Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Occupational Therapist to work within our intermediate care team based within Duffy Suite, St Helens Hospital.



You will be responsible for managing a case load of patients with a variety of different medical conditions and needs, planning and completing relevant assessments and interventions to promote independence and recovery.



The successful applicant will be enthusiastic, hardworking and motivated with clinical, communication, organisational and time management skills. There will be opportunity to work on devising a tailored activity program for our patients with support from the wider therapy team.

The successful candidate will:

Have a working knowledge of a broad range of medical conditions with proven clinical skills applicable to intermediate care

Deliver evidence-based practice using rehabilitative and compensatory approaches

Contribute to and lead on group work/ activity sessions

Be able to carry out complex holistic assessments

Be able to make decisions based on sound clinical reasoning

Demonstrate excellent problem solving skills

Have excellent discharge planning skills, facilitating the patient's discharge from hospital to the most appropriate environment for their needs

Be flexible in their approach and be willing to work across Duffy Suite and Newton Hospital at short notice to support service demand

Adapt to changing working patterns as the team work their hours across a 7-day rota



The trust is committed to the professional development of our staff; clinical supervision will be provided from the Band 7 Occupational Therapist within the team. We offer a supportive and friendly environment and welcome innovative ideas.



Our philosophy is to keep the patient at the heart of everything we do, and to always go the extra mile. Intermediate care offers the chance to work closely with patients building therapeutic relationships to get the best possible outcome.



Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.



We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care



Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.



Primary Care



Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.



Community Services



Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.



Specialist Regional Services



We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018

Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)

National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme



KEY DUTIES



To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients/clients in your care

To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients/clients under your care, and support more junior staff to do likewise.

To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients/clients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use specialist clinical reasoning skills and appropriate assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition

Formulate and deliver an individual treatment programme using assessment, reasoning skills and treatment skills based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options. Formulate an initial diagnosis and prognoses in order to recommend best course of intervention and develop comprehensive discharge plans

To take delegated responsibility from the Band 7 clinician for managing patients/clients with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions.

Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required

To have the ability to undertake self-directed/lone working in a variety of locations



CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES



To maintain Professional Registratio

To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these

To be responsible for a designated area of work, as delegated by a senior clinician. Plan and organise efficiently and effectively patient/client caseload, and use of time for self and more junior staff

To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice

To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of treatment and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care

To provide specialist clinical advice to colleagues working within other clinical areas

To provide specialist clinical advice, teaching and training to other members of the MDT regarding the management of patients

To train, supervise and performance manage more junior staff and students. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation

To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise potential and to ensure understanding of their condition

To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients/clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment

To communicate highly sensitive information effectively with all patient groups/clients/carers where there may be difficulties in accepting or understanding information

To maintain tact and diplomacy and use highly developed communication skills when working in situations which may become hostile/antagonistic including potential complaints as per Trust Policy



ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES



To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and local requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letter

To undertake as directed the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department

To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include participating in a variety of MDT, internal and external agency meetings and forums plus other forms of verbal/written communication as necessary including report writing and referrals to other agencies



TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES



To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, and incorporate them as appropriate into your work. To support junior staff to do likewis

To be an active member of relevant training programmes attending and delivering presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials , and by attending external courses and being a reflective practitioner

To participate in the supervision scheme as supervisor and supervisee



LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

To demonstrate leadership by means of:

Delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery.



Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the Therapy Team



To provide specialist advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment and long term management of patients/ clients within sphere of practice

To deputise for the band 7 in terms of operational issues

To take responsibility for their own specialist and complex decision making and the decisions of their team which effect service delivery

To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by senior staff

To participate in working parties developing policy changes within speciality which will impact on all service users



CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT



To adhere to the appropriate Registrant Body code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and facilitate compliance of staff with local and national standards of practic

Implement policy and service development changes as directed

To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation

To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures under the guidance of senior staff. Make recommendations for change and to implement change

To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate

To support research activity within the Service

To engage actively in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities relevant to service to promote evidence based practice