Band 5 Occupational Therapist

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a leading Cancer Hospital in London, and the Occupational Therapy Department is recruiting to a permanent, full time, Band 5 role in our Chelsea hospital (which attracts inner London weighting) to work across Adult wards and outpatients. You will be joining a supportive and friendly team of qualified Occupational Therapists working in an acute setting to support needs of patients undergoing cancer treatment across all tumour groups. There is excellent internal and external CPD opportunities, generous support for study leave and comprehensive staff benefits via Vivup.

Developing and implementing individual specialised therapeutic rehabilitation programmes specific to patient’s needs based on activity analysis using a client-centred, problem-solving approach. Liaising with multi professional team within the hospital and community, to achieve optimum rehabilitation outcomes and planned coordinated packages of support across health and social care. Taking a key role in organising and facilitating discharge planning case conferences where functional independence is paramount. Teaching patients specialised strategies aimed towards the management of symptoms related to cancer e.g. relaxation and anxiety management, breathlessness and fatigue management.

Main duties of the job include providing a high quality cost-effective occupational therapy service for the patient with cancer. As a qualified practitioner, the postholder is a source of knowledge and expertise for patients, relatives and colleagues of all disciplines. With the support of the Band 6 Occupational Therapist, they will organise occupational therapy activities within a defined clinical area and will also liaise closely with all members of the multi-professional rehabilitation team in the provision of a specialist input to a variety of education programmes.

Working under supervision of band 6 in ward and outpatient settings to provide complex clinical assessment of the biomechanical, sensory, psychological, cognitive, perceptual and interpersonal deficits affecting the functioning of individuals with cancer, their families and carers through the use of clinical reasoning. Developing and implementing treatment and educational groups for people with cancer and their carers. Carrying out complex functional and risk assessments required to provide appropriate equipment and to teach patients, carers and staff safe and correct use to maximise safety and independence within the hospital and home environments. Assessing environmental risks and prescription of equipment and adaptations in the patient’s home. This may involve lone working. Undertaking risk assessment of manual handling issues related to patient’s rehabilitation, complying with the Trust’s Manual Handling Policy. Maintaining contemporaneous and high quality patient documentation as well as writing formal reports necessary for the implementation of care packages and home equipment to enable safe discharge and ongoing rehabilitation.

Person specification includes:

• Education/Qualifications: Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy recognised by UK College of Occupational Therapists. State Registration with Health & Care Professions Council for Occupational Therapy.
• Experience: Evidence of experience of dealing with oncology patients and their families / carers. Evidence of experience in clinical supervision and appraisal. Evidence of experience of principles and practice in audit, outcomes measurement and clinical governance. Approved fieldwork supervisor course. Accredited wheelchair course.
• Skills Abilities/knowledge: Knowledge of functional assessment and treatment techniques for oncology and palliative care patients. Risk assessment: Ability to carry out risk assessments concerning patients and staff safety, including Manual Handling. Developed clinical reasoning as well as analytical and creative problems solving skills. Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills as required in an oncology and palliative care setting. Ability to deal with imparting bad news. Ability to produce professional reports and records including POMRs, multi-professional care plans, letters, assessments for hospital and external agencies. Ability to reflect on clinical practice. Ability to work as part of a supportive team. Ability to teach both patients and carers in areas relating to rehabilitation. Proven ability to prepare and deliver presentations and education sessions to health care colleagues and members of public. Ability to assess risks associated with lone working, take responsibility for reporting to colleagues and ensuring self and patient are safe at all times. Knowledge of group dynamics, planning, facilitating, running and evaluating therapeutic groups. Ability to work in a highly motivated, self-directed manner on clinical and departmental activities. Ability to prioritise and manage time effectively. Ability to fulfil supervisory role for undergraduate students. Ability to enter data, prepare reports, formal written documentation and multi-media presentations.

Other Requirements: Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role. The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff: At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.