Job overview

To provide a comprehensive and co-ordinated range of specialist occupational therapy therapeutic and preventative services in community settings, which maintain or improve people’s health, independence and quality of life.

Applying specialist knowledge and skills across the total range of complex health conditions, procedures and practices gained through practical experience, underpinned by theoretical knowledge. 

Care group includes frailty, complex co-morbidities, discharge to assess and admission avoidance.  

To assess and implement specialist treatment programmes as an autonomous practitioner, maintaining associated clinical records.

To work unsupervised reporting back to the clinical lead on a regular basis and to work as part of the wider MDT.

To participate in the day-to-day management of the service provision undertaking tasks as delegated by leadership, supporting new graduates and less experienced therapists, and non-registered staff members on a daily basis.

To provide formal supervision to nominated staff members and students.

Main duties of the job

Clinical

1.    To carry and prioritise own patient caseload and other ongoing tasks, allocating appropriate work to technical instructors and students.

2.    To carry out assessments and treatment in the most appropriate setting for the patient’s needs, whether this in the patients home, Residential/Nursing Home, Surrey Downs area, appropriate community setting, or tertiary unit.

3.    To perform specialist occupational therapy assessment of patients with diverse and complex presentations, using advanced clinical reasoning skills to analyse, interpret and make judgements on complex facts or situations.

4.    To develop specialised programmes of care, treatment and advice to patients and their care givers, based on sound knowledge of evidence based practice and the range of treatment options and/or adaptive techniques and/or equipment provision, and/or care services. 

5.    To incorporate the appropriate standard assessment tools and outcome measures with patients, and apply additional relevant skills such as therapeutic handling, moving and handling risk assessment and hand related treatment strategies / equipment for housebound patients.

Organisational

1. To undertake delegated responsibility for the triaging, prioritisation and allocation of cases within the clinical area along with the clinical lead.
2. To provide formal monthly supervision of nominated staff, ensuring their practice meets the required professional standards.
3. To provide regular teaching sessions and contribute to the performance assessment of new graduate/rotational therapy staff and rehabilitation assistants.
4. To provide training sessions to staff from other teams and agencies, either on request or on a regular basis.

To keep accurate statistical information to assist in the monitoring and management of the service

Professional

1. To be responsible for teaching student Occupational Therapists to graduate level on therapeutic skills and knowledge within core clinical areas.
2. To promote a culture of providing Occupational Therapy clinical placements, assisting fieldwork educators and NVQ assessors by supervising students/Technical Instructors clinical work and providing training sessions.
3. To actively participate in the in-service training programme by attending and contributing to discussions, and in providing sessions.
4. To maintain and further develop current specialist knowledge, skills and evidenced based practice, incorporating them as appropriate into clinical work.
5. To participate in formal supervision process as a supervisee and supervisor. 
6. To participate in the SDHC appraisal scheme and formulate a personal development plan in line with the knowledge and skills framework.

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