Job Description

Serving people with learning disabilities in the London Borough of Harrow, within the Harrow Community Learning Disabilities Service.



This is an integrated health and social care multidisciplinary service. The service also works collaboratively with other local health and social care provider services who work with adults with learning disabilities, who also access mainstream services, to ensure that outcomes are met.



The post holder to provide a specialist occupational therapy service to adults with learning disability and their families/carers including assessment, development and implementation of specialist interventions.



The post holder will contribute to the continuing development of the overall OT service within the team.



The postholder will manage their individual defined caseload including complex cases independently, evidencing problem solving and clinical reasoning skills in line with evidence based and client-centred principles.



Occupational Therapist Band 5 will work alongside the Band 7 OT to provide assessment and intervention for patients with a formal diagnosis of Learning Disabilities in accordance with the Royal College of OT Code of Ethics.



To autonomously identify and address the sensory needs of service users through evidence-based assessment and interventions. To establish effective partnerships with a range of local agencies to identify opportunities which will support community integration for service users. To work in partnership with colleagues in the MDT to identify and develop opportunities which meet the psycho-social needs of service users e.g. group interventions. The Occupational Therapist (OT) will utilise MOHO evidence-based assessment tools in order to establish a baseline functional assessment from which recommendations can determine further on-going care and treatment to enable optimum functioning. To manage a caseload of service users who have learning disabilities with complex mental health and or challenging behaviour needs; using evidence-based practice and service user centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment. To contribute to person-centred care plans in order to improve the service users' quality of life and to support them to do the things they want to do and live the life they want to lead.

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy & policy, & many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

With us, you will get :

An opportunity to work for one of the top 10 NHS employers



A Trust committed to staff personal development, with a trust wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core



Supervision and Continuing Professional Development of Occupational Therapy Staff Policy 2024-2029



Job Flexibility

The post-holder will be required to work flexibly, providing assistance as and when necessary, which may involve them in a developing role.



Clinical

1.1 To provide specialist, culturally appropriate, evidence based occupational therapy assessments for service users within the team in order to establish and meet their occupational needs.

1.2 To provide full vocational needs assessment, advice and on-going intervention related to an individual's vocational needs.

1.3 To select and use validated standardised assessment tools routinely and in practice, exhibiting clinical reasoning skills; to include the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) assessments. To consider and assess the impact of physical health and/or disability, mental health, distressed behaviour and sensory processing needs.

1.4 To apply clinical knowledge and expertise to carry out evidence based occupational therapy interventions, both individual and in groups, which are underpinned by relevant theoretical approaches and in line with the Trust's Research and Development Strategy; to lead and supervise junior staff and/or students as required.

1.5 To plan, implement and review individually tailored programmes of intervention, including sensory integration techniques, using individual and group work approaches.

1.6 To support service users and colleagues to ensure that care plans are developed in partnership with the individual and that they reflect person centred goals. These should be strengths-based and oriented towards reinforcing a positive identity and developing valued social roles.

1.7 To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions against clear aims, objectives and outcome measures in line with evidence based practice and in conjunction with service users, carers and other professionals.

1.8 To identify opportunities and needs for group work in the community setting and to plan, implement, facilitate and evaluate groups which promote social inclusion for service users.

1.9 To establish links with the CNWL Recovery College; and as appropriate, deliver courses within the college alongside peer support workers.

1.10 To apply a level of understanding of the effects of mental illness for people with learning disabilities and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service user's social and physical environment.

1.11 To determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on service user's functional ability and undertake assessment/make recommendations with regards to the provision of equipment/aids and adaptations.

1.12 To be aware of medication issues in line with the CNWL OT Medication Management Guidelines.

1.13 To follow local protocol and obtain recommended equipment and/or liaise with local providers of equipment to ensure provision as appropriate.

1.14 To proactively undertake and ensure rigorous risk assessment & risk management strategies are applied. To ensure maximum 'risk tolerance' facilitates the individual's recovery, in line with risk policies and local guidelines.

1.15 To work in partnership with other agencies.

1.16 For Practitioners to be aware of and sensitive to the safeguarding needs of children and adults in their work, and knowledgeable both about potential indicators of abuse or neglect and about what to do if they had concerns about a child's or adult's welfare.

1.17 To identify carers needs in line with national requirements.

1.18 To support service users in relation to their physical health, employment, and housing and welfare benefits issues; referring to specialist provider services as necessary.

1.19 To provide all service users on caseload with a full adult mental health assessment and offer regular monitoring of mental state.

1.20 To facilitate effective links with community resources in order that a socially inclusive focus towards treatment and discharge planning is maintained.

1.22 To facilitate smooth transitions for service users between the ward and community settings.