Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility for People Management.

To provide leadership, supervision, appraisal support, and co-ordinate the day-to-dayactivities of support and admin staff where applicable.

To provide cover for staff who are absent.

To attend student educator training and actively support student placements within theteam.

To participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities, work experience andtraining staff and students from other units/disciplines/schools/colleges and trainingschemes as agreed with supervising Therapist and Therapy Team Lead.

To plan, organise and lead when delegated both formal and informal treatments andhealth education groups for both service users and formal/informal carers.

To educate service users and both formal/informal carers regarding the impact ofcognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect service user safety andindependence in the hospital and home, leisure and workplace.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

To assess, prescribe and authorise equipment and make recommendations for minorand major adaptations to increase/enable or compensate for independent function,teaching compensatory techniques as required.

To assess seating and positioning needs and treat as appropriate including assessmentfor and prescription of standard wheelchairs and accessories when accredited, referringon to AJM Wheelchair Service as required for assessment of complex and specialistmobility and seating needs.

To identify the need for splinting and positioning to prevent and manage deformity andimprove function for the upper limb, and subsequently referring to specialist services orcolleagues to meet this need.

To utilise Livewell SW resources responsibly, following policy and guidance around thesecurity, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipmentutilised in the clinical setting.

To ensure new and replacement equipment is not used by self or staff until it has beencommissioned in accordance with Livewell SW policy. Defective equipment is reportedand made safe without delay in accordance with Livewell SW procedures.

On the rare occasion you may handle service user valuables as part of a home visit orcommunity assessment, that you follow Livewell SWs policy Cash & Cheque HandlingProcedures, section 6 Patient Money, section 7 Patient Travel.

5.3 Responsibility for administrative functions.

To maintain high professional standards at all times, complying with standards ofpractice stipulated in the Royal College of Occupational Therapys Professionalstandards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics and all of HCPCsstandards and regulations.

To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.

To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager, taking responsibility forensuring own personal and professional development and statutory trainingdemonstrating the ability to apply skills / knowledge as defined by identifiedcompetencies.

To work as an autonomous practitioner, seeking guidance where necessary.

To prioritise and to be responsible for the day-to-day management of own caseload andservice users in your care, delegating activities as appropriate.

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliableattendance.

To ensure all leave is requested in line with Livewell SW policy.

To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/orapps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.

To develop skills and knowledge through participation in the Preceptorship programmeand to go on to support future preceptees, in the capacity as a Preceptor.

To take responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development andstatutory training demonstrating the ability to apply acquired skills/knowledge andmaintaining fitness to practice.

To ensure use of risk assessment in all areas of your work are undertaken and complywith Livewell SW Health and Safety policies and Lone Working Policy.

To maintain up to date, accurate and complete records of all activity and clinical input(all formats of service user contacts, MDT care plans, assessments, reports), ensuringconfidentiality at all times, complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Recordspolicy and HCPC requirements for thorough and sufficient records

To provide written communication with outside agencies and charitable bodies tosupport the need for services and equipment on discharge or when transferred.

To report accidents, incidents, complaints, or faulty equipment in line with Livewell SWpolicy and procedures.

5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services.

To ensure the service user is aware of the role and philosophy of Occupational Therapyand components of the OT process, utilising all means necessary to enable individualsto understand the nature and purpose of proposed actions or intervention, includingexplaining any possible risks involved.

To respect the individuals values, cultural and religious diversity of service users andcontribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.

To provide education and advice to service users, carers and/or family membersregarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits on service usersafety and independence in the home, leisure, and workplace. This can includeimparting sensitive information and advice to service users and carers which could havelife changing consequences.

To provide an opportunity for people and carers to express their feelings whilstencouraging acceptance and adjustment to their new circumstances.

To understand and comply with the safeguarding process and understand how andwhen alerts are required. To contribute to safeguarding investigations with support ofother colleagues.

To demonstrate a high level of understanding of conditions relevant to the diagnosticarea and those service users presenting with multi pathology, using a selection of bothstandardised and non-standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial, and socialfunctioning.

To carry out baseline medical investigations e.g. temperature, respirations and bloodpressure checks to assist with medical diagnoses and identification of most appropriatetreatment pathway.

To carry out environmental home assessments, pre discharge home assessmentsdischarge home visits and follow up as required. The assessment involves reviewingergonomic layout of the property to maximise functional ability within the home,assessment of disabled access, equipment needs recommendation for minor and majorhouse adaptations, risk and safety review and referring to other agencies and Social

Services as necessary.

To carry out assessment and compile supporting evidence to enable change inindividuals housing arrangements (e.g. Devon Home Choice).

To be competent to identify the need for an enabling package of support and set goalsto promote independence.

To record and report regularly on service users progress and treatment to the multidisciplinary team or supervising OT in individual clinical areas.

To be responsible for goal planning, reviewing treatment programmes and applying

outcome measures used in the clinical area. To share in close liaison with all membersof the multi-disciplinary team, carers and family in accordance with consent given.

To be responsible for the timely discharge of people from your caseload.

To ensure continuation of care in the community, or transfer of service users to otherhospital settings, by establishing a comprehensive discharge plan and completingonward referrals, with good communication to statutory and voluntary services.

To refer to follow up services to ensure treatment programmes are in place to progressfunctional independence based on identified needs at discharge. Demonstrating to andinforming community staff re ongoing service user needs in the community i.e., homecarers and reablement assistance.

To maintain competence in the use of complex manual handling techniques andequipment including the prescriptions of manual handling equipment for use in thehome, demonstrating the use to formal and/or informal carers.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.

To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways andprotocols within your area.

To take an active role in audit, research and interdisciplinary development within theservice as required.

To be responsible for collecting and reporting statistical data in line with the Livewellpolicies and procedures.

To actively contribute to service development and contribute to Livewell SWs clinicalgovernance arrangements and quality agenda.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma / degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Current HCPC Registration.

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification in OT Professional Practice.

Experience

Essential

• Team working.
• Use of functional assessment and activity analysis.
• Ability to work autonomously with individuals.
• Group work skills.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literacy.
• Good personal organisation skills.
• Ability to manage own workload and prioritisation of tasks.

Desirable

• Working as member of MDT with the ability to work flexibly.
• Rehabilitation treatment planning.
• Multi-pathology assessment.
• Environmental assessment and discharge planning.
• Multi-disciplinary documentation.
• Experience of risk assessing patients in an in-patient rehabilitation setting.
• Assessing for postural management, seating, and pressure care.
• Orthotics/splinting.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Supervisory and delegation skills.
• Documented evidence of CPD.

Knowledge

Essential

• Application of OT process.
• Knowledge of current best practice in OT.
• Understanding of professional ethics and their application in
• practice.
• Basic knowledge of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service provision.
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Health, safety, and risk awareness.

Desirable

• Experience of planning, coordination and evaluating intervention plans.
• Application of health, safety and risk management policies.
• Knowledge of clinical conditions relevant to area of practice.
• Knowledge of a range of standardised/non standardised assessments.
• Knowledge of outcome measures.
• Knowledge of wheelchair provision.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• A commitment to client centred, non-discriminatory practice.
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.

Desirable

• Membership of Professional body.
• Membership of specialist interest groups.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).