Job Description

An exciting secondment opportunity has arisen for a qualified Occupational Therapist to join our paediatric therapy team based at the Lighthouse Child Development Centre in Southend-on-Sea. We offer our employees the opportunity to develop into specialist paediatric therapists whilst working in an experienced and very supportive multi-agency team. The service will be operates using a tiered approach as recommended by RCOT for all children referred.



We are looking for a Band 6 Occupational therapists, full time and part-time hours will be considered.



We would also consider applicants looking for a band 5 to 6 development post.



You will be part of our established children's OT team and we are offering you the chance to learn the skills needed to work with the diverse range of conditions in children that a Paediatric Occupational Therapist may work with. The post is based at the Lighthouse Child Development Centre and will require you to drive to different schools and or home settings. You will be working closely with staff employed by education. You will receive extensive in-house training and ongoing direct senior support to enable you to carry out this job-role



Main duties of the job

We offer:

A supportive team of experienced clinicians and assistants with a varied skill mix.



Development of expertise in the areas of management of children with a wide range of conditions including co-ordination difficulties, neuro-developmental problems and difficulties with sensory processing.



The opportunity to develop presentation skills and multi-agency working with colleagues in education



Opportunities to provide training to parents, education staff, colleagues and other professional



The opportunity to start working using our newly introduced tiered approach which has been recommended by RCOT for all children referred to our service.



Opportunities to develop your personal and clinical skills through a range of learning experiences specifically linked with your appraisal objectives and identified development needs including joint consultations and shadowing.



Regular professional support, including an appraisals, supervision and continued professional development (CPD)



Departmental in-service development programme as well as bi-monthly clinical effectiveness days



Regular OT team meetings



Working for your organisation



EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;



Season Ticket Loans



NHS discounts for staff



Excellent Training facilities and opportunities



Buying and Selling annual leave scheme



The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas



Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work



Day One Flexible Employer



Join our Staff bank



What is Staff Bank?



Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.



All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.



If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.



Detailed job description and main responsibilities



The post-holder will perform advanced occupational therapy assessments of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and developmental conditions, to develop and deliver an individualised treatment plan, maintaining accurate patient records. As an autonomous practitioner, they will have responsibility for their own caseload and be responsible for a defined area of the service or a particular patient type, working without direct supervision.



The post-holder will be responsible for supervising, educating and assessing the performance of Band 5 Occupational Therapists and 4 Therapy Assistants and students. They will be expected to contribute to evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice, making recommendations to clinical lead/manager of service for changes to practice by the team.



The post-holder will provide a specialist Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and advice service for children with a variety of learning and physical disabilities and associated communication difficulties, who are referred to the service. This may include working within the Child Development Centres, mainstream and special schools and nurseries, and visits to other services such as the wheelchair clinic.



The post-holder will provide therapy service as part of the multidisciplinary team, working with other health, education and social care professionals and to effectively manage own caseload. To provide specialist OT input in an area of specialism and contribute to the development of the OT service in an area of specialism.



To assist the service in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) tribunal cases as required, providing specialist and evidence based recommendations to meet the child's needs working in close collaboration with colleagues in physiotherapy and education.



To provide workshops/ training packages to parents, children and young people's workforce to build their confidence to assist the service user in self-management strategies.



To supervise, train and performance manage junior and student occupational therapists in children's services.



To participate and contribute to the development, maintenance and evaluation of the Children's Occupational Therapy Service.