Job summary
Are you looking for an Occupational Therapy role working with children & families?
We are recruiting to a full time post in our Community Paediatric OT Service. The post holder will be based at the Child Development Centre in Ipswich , and cover community patches across a wider geographical area; much of the post holders working week will be spent working in the community.
We work with children from birth to 19 years providing assessment, intervention and advice to promote inclusion and optimise the functional participation of children and young people in daily activities to enable them to achieve what they want, need and have the potential to do. We support and empower them and their families and educate other professionals and agencies working with them.
As a member of the OT team the post holder will manage a caseload across nurseries, special and mainstream schools, the child's home and clinics, working with children who have a range of disabilities and conditions.
Ability to travel independently around a wide geographical area essential for this role.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be based with other OTs in our busy and friendly office, and work with a multi-disciplinary team and other therapy services to deliver OT pathways and packages of care.
The post holder will:
- Undertake Occupational Therapy assessments of children, and prioritise, plan and develop a programme of OT intervention using a client centred approach in accordance with our clinical pathways, and with supervision and support from an experienced therapist.
- Set clear functional goals in consultation with parents/ teachers,
- Empower parents and carers in understanding the nature of their child's disability or dysfunction, the impact it has on behaviour and function and the activities and strategies they can use in the daily routines at home to develop their child's play and functional abilities.
We offer a strong internal supervision structure with regular CPD and training opportunities, including access to external courses.
The successful candidate will need good communication skills and a strong desire to work in community paediatrics, with relevant experience preferred.
The successful applicant must have an OT degree and be eligible for registration with the HCPC. The post is subject to a DBS check.
Frequent Travel across a rural area is essential for this role so you must either hold a full, current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?c
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job summary:
Occupational Therapists within our teamwork with children from birth to 19 years, providing assessment, intervention, and advice to promote inclusion and optimise the functional participation of children and young people in daily activities, to enable them to achieve what they want, need and have the potential to do. We support and empower them and their families and educate other professionals and agencies working with them.
Job responsibilities:
Key Tasks & Responsibilities:
- To provide a high-quality children and young peoples occupational therapy service to a caseload of children and young people with a variety of physical, learning, and social needs (including children with statutory needs, e.g., Education Health & Care Plans, Safeguarding and Child Protection issues/concerns) in a variety of community settings
- To carry independently a caseload of children across a range of settings within the multidisciplinary team, to support children and young peoples occupational therapy needs as appropriate
- This role is based in the community working within homes, clinics, special and mainstream schools with children aged between 0-19 years
- The post holder is expected to travel across the county independently
- Communication:
- To empathetically communicate condition related information from assessment to children, carers, families, and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions
- To evaluate outcomes and provide advice to others regarding the management and care of children
- To support, reassure and advise families and carers to engage in the therapeutic process and provide specific information about neurodisability conditions
- To deal with initial concerns and complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible
- To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties
- To give information and advice to enable children, their parents/carers and other professionals working with the child, to carry out therapy interventions and ensure ongoing support between professional treatment sessions
- To prepare and write reports for Education Health Care Plans, multi-disciplinary assessments and reviews
- To work jointly with other professionals within the multi-disciplinary team and attend joint case conferences
- To liaise and work with other members of the multi-disciplinary team: Therapists, Teachers, Clinical Psychologists, Special Educational Needs Teachers, Consultant Community Paediatricians and Safeguarding teams
- To give appropriate information to children, parents/carers, and other professional staff regarding therapy programmes
- To maintain working relationships within Education
- To keep adequate records on patients, to maintain confidentiality in respect of this information, and comply with the Trusts record keeping policy
- To attend professional meetings
- Analytical and judgemental:
- To use clinical judgement, supervision, and service pathway information to make decisions and prioritise caseload needs
- To use a variety of formal and informal assessment and observation methods to collect information about a child and their difficulties with function and occupation and use this information to set goals in collaboration with the child and family
- To use agreed Outcome Measures to monitor and measure progress
- To participate in Service audits
- Planning and organisational Skills:
- To manage a caseload effectively, booking appointments, prioritising need and using clinics and opportunities for multi-disciplinary working effectively to meet the needs of the children
- Clinical Duties:
- To be accountable for a clinical caseload for children with a range of conditions providing appropriate assessments and intervention programmes
- To work within agreed service pathways to identify the childs difficulties, undertake assessments and treatment using clinical reasoning skills and enable them to participate in activities and occupation
- To assess the needs of children and young people and to formulate plans regarding appropriate complex bespoke specialist equipment. To set up and monitor equipment, instructing patients/carers on its safe use
- To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment interventions to measure progress and ensure effectiveness.
