Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist inLondon inLondon PUBLISHED FRI 10 JAN 2025

We are developing the Occupational Therapy service in our tier 3 Community CAMHS teams in Wandsworth, Sutton and Richmond - We are looking for experienced, dynamic and enthusiastic Occupational Therapists to develop new Occupational Therapy roles in this area specifically working with autistic young people and young people presenting with first episode of psychosis working within our community child and adolescent mental health services. The successful postholder(s) will work with a wide multidisciplinary team including nursing, psychology and psychiatry.

You will have considerable post qualifying experience working as an Occupational Therapist and evidence of special interest in working in mental health and with young people. Experience working with Autistic people and in sensory processing are desirable but support and training can be provided. You will be able to work autonomously and demonstrate enthusiasm and creativity in your approach to your work and the skills to develop these new roles in these teams.

CAMHS specific Occupational Therapy supervision will be provided as well as access to the CAMHS OT development forum and regular trust wide OT training.

We Have posts available at

• WANDSWORTH Tier3 CAMHS
• SUTTON Tier3 CAMHS
• RICHMOND Tier3 CAMHS

All posts full time 37.5hrs (Monday - Friday 9am -5pm)

• To provide a specialist occupational therapy service for children, young people and their parents
• To manage clients with a range of complex needs, using evidence based, client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To work within a specialist focus around ASD
• Offer individual and group interventions to young people and/ or their parents
• To provide OT flexibly across a variety of mental health treatment programmes.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the service, holding responsibility for defined projects.
• To participate in and contribute to local service development and strategy.
• To contribute to the Trust wide occupational therapy strategy (Model of Human Occupation and Specialist forums).
• To supervise OT students on fieldwork placements.
• To undertake regular audit and R&D activities.
• To provide training and support for CAMHS staff and external partners where necessary.

About us

Clinical

• To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of disability on occupational performance and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and environmental solutions to the clients social and physical needs.
• To promote equality of outcome for service users that reflects their mental health needs and those of ethnicity, gender, culture physical health and age.
• To promote social inclusion and physical and mental well-being using evidence based practice. This is underpinned by the principles of hope and recovery, health promotion and relapse prevention.
• To independently manage a clinical caseload of service user with complex mental health needs, taking on the role of care co-ordinator and/or vocational lead where relevant.
• To apply advanced clinical reasoning to identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall care plan, using specialist mental health and occupational therapy assessments, including Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) tools in conjunction with other relevant theoretical perspectives.
• To exercise independent clinical professional judgement in complex clinical cases and difficult clinical situations, referring to team members when necessary.
• To consider both physical and mental health needs as part of the occupational therapy process.
• To plan and implement specialist individual and/or group interventions collaboratively, to enable service users to achieve valued goals and satisfactory occupational performance outcome.
• To identify any significant risk factors in line with local policies, with support from senior staff
• To lead on the development of therapeutic programmes and to work within clinical pathways and protocols with particular reference to the MoHO.
• To advise on appropriate outcome measures and evaluate effectiveness of therapy interventions and quality of clinical decisions in conjunction with service users/carers, other professionals etc.

Communication

• To establish and maintain effective communication networks with users and carers, team members, occupational therapy colleagues and other agencies such as PCT, LA, and voluntary organisations to promote a seamless service.
• To communicate with people in a manner consistent with their culture, background and preferred ways of communicating.
• To work as a member of the inter-professional team, attending meetings and contributing to decisions with regard to the care and treatment of service users.
• To develop and maintain effective professional communication structures as part of staff development needs.
• To demonstrate and communicate the contribution of occupational therapy within the service, negotiating priorities as required.

Documentation

• To ensure own and supervisees documentation and clinical records meet the minimum requirements are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
• To provide specialist occupational therapy reports on a regular basis in line with professional guidance and relevant clinical pathways.
• To ensure service users have access to care plans in line with local policies.

Professional ethics

• To adhere with the COT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and Trust procedures and promote staff compliance.
• To demonstrate continuing fitness to practice through maintaining registration with HPC and compliance with their standards.
• To respect the values, individuality, cultural and religious diversity of service users and to develop services appropriately.

Leadership, supervision & development reviews

• To provide professional leadership for OT staff in a designated area
• To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and KSF development review.
• To assist in the development of a robust supervision and development review framework for staff.
• To provide support, expert advice and consultancy in relation to issues concerning the target client group &/ or clinical area of expertise, to occupational therapists, other team members, relevant health professionals, and other agencies as appropriate.
• To undertake professional leadership as delegated by the Head of Therapies and/or the Deputy Head of Therapies.

Training staff & students

• To undertake a clinical teaching role in fieldwork and/or in-service training programmes.
• To contribute to the induction and training of students and other staff both within or external to the Trust, ensuring that the occupational therapy aspects are addressed.
• To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of occupational therapy students on practice placement within the Trust. The expectation is to have a minimum of one occupational therapy student a year.
• To undertake the role of preceptor when required.

Service development & delivery

• To influence the planning and delivery of service developments in your area, leading on designated projects.
• To provide specialist occupational therapy input to the planning, implementation and review of policies and service development to support the planning and achievement of objectives in a designated area.
• To contribute to relevant professional and service development meetings and represent the occupational therapy service at wider forums as required.
• To actively encourage user involvement in service development.

Professional development

• To keep abreast of and apply advanced skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practice as a clinical specialist.
• To undertake learning activities in line with personal development plan including acquiring a repertoire of leadership and practice development skills necessary to the competent fulfilment of the clinical specialist role.
• To produce evidence of the application of knowledge and skills as set out in the relevant KSF outline.
• To maintain a professional portfolio for CPD recording and reflecting on learning outcomes.

Clinical governance, quality, standards

• To assist in the clinical governance and quality agenda for the service and lead on implementation as appropriate.
• To interpret, apply and advise on national guidelines and legislation.
• To contribute to the Trusts and deaf services clinical governance and quality agenda, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.

Line management, staff, budgets, dept

• To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance and that of your staff.
• To be responsible for and effectively manage designated resources both financial and material.
• To adhere to Health and Safety guidelines and maintain safe environments and working practices.
• To undertake in general administrative and co-ordination tasks as required for the smooth running of the service.

Research & practice development.

• To promote, apply and disseminate best evidence to maximise clinical effectiveness and staff development.
• To contribute to the occupational therapy evidence base.
• To undertake audit projects relevant to occupational therapy and/or service area, disseminating findings at local and Trust-wide level.
• To engage actively in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities relevant to OT and/or service areas to promote evidence based practice.
• To assume an active role in the Practice Development Network.