Senior Children's Occupational Therapist (Exeter, East and Mid) inExeter inExeter PUBLISHED 25 DEC 2023

Please see the detailed job description for the main responsibilities.

Communication and working relationship

• To communicate complex condition-related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multidisciplinary team/other professions in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include facilitating strategies for people with communication disorders where barriers to understanding may exist.
• To demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to communication exist, or sensitive issues are being dealt with. Patient, carers and family will frequently have difficulty accepting the information provided.
• To form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging difficulties.
• To employ good presentation skills to promote multi-disciplinary and interagency liaison and collaborative practice to a broad range of audiences including other professionals and users.
• To write reports reflecting knowledge of paediatrics that can be accessible to both lay and professional people.
• To contribute to clinical pathways both multi and uni-professional by discussing own and others input around clients needs, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan.
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
• To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues.

Analytical and judgement

• To demonstrate specialist Occupational Therapy knowledge across a range of therapeutic interventions.
• To use knowledge and experience to inform sound clinical judgement/decision making for case management.
• To integrate evidence from a variety of sources to make a differential diagnosis, of occupational performance, seeking advice as appropriate.
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers and mentors and identify own strengths and development needs.

Planning and organisation

• To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
• To be responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of Occupational Therapy Technicians on a daily basis.
• To be responsible for the supervision of Band 5 staff on a regular basis.

Responsibility for patient/client care, treatment and therapy

• Undertakes all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner including professional and legal accountability and clinical risk management for all aspects of own work.
• Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-agency team. Otherwise to be the sole professional with responsibility for that patients episode of care and for onward referral as required.
• To perform advanced therapeutic assessment of children who present with developmental problems, long term conditions and may have severe communication impairment, learning disability, complex and severe physical and sensory disability.
• To use advanced questioning and communication, manual assessment techniques and clinical reasoning skills to provide a diagnosis and prognosis enabling the delivery of an individualised occupational therapy treatment programme. This includes but is not exclusive to the appropriate selection of referrals for inclusion in a range of treatment and management options, including neuro developmental, motor co-ordination, sensory differences, specialised equipment and environmental adaptations.
• Supervision takes the form of annual appraisal with line-manager plus planned management supervision, clinical supervision on a planned regular basis. Clinical work is not routinely evaluated. Access to advice and support is available from peers, the paediatric team and clinical manager.
• To be responsible for own caseload as an autonomous practitioner.
• To be responsible for tasks and duties as delegated by the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Childrens Occupational Therapist.
• To use routine outcome measures and goal-based approach, collaboratively with service users, in ways that inform treatment and clinical care.
• To work closely with clients, carers, and families agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management.
• To co-produce specialist clear care plans based on best practice with children, young people and their families/carers.
• To ensure care plans are written in an understandable format for the child, young person and their family/carer.
• To provide specialist Occupational Therapy intervention including 1:1 / group therapy, parent/ carer-based interventions and consultancy/coaching mentoring within a range of community settings.
• Outcomes to then be evaluated to demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
• To always consider safeguarding and child protection issues, following relevant policies and procedures and receiving safeguarding supervision as required.

Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• Deputise for the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Occupational Therapist in their absence, taking responsibility for operation management of the team, allocating and organising the work of less experienced occupational therapist and assistant staff to meet priorities on a daily basis.
• To provide children and young people with the opportunity to express their views in an age appropriate way, to have their opinions considered and to be able to influence the shaping of services.
• To interpret and assist in the implementation of local and national guidelines, policies and procedures affecting the development of childrens services.
• To follow their employers policies, procedures and guidance as well as professional standards and guidelines.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• To work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer.
• The post holder will take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use.
• The post holder is responsible for maintaining a clear desk policy and protecting all confidential information in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures.
• The post holder will be required to act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources.
• To take responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring that adequate supplies are maintained.
• Ensure all equipment used is maintained to the required standard to ensure patient and staff safety.
• Maintain stock control, ordering supplies in a timely manner through the agreed process.
• Complete an assessment, order, set up the provision of specialist equipment for identified children. Demonstrate to parents/ staff how to maintain and adjust as appropriate.

Responsibility for human resources, e.g. supervision, training, HR advice and management

• Contribute to the delivery of a range of training opportunities, as appropriate using a broad range of technology to develop and deliver.
• Supervise the work of Occupational Therapy Technicians and/or Integrated Therapy Assistants where necessary.
• To mentor and supervise newly qualified occupational therapists as required.
• Access clinical supervision at the frequency determined by the organisation.
• To oversee the caseload management of newly qualified staff and Occupational Therapy Technicians.
• To demonstrate the ability to target training (formal and informal) appropriately to the needs of course participants, reflecting and evaluating training provided.
• To participate in the appraisal process.
• Ensure prompt action is taken in raising issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters.

Responsibility for information resources and administrative duties

• To be responsible for accurate and timely inputting of data into relevant data collection system to ensure workload is accurately reflected.
• To be responsible for the inputting of accurate and contemporaneous case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards.
• To have a sound knowledge of IT.
• To be computer literate.
• To ensure all employers policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
• To complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer.
• To identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate.
• To take part in activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development.

Responsibility for research and development

• Participates in clinical audit.
• Participate in clinical research as appropriate.

Freedom to act

• Acts as an autonomous professional.
• Works within codes of practice as defined by Royal College of Occupational Therapy and HCPC.
• Works within organisational policies

Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss the post further.

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) is the place to be! We are developing an innovative, integrated model of children's community services and looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our dedicated locality and county-wide professional teams.

As a large community service, you will be joining a strong, enthusiastic and supportive group of professionals who will be your peers, your phone a friend network and your inspiring colleagues.

We are excited to be able to offer a full time opportunity for one year to a Senior Band 6 Occupational Therapist working in the Exeter, East and Mid Devon locality. You will be able to provide a high standard of assessment and intervention for the children and young people that we work with.

The post is based within the multidisciplinary Physical and Sensory Pathway whilst working closely with colleagues across the other pathways within CFHD. We are an innovative, dedicated and friendly service with both development and CPD opportunities.

You will be expected to have clinical supervisory skills and be able to hold a complex and varied caseload, working across the different environments such as home, schools and clinics. Please contact us if you would like any further information regarding this position we would love to hear from you.

• Hold responsibility for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a case load within a designated geographical area, within own level of competence and capability.
• Using a strengths-based approach; ensure clinical effectiveness through use of evidence-based interventions, goal-based, collaborative practice and Routine Outcome Measures.
• Deliver specialist occupational therapy advice, assessment and interventions to a client group of children and young people experiencing a range of difficulties maximising their occupational performance within different settings.
• Interventions may include direct therapy, coaching, training, provision or recommendations for suitable adaptive equipment where this is a statutory provision and provide specialist guidance and recommendations for home or school adaptations.
• Supervise and support Occupational Therapy Clinical Support Workers and/or Integrated Therapy assistants.
• Mentor/ clinically supervise newly qualified Occupational Therapists and Band 4/5 staff as required.
• Participate in the provision of student placements.
• To promote and support participation of service users across the service.
• To work across other geographical areas as required to support colleagues according to need and demand.
• Participate in clinical audits and clinical research as appropriate.
• For some job holders, part of the role will include assessment and intervention of specialised equipment and environmental adaptations as part of our statutory work completed.