Specialist Occupational Therapist (Learning Disabilities Service)

Job overview

Due to internal promotion an exciting opportunity has become available within the North Learning Disability Service.

This is a part time post (between 22.5 and 30 hours a week depending on your preference). You will be required to work on Fridays.

You will be supported by an experienced band 6 OT, and work with a band 5 OT and Therapy Assistant Practitioner (TAP). You will be part of an experienced wider MDT, including health and social care colleagues, and managed by the Health Team Manager.

The team use electronic notes which allows some remote working from home.

The team is located at the Simpson Centre, which has plenty of free car parking.

Main duties of the job

• To be an active member of the integrated multi-disciplinary community team for people with learning disabilities.
• To be responsible for a caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based/person centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To provide clinical supervision and clinical leadership to other Occupational Therapy staff as required.
• To be part of the planning, development and evaluation of Specialist Occupational Therapy services across the county to help ensure the consistency of high quality and efficient clinical services.
• To deliver services in line with the appropriate clinical pathways/specification requirements.
• To provide practice placements for Occupational Therapy students, as required

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Clinical

• 1.     To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of the post holder’s work, including the management of people under the post holder’s professional care. 2.     Undertake comprehensive occupational therapy assessments of people with a learning disability, using investigative, analytical and clinical reasoning skills for a designated caseload, addressing occupational performance and skills deficits, enabling the individual in areas of self- maintenance, productivity and leisure. 3.     Using skills in both verbal and non-verbal communication, undertake specialist assessments, with individuals whose presentation is complicated by factors associated with learning disability e.g. sensory processing difficulties, challenging behaviours, physical disability and mental health issues. 4.    To promote awareness of the Specialist Occupational Therapy role and care pathways within Learning Disabilities Services, the Trust, other professionals and with people with learning disabilities and their carers. 5.     To hold a time limited caseload of people with learning disabilities who require services in line with the appropriate Specialist Occupational Therapy pathways. 6.     To formulate and execute individualised Occupational Therapy management and treatment/intervention plans, using clinical reasoning and utilising a wide range of treatment skills. 7.     To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and the overall team care plan for the individual. 8.     To disseminate person centred advice effectively to people with learning disabilities and to their carers (paid or unpaid) and staff (qualified/unqualified) and in their chosen and appropriate format 9.     To act as a Care Programme Approach Coordinator, where appropriate, for people with complex healthcare needs who require ongoing monitoring and support due to the complexity and unpredictability of their health needs. 10.  To research and recommend the prescription of appropriate equipment. 11.  To inform General Practitioners of Occupational Therapy recommendations 12.  To undertake, record and review thorough client centred risk assessments. 13.  To ensure timely and appropriate referral to other specialists. 14.  To contribute to the provision of a seamless service between acute and community services. 15.  To work with parents who have a learning disability including the participation in Child Protection meetings, complying with all relevant guidelines and legislation. 16.  To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within  a  legal  framework  where  people  lack  the  capacity  to  consent  to treatment. 17.  To apply a good level of understanding of the effect of disability, and provide training and expert advice to individual patients, family and paid carers, and multi-disciplinary team colleagues on Occupational Therapy. 18.  To contribute and participate in person-centred meetings, chairing and/or taking formal minutes as necessary. 19.  To promote access to mainstream services, supporting other professionals understanding of learning disabilities and reasonable adjustments. 20.  To be responsible for the equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to department and Trust manual handling policies, and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others. 21.  To be able to communicate with people who do not use speech, using alternative forms of communication. 22.  To establish good communication networks with people who use the service, carers and other health workers and agencies Professional 23.  To deputise for the Professional Lead for Occupational Therapy at appropriate meetings as requested by the Lead. 24. Adhere to the Trust supervision policy and participate in regular clinical supervision. 25. To provide effective guidance, supervision and appraisal for Occupational Therapy staff within the team, in order to manage their performance and ensure they provide the highest quality of service. 26. Accept responsibility for the delivery of the service, to organise this effectively and efficiently regarding clinical priorities and use of time. 27. To maintain waiting lists in accordance with the services procedures and actively work to reduce these through innovative changes to service delivery and appropriate challenge. 28. To assist in the development of clinical standards, policies, procedures and further service developments 29. To inform the Professional Lead of any variations to service delivery, changing priorities and needs, and their likely impact in relation to the need for service development. To work to resolve these issues with relevant others 30.  To participate in Clinical Governance, Research and Development and Audit activities as required by line manager and Head of Service. 31. To educate and train Occupational Therapy students 32.  To monitor equipment/resource levels in own service area and request new equipment/resources as appropriate. 33.  To assist in keeping assessment, treatment and information materials and equipment up-to-date, safe (following infection control procedures) and in good order, informing the Professional Lead of needs and opportunities identified. 34.  To be aware of and adhere to services policies, procedures and system to be used. 35.  To ensure that up to date written and electronic records are maintained in accordance with professional and NCHC/NCC standards, and these are reviewed regularly as part of the clinical supervision sessions.