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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES

At all times to be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work.

1. Clinical

Work as an autonomous practitioner, to assess and treat own caseload of patients, including those with complex presentations. In each rotation treatment decisions will be underpinned by specialist knowledge gained from post graduate study of evidence based treatments and from previous experience.

To quickly and accurately screen, establish priority for patient referrals for Occupational Therapy intervention some of which maybe complex and require a multi-disciplinary approach.

To carry out an assessment of patients, including those with complex presentations.   Draw on a wide range of information sources and use clinical reasoning skills to determine an accurate diagnosis. To identify an appropriate Occupational Therapy care plan from treatment options available.

To formulate and deliver occupational therapy treatment programmes in a variety of settings. Settings include: hospital, community, and patients’ home, home visits, as part of a team and as a sole practitioner.

To work collaboratively to prevent inappropriate hospital admissions and to facilitate hospital discharge in order to minimize hospital stays.

To develop comprehensive discharge plans in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team members.  

To make recommendations to support a patients discharge including care support and rehabilitation opportunities.

Undertake referrals to internal and external services when deemed appropriate/of benefit to the support or progression of the patient. e.g. community rehabilitation, social services, voluntary agencies 

To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for moving and handling people in community environments.

To be physically able to install specialist occupational therapy equipment in client homes applying safe manual handling at all times, especially when doing so in restricted spaces

To work with patients and their carers when appropriate in such a way as to promote their self-management strategies.

To represent the service at multi-disciplinary team meetings. This will include discussion of patient care, progress and involvement in discharge planning and continued rehabilitation needs.

To keep accurate treatment records, which fulfill legal and statistical requirements and which are in accordance with HCPC/CSP/Trust/departmental standards.

To provide comprehensive progress and discharge reports to relevant personnel to inform on action taken or actions required

Demonstrate the ability to seek guidance and support when needed or when treatment required is not within scope of professional knowledge or skill.

To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload at all times.

To work flexibly in order to provide cover to other clinical areas when required. 

2      Communication

To gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

To be able to motivate and persuade others through effective communication skills, with the benefit of verbal and non-verbal skills, for example, patients with communication difficulties, hearing or sight impairments, memory loss, mental illness or those who may be unable to accept their diagnosis.

To be able to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff members when required accepting that there may be barriers to communication i.e. non-English speaking patients, use of interpreters, excess noise or lack of privacy.

To communicate effectively providing and receiving complex information in relation to patients care including but not limited to liaising with:

• Other members of the Multi-disciplinary team (Consultants, General Practitioners, medical staff, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language therapists, Dietitians, Social Workers etc) to develop and agree management programmes for the patients in your care adopting and developing effective interpersonal skills to ensure  comprehensive management.
• Relatives or carers to gain the best possible understanding of each patient and give suitable guidance and support
• And to arrange and participate in case conferences with patients who have complex physical, psychological and social presentations.

To produce written, electronic and verbal reports for the MDT other Health or Social care providers and be able to convey this to the patient in an accessible and meaningful manner using the correct terminology, often in the face of communication barriers.

To build a network of professional contacts across a range of professions in various settings such as community services, social services and other acute hospitals.

To attend Therapy staff meetings and other meetings when necessary.

3          Education and Training

Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence-based practice, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.

To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.

To, be actively involved in induction and education of new staff, rotating staff and students.

To be responsible for and actively record own professional development and maintain a CPD portfolio which reflects the same.

To be pro-active in organizing, teaching and actively participating in the in-service and post-registration education programme within every clinical area. Attendance of other outside courses/lectures is encouraged.

To ensure yearly attendance/participation in Mandatory training requirements

• Management 

4.1       Organisation:

To flexibly plan and organise own time, patient caseload and meetings (including ward, departmental, inter-departmental and service development meetings) and adjusting plans according to staffing levels.

To, carry an identified bleep as required and be able to respond to unpredictable work and frequent interruptions.

To assist the team leader in allocating and organising the work of junior, assistant, technical instructor and student staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis and to deputise fully in their absence.

To deputise for the team leader during periods of absence ensuring on-going smooth running of the team.

To be responsible for  the day-to-day supervision of junior and/or assistant/tech grade staff and to assist in the line-management of junior staff as delegated by team leader  including setting of staff objectives and completing staff appraisal for junior staff.

To, implement department and trust policies and contribute to service development by proposing changes to current practice.

To take responsibility for allocated departmental duties or attendance at committees as requested.       

4.2       Physical Resources:

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all patient related equipment and ensure that junior staff/assistants/technical instructors attain competency prior to use.

To familiarize self with local borough procedure for provision of equipment and their criterion for issue.

When required undertake risk assessments relating to use of equipment to ensure patient safety at all times and personal accountability.

4.3       Human Resources:

To supervise and assist in the line-management of junior grade Occupational Therapists and Therapy assistants and Technicians as delegated by team leader

To, be responsible for the supervision, co-ordination and appraisal of junior staff/students and assistants on a daily basis.

To be responsible for teaching junior staff/students and assistants including formal group session (theoretical and practical), watched assessments and complex patient reviews.

To be responsible for undergraduate student Occupational Therapists as allocated by the team leader and to regularly liaise with academic institutions. This involves continual assessment of the student’s competency and grading them accordingly.

5          Clinical Governance

To comply with department policy on recording patient activities with respect to own caseload and to ensure junior staff also comply.

To comply with and participate in audit programmes in the department and assist service improvements recommended as a result of such activities.

To be aware of and adhere to the Trust’s Manual Handling policy and, using clinical reasoning, implement the department’s Therapeutic Handling policy appropriately.

To comply with all the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act in ensuring that all equipment you issue or medical devices used in practice requirements. To ensure equipment breakdown or defects are reported promptly.

To be aware of the procedures for reporting identified near misses, incidents, or complaints and support the Senior Physiotherapist as required in implementing the correct procedures.

To participate in staff appraisal scheme and be responsible for own personal development plan and meeting competencies.

Occasionally you may be required to visit patients and cope with very strong odours. You may unknowingly come in contact with an infestation.