Team Lead Occupational Therapist Neuro Rehab in Ashford

We have an exciting opportunity for a Neuro Rehab specialist Occupational Therapist to join the team on the Bradley Unit, based in Woking Hospital as part of Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The post is 37.5 hours a week working on the Bradley Unit – a 20 bedded Regional 2b Neurorehabilitation Unit. Delivering excellence in rehabilitation and care is our driving force. The post will support development of clinical and leadership skills in a friendly, supportive and motivated department. You would have the chance to contribute, facilitate, design and lead service improvements, innovations and audit within our neuro rehabilitation services. We are committed to personal development through supervision and appraisal, as well as internal and external training. There would be occasions when you will be expected to transfer your skills to support acute stroke/neurological patients/ESD patients or for weekend working as the service requires.

Main duties of the job

• Alongside Physio and SLT Team Lead Therapists be jointly responsible for the neuro rehabilitation service on the Bradley Unit.
• Be responsible for the management of a complex clinical caseload.
• Provide clinical expertise and support and training to the team.
• Be a clinical expert and resource to other in-patient teams as required.
• Work closely with the MDT and support with complex patients, management duties and training.
• Line manage within the Bradley Unit Neuro rehab therapies team consisting of qualified and non‑qualified staff.
• Be responsible for the clinical OT assessment, rehab and management of a complex clinical neuro caseload from admission through to discharge, including liaison and onwards referrals.
• Be involved in developing the service in line with national and local strategic plan.

About us

Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North‑West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond. Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter's, Chertsey, Surrey. We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country.

There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at ASPH. We are committed to providing continuous professional development and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care. We are expanding our theatres at Ashford Hospital and moving towards this becoming our dedicated elective centre. We want to create a state‑of‑the‑art centre for excellence for planned surgical procedures. We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:

• Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
• On‑site Nurseries
• On‑site staff cafes
• On‑site parking
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including wage stream, lease cars, Cycle to Work schemes and home electronics

Adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

• To take a leading role in the advanced assessment, clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with a neurological diagnosis and often complex presentations.
• To provide an effective high quality service to patients.
• To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical caseload.
• To take a leading role in the training and development of staff in this speciality.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of professional activities working within codes of practice and professional guidelines.
• To be aware of risks involved as part of delivering clinical care and manage this within own patient case load.
• To be an integrated member of the inpatient team and be able to provide support to other teams in the management of stroke and neuro rehabilitation where required.
• To act as a lead specialist Occupational Therapy resource using highly developed clinical skills in theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.
• To provide information and advice across the in‑patient occupational therapy team regarding equipment provision and authorize others requests.
• To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge plans and appropriate discharge information.
• To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
• To set and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence‑based practice by keeping up to date with clinical developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes in your clinical practice and encourage this throughout the team.
• To demonstrate a high level of understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk and of the use of treatment plans with evidence‑based link.
• To develop services in line with recent NHS initiatives and guidance.
• To demonstrate the physical ability to carry out Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions, including highly developed cognitive therapy and therapeutic handling.

Leadership or managerial

• To plan effectively the daily management of a caseload of patients by prioritising clinical work and responding to frequent urgent and unpredictable issues.
• To maintain the high standards of the service by contributing to the individual, team and service objectives.
• To manage potentially stressful and upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.
• To supervise junior staff, senior staff and therapy assistants where appropriate.
• To participate in the appraisal scheme as an appraiser and to be appraised.
• To attend appropriate meetings both within and outside of the trust.
• To develop and advocate for the Bradley Unit service within ASPH and across trusts.
• Evaluate and manage risks in relation to provision of therapy services.

Communication

• To be highly effective in communicating with other partner organisations in order to provide an effective service.
• To initiate and maintain good contact with service users regarding the development of the service.
• To provide advice to other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure a multidisciplinary approach to care.
• To communicate effectively with all disciplines involved in a patients care, both those from within the organisation and those outside to ensure efficient multidisciplinary working.
• To assess patients understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To maintain accurate records in line with the RCOT, Trust and service standards and policies.
• To use a range of verbal and non‑verbal communication tools to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients in order to initiate treatment and achieve treatment concordance.

Education

• To participate in clinical supervision sessions as a member of the MDT.
• To participate in any training sessions as a recipient and facilitator.
• To disseminate any training received to other staff and healthcare professionals.
• To be actively involved in special interest groups in order to share and disseminate knowledge to colleagues.

Research/Audit/Quality

• Demonstrate the use of relevant information and research findings to support and promote evidence‑based practice within the clinical area.
• Participate in both clinical and organisational audit to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the service.
• Feedback to appropriate stakeholders on the results, trends of audits and research undertaken.

IT

• To maintain timely and accurate statistical information as required by senior staff and managers.
• To keep up to date with advances in technology.

Further information and general responsibilities

• To have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and others at work.
• To report incidents and near misses at work; take part in the risk management process; attend all mandatory training courses in the agreed duration as defined by trust policy.
• To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity.
• To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection act.
• To comply with the trusts corporate and local policies and procedures on such subjects and clinical management and human resources.

Person Specification

• BSc (Hons) In Occupational Therapy
• Significant experience as a senior OT in managing rehabilitation needs of those with neurological diagnosis
• Significant experience in complex discharge planning within the NHS
• Evidence of leading a team including supervision and appraisals
• Evidence of delivering teaching and service development initiatives
• Employment at a senior level within a neuro rehabilitation unit

Knowledge

• Expert knowledge in evidence based treatment approaches within neuro rehab
• Expert clinical reasoning skills
• Knowledge of national clinical guidelines

Skills

• Effective communication and engagement skills
• Therapeutic skills in complex neuro moving and handling
• Skills in full neuro assessment process
• Ability to prioritise, delegate and request support when needed
• Skills in splinting and casting
• Skills in microstim / FES

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.

Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust £50,008 to £56,908 a year per annum inc. HCAS