Occupational Therapist - REQ000858 inLeeds inLeeds PUBLISHED THU 14 NOV 2024

As our next Occupational Therapist, youll specialise in one of our teams. This role is integral to one of our Local Area Disability Services Team (Southeast, East Northeast, or West Northwest) who assess individuals facing occupational disruption within their own homes. The service has both qualified Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Reablement Officers (Vision Impairment officers), all carrying their own caseloads. Their focus is to assess function and safety, providing personalised solutions through specialist equipment, adaptations, and signposting to other required services.

As an Occupational Therapist, you will bring to the role:

• Appropriate professional qualification Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy, Registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) upon commencement of the post and maintain yearly registration.

• Ability to assess the needs of and work with individuals and groups using a person-centred approach.
• Ability to carry out safe functional assessments and give physical assistance where necessary.
• Able to identify appropriate Occupational Therapy interventions in order to promote positive change.
• You will need to be a car driver and have access to a car.

About us

Job purpose

Under the general direction of a Team Manager, and with support from Senior Occupational Therapists, provide a high quality and comprehensive Occupational Therapy service to adults, children and young people, carers and the community in accordance with the organisational needs, policy and practices of the Directorate and within statutory guidelines. Provision of different learning experiences for Occupational Therapists on rotation.

The post holder must at all times carry out responsibilities within the City Councils Policies and Procedures, in particular the Council Policies on Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety, and also within the Health and Care Professions Council Code of Practice.

Responsibilities

• To undertake Occupational Therapy assessments, deemed suitable for allocation to an OT in line with experience post qualification. Assessments should have an occupational focus and aim to reduce barriers to inclusion.
• To undertake re-enablement assessments which have an occupational emphasis. To be responsible for the care planning for the whole process.
• To organise work activities taking account of the need to prioritise tasks and responsibilities ensuring statutory legislation and service priorities are met.
• To manage an allocated caseload of disabled people and, with supervision, regularly monitor, review and evaluate changes in a disabled persons needs and ensure that all services contribute effectively to the support plan and remain an effective use of resources.
• To complete moving and handling and hoist training, and then, with appropriate guidance from senior staff, carry out appropriate moving and handling assessments.
• Under clear supervision, contribute to the enhanced screening of new referrals and people already in receipt of services.
• On the basis of assessed needs and risks and, using a person-centred approach, provide/recommend services to disabled people which remove barriers to social inclusion.
• To develop, implement and review outcome focussed Occupational Therapy intervention to meet assessed needs and promote independent well-being and inclusion.
• To identify specialist housing needs of disabled people and their families and support them in accessing suitable housing/adaptations.
• To deliver, fit and collect equipment as appropriate, including necessary moving and handling of equipment.

• To provide written and verbal reports which are concise, informative, and based on an analysis of complex information.
• To work to and within the prescribed standards of the College of Occupational Therapists.
• To maintain accurate and up to date case notes and other records and write reports as required.
• To use management information systems, keep them up to date and be able to provide concise and accurate information about circumstances and plans within the limits of data protection.
• To appropriately participate in meetings and relevant forums.
• To develop and maintain effective working relationships with other professionals within the council and partner agencies, to ensure an integrated, holistic, and multidisciplinary approach to the care management and safeguarding of disabled people.
• To work closely with other services in the council to deliver effective and efficient solutions to barriers faced by disabled people.
• To obtain the views of the disabled person during the assessment process and take into account their views when making recommendations for service provision.
• To contribute to the promotion of improved outcomes for individuals, families, carers, and groups from diverse and disadvantaged communities.
• With supervision, work with individuals, families and carers and communities to help them make informed decisions enabling them to clarify and express their needs to promote meaningful activity in their lives and social inclusion.
• To actively promote and support Leeds City Councils and Directorate policies on Equality and Diversity.
• To be responsible for understanding and applying all relevant practice standards, policies, and procedures.
• To be compliant with relevant governance, policy, and procedures.
• To work within the safeguarding framework to raise concerns and assist with the management of risks where individuals have experienced or are likely to experience significant harm.
• To work to the prescribed standards for service provision and maintain performance and develop practice and experience in line with personal targets as agreed with line manager through supervision and appraisal.
• To disseminate knowledge and contribute to the delivery of a high standard of service.
• To comply with the requirements of all Leeds City Council and Directorate Policies and procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under Health and Safety policy and procedures.
• To provide support and professional supervision to support staff and to ensure the person achieves the appropriate skills and competencies.

• To attend regular personal and professional Supervision with identified Supervisor.
• To assist with the practice education of undergraduate OT students, including student placements and other student related activity.
• To find and use evidence on which to base professional practice.
• With supervision identify and implement strategies for responding appropriately to concerns about practice or procedures seeking guidance if required.
• To promote Occupational Therapy to colleagues both within and outside the council.
• To participate in training and development activities that ensures up to date knowledge and skills to retain registration with the HCPC and maintain an up-to-date CPD portfolio.

• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Specific Responsibilities within the Blue Badge Eligibility Assessment Team

• To carry out standard in- clinic assessments for Blue Badges by using the Department for Transport Guidelines.
• To contribute to the telescreen assessments.
• Undertake visits to establish eligibility for Organisational Badges.

Specific Responsibilities within Children and Young People Services

• To consider the development of the Child or Young Person and the needs of the Family/Carer when making recommendations for service provision.
• To obtain the views of the Child or Young Person as well as the family/carer during the assessment process and to take account of these views when making recommendations for service provision.

Specific Responsibilities within Environment and Housing

• To understand and contribute to the annual service plans of the Health & Housing service that creates opportunities for all disabled people and their families to live independently in quality, affordable, safe and stable housing of their choice across all tenures.
• To have knowledge of the various cross tenure funding streams and the scope of the adaptations and re-housing services within Council.

Specific Responsibilities with the Occupational Therapy Recovery Team

• To work on a rota pattern between 8am and 8pm 7 days a week to include some weekend working.
• To provide Occupational Therapy advice and support to the SkILS Reablement team outside of Office Hours (5pm-8pm Monday to Friday and 8am-8pm at weekends)
• To take a lead in the discharge planning for customers in the Recovery Hubs.

Specific Responsibilities for Integrated Reviewing Team

• To be part of a citywide integrated reviewing team and undertake reviews for customers who meet the agreed criteria.
• To undertake moving and handling risk assessments with customers and carers both paid and unpaid and make recommendations to reduce the packages of care either by change in process or equipment.
• Update support plans on CIS and liaise with CCC as appropriate.
• To provide detailed moving and handling plans to care providers and provide advice, support and guidance.
• To work with care agencies to ensure staff are competent to undertake single handed care/optimised handling.
• The Occupational Therapists will work closely with social workers in the Integrated Reviewing Team
• To work to agreed KPIs for numbers of assessments to be completed on a weekly basis.
• To provide detailed performance information on a weekly basis to evidence savings made, and any expenditure spent on equipment.

Specific Responsibilities for Early Intervention Team

• To provide enhanced screening to new contacts to the council, who meet the criteria for the Early Intervention Team
• Promote Independence and Wellbeing, by intervening early to support individuals, helping people to retain their skills and confidence, and preventing the need or delaying deterioration wherever possible.
• To embed reablement principles within the Early Intervention Teams and establish a strengths-based approach, with a focus on promoting independence.
• To make appropriate referrals to the area Disability Services Teams
• To provide detailed performance information to evidence savings made.