Senior Occupational Therapist inTorquay inTorquay PUBLISHED 7 JUN 2024

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  Are you someone looking for a career in one of the UK's most respected mental health and learning disability trusts?
  
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  Would you like to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference to peoples lives to enjoy a better future?
  

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated Senior Occupational Therapist to join Haytor Ward at Torbay Hospital.

Your clinical work will involve taking a lead on working with service users with severe/complex mental health needs, using occupationally focussed evidence based assessment and skills to provide therapeutic interventions. You will be supported by onsite an Occupational Therapy Team Manager and part of this role will be to support junior members of the team. There are plenty of opportunities for professional development, and supporting the implementation of the VdT MoCA on the ward.

For further information please contact Liz Thomson, Occupational Therapy Team Manager, on or

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is growing as we establish ourselves us as one of the leading providers of mental health services in the country.

Working as part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, you will make a difference to peoples lives from the moment you start.

• Assess and treat own specialist caseload of clients within identified settings
• Act as clinical OT within the inpatient services, ensuring effective planning and delivery of the service and manage a small team ensuring effective planning and delivery of the service
• To ensure supervision for all OT staff within the inpatient to ensure a high standard of client care.
• Contribute to the development of high quality occupational therapy services through the professional clinical governance frameworks including audit
• Provide professional advice and expertise to the urgent inpatient management team
• Report to the OT Manager on professional issues and Ward Manager on operational issues.

About us

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationships

• To develop and maintain effective communication structures to facilitate communication on professional and Trust issues within the adult urgent care, and inpatient care Network.
• To provide professional advice to the urgent inpatient management team, and community team leaders, ensuring professional representation in the local decision making process and an awareness of the contribution of OT in acute setting.
• To chair professional meetings as required.
• To receive, interpret and provide highly complex and sensitive information about and to:

• Patients and families / carers re-assessment, care planning, treatment and review where there may be significant distress, resistance and / or communication barriers to engagement
• Multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the provision of consistent, well co-ordinated care
• Primary care teams regarding client care
• External agencies also involved in the provision of care e.g. voluntary and private sector, employment agencies
• Local service forums
• Service user / carer groups
• Inform OT manager on capacity, performance and development issues of the OT workforce within the urgent inpatient Services, working with others to acknowledge achievement and resolve identified problems.
• Ensure effective mechanisms are in place to advise the OT manager of OT activity

Responsibility for Judgement / Analysis

• To analyse individual patients needs, make decisions and use initiative and professional judgement in evaluating and implementing individual care.
• To provide specialised assessments of people, in particular information regarding levels of functional performance in areas of self care and activities of daily living. This will form part of the overall assessment, contributing to discharge planning and possible longer term treatment

Planning and Organisation

• Organise and deliver effective professional governance.
• Plan, organise and maintain professional networks and interest groups within the network.
• Contribute to teaching and learning activities and provide mentoring / coaching and development activities for OTs.
• Work with the urgent inpatient team to plan and implement the OT service supporting the development of new roles in line with service developments.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• To undertake specialist clinical work.
• To maintain accurate and timely client records in accordance with professional and Trust.

Policy, Service, Research, Innovation and Improvement

• Contribute to the development and ensure the maintenance of appropriate clinical and professional standards in line with national policy and guidance.
• To contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies relating to the profession ensuring the service continues to evolve to meet needs of users and their carers.
• Contribute to service and policy changes within the urgent Inpatient service relating to wider service development in the network.
• Advise the OT manager on the local impact of local and national policies and initiatives in urgent Inpatient Care.
• Promote the use evidence-based practice and the development of practice-based evidence.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• The post holder will be responsible for supporting the monitoring of Occupational Therapy nonpay expenditure.

Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership to OTs, working closely with clinical and management colleagues to ensure the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the service.
• Contribute to and support the development of new roles within the service.
• Provide leadership and supervision to OTs and other colleagues ensuring effective supervision arrangements, objective setting, appraisal and CPD.
• Engage and empower OTs in relation to the modernisation agenda.
• Ensure effective governance arrangements are in place for the OTs in urgent Inpatient and rehabilitation settings.
• Support students whilst on placement.

Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Ensure that administrative systems are in place to support professional governance.