Specialist Occupational Therapist in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion. We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally. We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders. Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment.

Newcastle Community Stroke Services is an innovative, award winning Multi‑Disciplinary Team committed to delivering high quality community‑based stroke rehabilitation for adults. We are part of a well‑established integrated stroke pathway ensuring high quality stroke care from acute admission, inpatient rehabilitation to home. We are constantly evolving our practice to provide evidence based therapeutic interventions and use patient and carer feedback to develop rehabilitation pathways that meet our patient’s needs. We are ready to welcome an enthusiastic, creative, and dynamic new Specialist Occupational Therapist to our team.

Main duties of the job:

• Assessment of stroke patients in their own homes via face to face and virtual means as appropriate.
• Treatment planning in line with multidisciplinary patient centred goals.
• Providing interventions with patients and their families supporting self help and independence.
• Keeping accurate patient records.
• Being involved in service improvement.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• To provide a high standard of occupational therapy care to complex and highly complex patients within Community Stroke Services evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgement.
• To provide day to day supervision of junior and support staff and students working in the specialist area.
• To provide an in‑reach service to acute and rehabilitation in‑patient settings to provide screening assessment to determine which patients are appropriate for the service and co‑ordinate and support a safe transfer home.
• To carry a caseload of complex and highly complex patients within Community Stroke Services providing specialist therapy assessment and treatment.
• To be an active member of the inter‑disciplinary team to ensure a consistent, equitable and high‑quality evidence based service is developed to meet the needs of patients.
• To provide highly specialist advice, education and training relating to occupational therapy for stroke patients within the Trust and externally to therapy and health care professionals in secondary and primary care across the region.
• To be responsible for own continued professional development and facilitate a learning culture within the team undertaking audit and practice development.
• To be actively involved in the education of occupational therapy students.

Qualifications & Education:

• Degree or equivalent diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Registered with Health and Care Professions Council.

Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant relevant post graduate experience in a physical setting.
• In‑depth knowledge of health and social care policy, risk assessment and management.
• In‑depth clinical knowledge of stroke and its impact on a patient’s functional ability.
• Highly specialised understanding of occupational therapy theory, clinical practices and procedures within stroke environment.
• Extensive knowledge of a range of specialist disability equipment, eligibility criteria and procedures/policies relevant to the provision of disability equipment, minor housing adaptations.
• Highly specialist knowledge of moving and handling legislation and knowledge of current moving and handling best practice and associated equipment.
• Experience in supervision of therapists, support staff and students.

Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance so to maintain own continued professional development (CPD) participating in internal and external development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
• Ability to be involved in the promotion of occupational therapy outside the service e.g. within the directorate ensuring occupational therapy is incorporated into any new developments if appropriate.
• An active member of special interest group.
• Ability to lead and actively participate in team in‑service training within the team.
• Hold a full UK valid driving license and has access to a vehicle they can use for the purpose of carrying out the role.

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form: All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay. Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.