Specialist Occupational Therapist LTNC

Job overview

Why not consider a community job in Sheffield? Please don’t hesitate to call us if there’s anything you’d like to discuss. You would also be welcome to visit if selected for interview.

Sheffield has an excellent reputation as ‘the outdoor city’ with a multi-cultural population, good transport links with the rest of the UK, a host of independent retailers, excellent food outlets, cinemas, theatres and 2 highly rated Universities that provide AHP, clinical psychology, nursing and medical training.

We are offering the opportunity for you to join Sheffield Neuro Enablement Service. You will manage a defined caseload of community based clients with complex needs, resulting from congenital or acquired – progressive or traumatic neurological disorders using specialist skills and evidence based /client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

We are looking for someone to work 22.5 hours per week. The successful applicant will work with 2 other Occupational Therapists and alongside Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Therapy Assistants and Clinical Psychologists.

What else can our service offer you?

• Participation in service development & quality improvement to optimise client experience and outcomes
• Commitment to Public Patient Involvement work and co-production
• In service training and supervision
• Significant financial support for CPD via our AHP team
• Promotion of health and wellbeing through flexible working initiatives

Main duties of the job

• To manage a defined caseload of community-based clients with complex needs, resulting from congenital or acquired – progressive or traumatic neurological disorders using specialist skills and evidence based /client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. It is expected that therapists working at this grade would seek appropriate support as required. To provide leadership for inexperienced junior staff, through supervision and appraisal. To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of services within a designated area/team, holding responsibility for defined projects. To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Occupational Therapy profession for SHSC and to provide advice for the specialist client group both within LTNC and across Sheffield.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General Requirements

• To contribute towards and promote the coordination of relevant statutory and non-statutory health and social care services in order to optimise patient benefits and adhere to local and national guidelines and legislation
• To work as an autonomous practitioner and as a lone worker in the community.
• To exercise a degree of professional autonomy and make clinical judgements to satisfy the expectations and demands of the role and to practice within agreed protocols to support the client group to provide a single accessible service.
• To undertake any other duties, which may be allocated by the Operational Team Manager within the general scope of the post, and appropriate to the grade, after negotiation, adequate training and appropriate supervision (e.g. lead projects to review and improve service delivery)

Principal Duties

Clinical

• To accept clinical responsibility for clients with varied challenges requiring advanced clinical reasoning and specialist therapeutic intervention and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
• To independently manage and accept clinical responsibility for a designated specialist caseload of adult clients with complex presentation, prioritising need and working in conjunction with other members of the team and seeking support as required.
• To demonstrate a high level of clinical expertise in approach to assessment, treatment planning, intervention, clinical reasoning
• To undertake comprehensive and specialist assessments of clients using investigative and analytical skills in order to make a differential diagnosis and to formulate individualised treatment plans
• To contribute to the decision making about the treatment, planning and long-term management of individual clients as an integral member of the Long Term Neurological Conditions Inter/Multi-Disciplinary Team as well as highlighting ongoing risk and recommendations for future care across statutory and non-statutory services.
• To plan, organise and deliver group therapeutic activities where appropriate, co-ordinated with other members of the team, taking into account clients physical, cognitive and psychological capabilities.
• To monitor, modify and evaluate treatment in order to measure outcomes and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date clinical and non-clinical documentation e.g. written and electronic records and activity data in line with legal and departmental requirements.
• To provide specialist reports and ‘care plans’ to the client, relatives, statutory and non-statutory services which reflect detailed specialist knowledge and accurate communication of complex condition-related information in multi-agency settings relevant to the practice area.
• To complete risk assessments and plans in order to identify and manage risk and respond appropriately, such that the risk is reduced e.g. suicide, criminal proceedings and substance misuse issues.
• To undertake appropriate therapeutic handling and moving within clinical and non-clinical settings. This may involve bending, kneeling or frequent repetitive activities often in confined and restrictive spaces. And to provide education for safe usage of equipment to clients, families, carers and other service providers as appropriate
• To work with clients, carers and relatives who may have distressing social/clinical circumstances, often imparting complex or difficult information.
• To provide therapy services in working conditions which may be hazardous e.g. exposure to body fluids, aggressive persons, visits to high risk areas, visits to situations of conflict and other associated risks.
• To be aware of Health and Safety aspects of the post holders work in all community settings and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of the work area, including prompt recording and reporting of incidents and accidents to senior staff, completing risk assessments and ensuring that equipment use is safe.
• To be responsible for equipment used in clinical duties and to adhere to departmental policy, including competent use of equipment, safe use of equipment and teaching, training or supervision of practice with clients, carers or other services
• To assess capacity with support as required, gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To demonstrate skills in receiving and communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients and carers, who may have barriers to understanding in order to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of conditions.
• To provide spontaneous and planned advice, education and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals and external agencies to promote understanding of the aims of the rehabilitation package to ensure a consistent approach to client care and treatment e.g. moving and handling and management of risks. To deal with initial verbal complaints sensitively avoiding escalation where possible
• To address occupational performance and skill deficits, enabling the client in areas of self-maintenance productivity and leisure.
• To apply a high level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the client’s social and physical environment where applicable.

Leadership:

• To be responsible for the overall planning, co-ordination and allocation of work for the post holders discipline. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the clients on the caseload and support more junior staff to do likewise.
• To provide effective leadership, performance management, supervision guidance and appraisal for junior staff.
• To delegate and monitor clinical duties to therapists and or assistants ensuring that they have appropriate knowledge, understanding and are competent to work autonomously within the community

Service Development

• To lead and manage designated projects in relation to operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within LTNC services.
• To undertake research and audit projects relevant to LTNC services. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date data and statistics for the use of the department
• To comply with the requirements of SHSC in relation to policy, governance and legislation and to review and update policy and procedure as appropriate e.g. infection control, information governance etc.

Professional

• To ensure client confidentiality when dealing with complex cases, multiple agencies and the community setting.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of work including confidentiality, note writing and in line with professional codes of conduct.
• To promote awareness of the role of the post holder’s profession within the team, trust, locally and nationally.
• To train, supervise and assess students from Higher Education institutions and work collaboratively towards standards of clinical and professional tutoring.
• To comply with the requirements of HCPC and relevant professional body – RCOT.
• To participate in and lead as appropriate the staff appraisal scheme, Personal Development Plan (PDP), LTNC staff induction, provide clinical and professional supervision to junior staff and provide ongoing training programmes for staff.
• To comply with requirements for Clinical supervision and professionally reflect on ethical issues through evidence collected in relevant professional portfolio.
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.