Specialist Occupational Therapist - Walsall ESD/Community Stroke Team

Specialist Occupational Therapist - Walsall ESD/Community Stroke Team

NHS AfC: Band 6

Main area Specialist Occupational Therapist Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 407-COMMUNITY-8290299

Site Darlaston Health Centre Town Walsall Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 15/10/2026 23:59

Walsall Manor Hospital is a busy district general hospital offering compete range of acute services. The Trust primarily serves the immediate population of Walsall with some patients requiring more specialised treatment at other, neighbouring Trusts. The Trust continues to invest in its facilities and services, supporting high-quality care for the communities it serves.

This role offers the opportunity to work within our integrated care model, contributing to high-quality services that help people remain independent in their own homes and communities.

We are committed to investing in our workforce and creating an environment where colleagues can learn, contribute and develop. Our new Urgent Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, demonstrates our ongoing investment in facilities and services.

As an employee, you’ll benefit from an attractive salary and comprehensive benefits package (detailed in Employer Description above), plus access to NHS pension arrangements and staff accommodation where available.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is proud to be part of the Armed Forces Covenant, currently holding the Bronze Award, underlining our commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community.

Job overview

The Walsall Early Supported Discharge (ESD) and Community Stroke Team is seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred rehabilitation for individuals recovering from stroke within their own homes and community settings.

The post holder will provide specialist occupational therapy assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation to adults with complex physical, cognitive, perceptual, and psychosocial needs following stroke. Working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team, you will support patients to maximise their independence, achieve their rehabilitation goals, and facilitate a smooth transition from hospital to community-based care.

Main duties of the job

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, including professional and legal accountability and managing clinical risk for all aspects of own work. Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as an individual practitioner or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing an evidence-based Occupational Therapy service for adults with a stroke. To use specialist clinical skills to assess and deliver Occupational Therapy intervention to service users with highly complex needs. In most cases to be the sole health professional with responsibility for that patient’s episode of care.

To provide support to the Assistant Practitioners/Technical Instructors via supervision and Professional Development Review. To work collaboratively with and to provide technical support to colleagues within community stroke rehabilitation services. To act as an accredited fieldwork educator for Occupational Therapy Students on placement.

Working for our organisation

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state-of-the-art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To manage a caseload of service users with highly complex needs due to stroke,

2. Using specialist Occupational Therapist assessment and intervention skills i.e. Vision, cognition, vocational rehab to include equipment orders and home adaptions.

3. Use specialist clinical skills to provide assessment and treatment programmes in community setting.

4. To supervise band 4 and 5 grades of therapy staff within the community stroke rehabilitation service

5. To act as an autonomous practitioner with advanced practitioner skills. This involves assessing clinical needs, planning, delivering, and evaluating therapeutic rehabilitation programmes to support community living of clients with complex needs and discharging from the service when appropriate.

6. To perform specialist stroke rehabilitation Occupational therapy assessments and interventions to facilitate improvement in upper limb function, cognitive, vision and perceptual skills within recognised frameworks of practice and treatment approaches. This may involve use of recognised standardised assessments e.g. VISA, OCS, R-Bands, Brainwave R and Rivermead perceptual assessment battery.

7. To assess for and fit a wide variety of adaptive equipment to meet clients’ needs regarding community living and performance of roles. This involves identifying potential risks and using highly developed clinical reasoning skills to identify the appropriate piece of equipment and monitor and evaluate its use

8. To assess for and prescribe minor adaptations to property and identify needs for major adaptations and liaise with Social Services colleagues regarding provision

9. To assess clinical needs and manufacture specialist orthoses to meet clinical needs related to management of muscle tone, joint stability, and pain. This will include monitoring and evaluating use and change in clients’ health status within a planned review system.

10. To organise, facilitate and evaluate, group treatment and health education programmes for specific client groups i.e. upper limb group and cognitive groups.

11. To effectively manage and prioritise a caseload of service users with complex needs acting as an autonomous practitioner with advanced specialist practitioner skills.

12. To provide appropriate written clinical reports within Single Assessment Processes and maintain client case notes to agreed departmental and professional standards.

13. To construct and monitor care plans. This includes supervising the practice of generic workers, Assistant Practitioners or Technical Instructors and care workers within the enablement service.

14. To liaise and work jointly with, appropriate health and social care providers to ensure that all identified issues requiring intervention are addressed within available resources. This may include attendance at multi-professional and multiagency meetings, case reviews and joint visits.

