Senior Occupational Therapist (Band 6)inKeighleyinKeighleyPUBLISHED THU 20 FEB 2025

This is an exciting opportunity to work in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Working within our community team benefits from flexible and agile working opportunities, supportive annual development, health and well-being support whilst using your clinical decision making to develop personalised care.

An innovative role has arisen for a senior community occupational therapist with a specialist interest in mental health to join our established integrated intermediate care team. The team provide an urgent community response service to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and a virtual ward to support patients to remain at home wherever possible and facilitate safe hospital discharge.

We work closely with health and social care partners providing several pathways including a Falls response pathway, in addition to COPD, Bronchiectasis, NOF and IV pathways to enable patients to safely stay at home with support by providing clinical monitoring, rehabilitation and equipment provision, we can utilise tech enabled virtual ward beds for remote monitoring.

Previous applicants need not re-apply

To provide personalised care to adults in their own home within Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven areas. This also includes in-reaching therapy provision to patients in Castleberg Hospital.

To perform advanced occupational therapy assessments of patients with a diverse range of presentations and complicated physical and psychological conditions, develop and deliver individualised/personalised treatment programmes in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team (MDT).

To provide a key role in working in partnership with medical colleagues, MDT, patients and carers to set achievable goals and to help to facilitate discharge planning to enable safe discharge from our service.

To work to support the team in its delivery of interventions, to skill share with other professionals to support the Urgent Community Response and Virtual Ward models of care.

In pursuing these duties, the post holder will ensure compliance with the NHS Constitution and be familiar with the NHS England Guidance 'Understanding the new NHS' (details of which can be found in the links section of NHS Jobs).

About us

Management of Care:

To provide care and interventions, risk and safety management and safeguarding of all patients on the Collaborative Care team caseload and in reaching to Castleberg Hospital.

To be responsible for efficient caseload management and work without direct supervision practice, to work within the HCPC Standard and OT Code of Professional Conduct

To provide clinical education and training to occupational therapy students to graduate level and other members of the team to allow them to gain occupational therapy competencies. To engage in regular supervision and appraisal within the team, to discuss, reflect and find solutions to challenges experienced in the role.

To be an active member of the senior team within the Collaborative Care Teams, participating in service development, to be shift co-ordinator in the team managing referrals, day to day management of the team and identified managerial responsibilities.

Clinical:

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work.

To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients with frailty, complicated physical and mental health presentation, and multiple pathologies. To use advanced clinical reasoning skills to implement appropriate treatment agreed in conjunction with senior clinicians and GPs.

To deliver a high standard of quality service which enables patients to be supported throughout their care pathway, promoting personalised care and independence whilst protecting choice, dignity, privacy and safety.

Assess the understanding of patients regarding treatment proposals using appropriate assessment tools, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal tools to communicate effectively with patients, relatives and carers to progress treatment programmes. To communicate effectively with health and social care professionals and work in partnership with other services.

To work in support of other Allied Healthcare Professionals and services in the assessment, planning and evaluation of care and treatment. To take responsibility for staff managing patients and be responsible for providing specialist occupational therapy and identifying and completing mental health assessments.

To manage risk safely and to work in conjunction with other agencies to promote safe care.

Carry out appropriate assessments and treatments of a variety of physical conditions which require moderate physical effort.

Work within Airedale NHS Foundation Trust clinical guidelines and OT guidelines and to have a good working knowledge of national and local standards, monitoring own and others quality of practice as appropriate.

To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records and care plans in line with professional standards.

To represent occupational therapy and/or individual patients at multidisciplinary/agency meetings to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated service and the integration of occupational therapy treatment, including discussion of patient care, progress and discharge planning.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all patient appliances and aids by patients and ensure that staff attain competency prior to use.

To deal sensitively with patients, relatives and carers who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia or limited mobility.

Professional:

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.

Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with agreed personal development programmes to promote development opportunities for self and others. Use SMART goals to achieve knowledge and competencies in line with ANHSFT personal development reviews.

Undertake the measurement and evaluation of work and current practices through the use of evidence-based projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with other team members.

To support training programmes by attendance at and participation in tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.

To manage and undertake audits to specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of methodologies as part of MDT audit and departmental initiatives.

Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as clinical interest groups.

Organisational

To be responsible for own time management and that of others when necessary to meet service and patient priorities. To be flexible and adaptable to changing situations as they arise.

Ensure that your own practice and that of supervised staff meet the required professional standards of occupational therapy practice.

Be responsible for safe and competent use of hoists, slings, wheelchairs, walking aids used in occupational therapy treatment by patients, Band 4 AP, student occupational therapists and support workers, through teaching, training and supervision of practice.

To always comply with Airedale NHS Foundation Trust Manual Handling Policy and local handling guidance.

To be aware of the risks involved in lone working, manual handling issues, security, environmental issues, housing conditions and be able to respond appropriately.

Professional Registration/Codes of Conduct

Be aware of and comply with the relevant codes of conduct and practice set up by your professional regulatory body and maintain up to date professional registration appropriate to the post. Any breach of these codes may lead to action by the Trust independent of any taken by the regulatory or professional body.