- To maintain and develop professional competence through continuing professional development, and to develop the ability to reflect on and evaluate training attended
- To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice and using clinical supervision as appropriate
- To ensure effective partnership always working with other members of the health team, Social Care, Education, and voluntary bodies in the best interests of the child
- To take responsibility for discharging clients according to clinical need and/or Trust procedure.
- To understand when to make onward referrals to other agencies to assist in the diagnosis and treatment options of children on own caseload, as well as advising other members of staff
- Governance:
- To contribute to and be pro-active in the identification of service improvement
- To participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of service developments within the service based on audits, questionnaires, reflective practice, meetings, surveys, and data collection
- To assist in the piloting of new services, prioritisation of caseloads and alternative methods of working
- To contribute to the development of clinical standards and guidelines, and to inform service policies, including the use of research in evidence-based practice
- To make suggestions about possible improvements or changes to the service which may of benefit to children, families, or the organisation
- To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research
- To participate in audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within and across the service to help develop and improve services to children and their families
- To participate in clinical and quality frameworks for the Paediatric Occupational Service.
- To be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as appropriate
- To operate in accordance with the policies and guidelines of the Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service, HCPC and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists
- To participate in the planning and development of the service, holding responsibility for defined and delegated projects
- Leadership and management:
- To work with and provide supervision and training for Occupational Therapy Students and OT Support Workers and Technicians
- To actively participate in clinical and peer supervision
- Information Resources:
- To use IT systems to record patient data in line with agreed systems of working
- To use IT systems to access and contribute to service development and accurate record keeping
- Research & Development:
- To contribute to clinical effectiveness arrangements and participate in audit and research relevant to your role and clinical setting
Person Specification
Education & Qualification
Essential
- Degree or equivalent diploma in Occupational Therapy
- HCPC Registration
- Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio
Desirable
- Membership of Specialist Interest Group (Children, Young People and Families)
- Membership of RCOT
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstration of clinical assessment and intervention knowledge
- Knowledge, training, and experience of a range of treatment techniques and approaches
Desirable
- Previous Band 5 experience or evidence of working on clinical cases
- Experience and working knowledge of children
- Knowledge /experience of the impact of a child's disability on occupational performance and the child's family / carers
- Facilitation and involvement in audit and understanding of quality issues
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Clinical experience including individual and group work
- Assessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating treatment, complying with professional and service standards
- Ability to work autonomously and set own priorities
- Ability to analyse clinical, professional, and ethical issues
- Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
- Ability to organise and respond efficiently to information.
- Teamwork and effective communication/ negotiation skills
- Ability to build effective working relationships with multi professional teams, children, and carers
- Ability to cope working in emotional environments with parents/carers
- Ability to understand the child and families / carers culture and diversity and provide services appropriate to individual needs
- Able to carry out moderate to intense physical effort through concurrent activities
Desirable
- Experience of supervisory role in clinical supervision
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to handle children and equipment, frequently exerting moderate physical effort for long periods
- Ability to cope with frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances
- Flexibility in approach to service delivery
Desirable
- Ability to travel to all rural locations to carry out post
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website .
Employer details
Employer name
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address
St Helens House
571 Foxhall Road
Ipswich
IP3 8LX