15. To provide technical support and advice to other health and social care providers regarding appropriate interventions to address clients’ issues.

16. To identify best / evidence-based practice related to appropriate client groups and implement within resources available.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Professional qualification e.g. BSc in Occupational Therapy
• State registered Occupational Therapist
• Specialist post graduate courses in neurology (Stroke biased) subjects

Knowledge and Experience

• Demonstrates highly developed specialist, advanced practitioner skills gained through post graduate courses and extensive post qualified experience working with adults with stroke.
• Practical experience of supervising qualified and unqualified OT staff.
• Practical experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Extensive experience of working as an autonomous OT practitioner withing a health or social care setting.
• Current experience as an accredited fieldwork educator for Occupational Therapy students.
• Demonstrates highly developed comprehensive, specialist knowledge and skills gained via post graduate courses or extensive practical experience in the following areas.
• Comprehensive knowledge of neuropathology and its effects on function and psychological well-being gained from post graduate courses and experience.
• Extensive theoretical knowledge and highly specialist practical skills regarding utilisation of appropriate evidence-based OT Interventions and models of practice to effectively meet the complex needs of this client group.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation, government white papers and clinical guidelines (eg NICE) that influence service provision for this client group.
• Knowledge of clinical governance issues ie, Evidence based practice, Integrated care pathways, Clinical risk assessment, audit and practical experience of their utilisation within clinical practice.
• Client centred assessment of complex clinical needs related to changes in functional ability as a consequence of neurological deficits.
• Cognitive, Vision and perceptual assessment and specialist rehabilitation.
• Construction, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of OT treatment and care plans.
• Knowledge and assessment of specialist equipment and prescriptions of specialist equipment and prescription of environments.
• Assessments for and prescription of environmental adaptations.
• Assessment and providing orthoses.
• To run and support stroke therapy group.
• Demonstrates advanced, Specialist Stroke rehabilitation assessment skills including use of validated standardised assessment tools.
• Demonstrates advanced specialist skills in neurological treatments appropriate to this client group eg. Bobath normal movement.
• Specialist technical skills eg. Manufacture of specialist orthoses, spasticity management.
• Accredited fieldwork educator for OT students.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Demonstrates effective IT skills, including the ability to operate Microsoft word and e - mail Other
• Demonstrates the ability to work under pressure

Flexibility

• Must be willing to work across the 7-day week as the service demands
• Must be willing to work and support any of the teams within Walsall Integrated Stroke Service (Walsall, Cannock & Stafford Community Stroke Teams)
• Demonstrates the ability to travel frequently throughout the borough and surrounding locations during the working day.

Other

• Highly developed communication skills in order to convey complex concepts to others
• Highly developed decision making and problem solving skills used when interpreting assessments outcomes, considering a range of treatment options and client’s eligibility for services.
• Demonstrates ability to work as effective Team Worker within multi agency, multi professional team.
• Ability to operate as autonomous practitioner and act appropriately on own initiative.
• Ability to identify own development needs and willingness to undertake appropriate opportunities for professional development.

Sponsorship and Visas

We welcome applications from all candidates with the right to work in the UK, including those on Health and Care Visas, Graduate Visas, or other valid permissions. All candidates will be considered on equal terms.

This Trust currently recruits successfully from the domestic labour market and has a sufficient pool of suitably qualified candidates for Band 3 roles. Visa sponsorship is therefore not available for this role currently.Candidates who already hold the right to work in the UK, including those on an existing Health and Care Visa, Graduate Visa, or any other valid permission are welcome to apply and will be considered on equal terms. This position is reviewed regularly in line with Home Office guidance. Right to work will be verified at each stage of the recruitment and monitored throughout employment. All candidates who are offered a position will be required to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK as part of the pre-employment checks process. Where a candidates' right to work is derived from another person’s immigration permission, the Trust will discuss the implications of this with the candidate before a permanent post is confirmed, to ensure that both parties understand the terms on which employment can be sustained.

Recruitment and Selection Approach

In line with best practice and regulatory guidance, our selection process is fair, consistent and based on your ability to perform the role, contribute to the organisation and your potential for development.

What to expect:

• Application screening: Your application will be reviewed against the person specification
• Interview: Typically, a panel interview with competency-based and values-based questions
• Assessment: Role-dependent assessments may include practical tasks or presentations
• Timeline: We aim to complete the process within 47 days of the closing date. Recruitment Journey is attached to all live vacancies.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates at any stage. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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