and Highly Specialist Band 7 OT, you will provide specialist neurological OT assessment and treatment to clients presenting with highly complex neurological conditions including Stroke, MND, MS, Head Injury, and Parkinson's.
• The service encourages continued professional development, with in-service training within the Neurorehabilitation team and quarterly professional peer supervision with all Bexley Care OT's.
• This post also offers the opportunity to develop supervisory skills, by being responsible for a Band 5 OT, therapy assistants and student OTs as required.
• You will have the opportunity to work closely with other colleagues in the South East London sector and be part of our teams development in line with the Neuro Core offer.

It is essential that you hold a full UK driving license and preferably have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes, although Oxleas offers a Lease Car Scheme to all substantive employees. Mileage is paid at 45p per mile.

Job responsibilities

• To provide specialist occupational therapy input to clients as part of the specialist Community Neurorehabilitation service.
• To work with specialist nurses and other health and social care practitioners to manage those with neurology long term conditions.
• To supervise Band 5 occupational therapists/ therapy assistants and occupational therapy students.
• To be responsible and accountable for assessment, diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of conditions including complex cases, in the community as an autonomous and lone practitioner to clients.
• To be able to demonstrate specialist knowledge levels and skills in neurology conditions and interventions.
• To demonstrate theoretical knowledge of multiple pathologies and impairments in the assessment of community clients, often in the presence of incomplete or conflicting referral information to form accurate analyses and diagnoses.
• To assess for and provide equipment to enhance independence in daily living skills for service users.
• To monitor, review and continually re-assess clients complex care plans and objectives against outcomes measures in order to facilitate modification of packages of care/targets as appropriate to enable achievement of their goals.

Person Specification

Education

• Essential: Degree / Masters in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC registered
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Desirable: Leadership training, Specialist training in therapeutic work with people with neurological conditions.

Experience

• Essential: Experience of working with clients in a community setting
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Evidence of MDT working
• Experience of undertaking risk assessment and risk management
• Experience organising and delivering therapy in group settings
• Experience of using relevant outcome measure
• Desirable: Experience of supervising assistants and students, Specialist training in therapeutic work with people with neurological conditions.

Skills

• Essential: Excellent communication skills - written and verbal
• Knowledge of specific patient conditions acquired through training and experience
• Knowledge and experience of a range of treatment approaches
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• To perform clinical skills in assessment and/or diagnosis and/or treatment
• Desirable: Reflective abilities, Specialist training in therapeutic work with people with neurological conditions.

Other

• Essential: Drivers licence
• Car owner/ access to vehicle for work

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.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.