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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication:

• To establish, maintain and participate in robust multi-disciplinary communication networks, for self and team, with clients, carers and other health workers and agencies involved in client care.
• To promote awareness of the role of Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy within the team, in relation to all aspects of patient care, negotiating priorities where appropriate, informing the Integrated Services Implementation Plan using high level of presentation and training skills.
• To promote the role of the multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services within Suffolk Community Healthcare, in relation to all aspects of client care, informing the Integrated Services Implementation Plan.
• To participate in and maintain robust professional communication systems within own and other professional teams.
• To ensure junior Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy team members maintain robust communication systems within their own profession and with other professionals.
• To contribute to relevant meetings with Suffolk Community Healthcare. To provide highly complex information to the clients, clinicians and other agencies to assist in decision-making, using persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic and re-assurance skills.
• To ensure any verbal complaints are dealt with in a sensitive, effective and timely way in accordance with local and Trust complaints procedure. 
• To ensure that self and junior members of the team maintain up-to-date written and electronic data, where applicable, in accordance with professional and Suffolk Community Healthcare standards and in compliance with Confidentiality of Information policy.
• To ensure self and all members of the team provide therapy reports relevant to the clients’ situations.

 Planning and organisational Skills:

• To identify the training needs of self and junior staff through the service appraisal process to inform personal and team development plans.
• To contribute to a robust induction process for all new staff in the multi-disciplinary services and all students on placement.
• To participate and support the Practice Placement Education of professional, NVQ and work experience students.
• To act as specialist witness for NVQ candidates.
• To plan, contribute and participate in robust in-service training programmes for the staff. 
• To apply highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in order to demonstrate professional competence and fitness to practice in multi-disciplinary services.
• To demonstrate ongoing personal development of self and junior staff through participation in internal and external training and development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
• Develop self and others through regular one to ones and supervision.

 Clinical Duties:

• To hold a caseload of clients with a broad range of multiple and complex health needs, using specialist knowledge to carry out assessments, using standardised tools, setting objectives and implementing appropriate treatment, as part of the holistic care plan.
• To formulate an individual specialist management/treatment plan for each client using clinical reasoning skills and utilising a wide range of highly specialised physical, sensory and cognitive treatment skills following analysis of information received from client, carers and referrer and any other professionals involved in the clients’ care as necessary.
• To ensure own and junior staff’s interventions are evaluated and treatment is modified in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of disability and provide training and advice to patients and carers on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the client’s social and physical environment, involving other appropriate professionals and agencies when indicated.
• To work with the appropriate leads and other senior staff to effectively triage all referrals to the team, to ensure the most appropriate use of the services and the appropriate and timely service to the client.
• To ensure all aspects of care offered by the team meet with agreed national, professional and local standards.
• To provide specialist advice to clients, carers and colleagues, as necessary, on Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy related matters as appropriate
• To develop and maintain an agreed area of professional interest and experience and act as a resource for other team members for the subject area accessing relevant external training/information.

 Governance:

• To ensure that self and junior members of the team  work effectively within the service to support the planning and achievement of local and Suffolk Community Healthcare service objectives.
• To contribute to and participate in the planning and development of services in line with the Integrated Services Implementation Plan.
• To be actively involved in integrated working across and between Health and Adult Community Services (ACS)
• To ensure self and junior members of the multi-disciplinary team are working in partnership with local voluntary and statutory agencies.
• To demonstrate a clear understanding of the roles of own and other services and how they interact to provide effective patient-centred care.

Equality and Diversity

• To adhere to Rules of Professional Conduct and facilitate compliance of junior staff with local and professional standards of practice.
• To participate in the recruitment and appointment of staff as required whilst ensuring that confidentiality is maintained with regard to the processing of personal documentation
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of the service sensitive to these needs.
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on ethical issues and to provide guidance to junior staff as necessary.
• To ensure self and junior staff comply with all relevant Suffolk Community Healthcare policies, procedures and guidelines relating to Equal Opportunities. 

Health, Safety and Security

• To ensure that self and staff adhere to Suffolk Community Healthcare and local Health and Safety policy and procedures and maintain safe environments and working practices. 
• Ensure that staff report incidents and near misses in accordance with Suffolk Community Healthcare risk management/ incident policies.  Promoting a blame free culture in reporting incidents. 
• Comply with Suffolk Community Healthcare Infection Control Policies and conduct themselves in such a manner as to minimise the risk of healthcare associated infections.
• To comply with jointly agreed policies and procedures of the Suffolk Area Child Protection Committee/Vulnerable Adults services, including cooperating with the statutory child protection agencies in ensuring the safety and well-being of children and attend case conferences as required. 

Finance and Resources:

• To ensure self and junior staff are aware of budgetary constraints and work within them.
• To be responsible for monitoring and maintaining stock, advising on resources to carry out the service and its security.

Leadership and management:

• To be responsible for the day to day planning and delivery of Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy services within the community team/inpatient team/day and treatment team, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective service.
• To be jointly responsible with other senior colleagues for the day-to-day planning and delivery of the multi disciplinary services.
• To ensure junior staff in the teams manage their caseloads using evidence based, client centred principles to assess, plan and implement, specialised programmes of care and evaluate their interventions.  

Research & Development:

• To encourage, support and participate in research activity within the services. 
• To be responsible for submitting statistics and monthly returns for audit purposes as required by the organisation
• To engage actively in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to promote evidence based practice.