Community Occupational Therapy Team Manager inSunderland inSunderland PUBLISHED 13 NOV 2024

Due to developments, the Community Therapy Service at Sunderland City Council are seeking a dynamic candidate for the role of Community Occupational Therapy Team Manager with responsibility for the leadership and management of one of the established Community Occupational Therapy teams.

The Primary objective of the Community Therapy Service is to focus on preventative models to support residents in the management of their disability or long-term health condition, enabling people to live safe, fulfilling & independent lives.The Community Therapy Service work with all ages, including children.

Team Managers represent and lead a designated team, within the Community Therapy Service, to deliver the service effectively, efficiently and to a high standard ensuring effective performance management for the services within the responsibility of the post.

Community Occupational Therapists play a key role in the statutory provision of services, completing assessments, problem solving and promoting safety. The service promotes independence and quality of life by giving advice on how to carry out tasks differently; by suggesting equipment to assist with activities of daily living and self-care tasks; recommending alterations to property to make the environment more accessible and signposting to other agencies for further support and advice.

The service actively promotes best practise and quality and supports a model of coproduction with customers.

The Team Manager will provide regular consultation with staff, offering expert advice and guidance on Occupational Therapy cases, in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Candidates should possess the skills to work collaboratively with other professionals and services and have effective communication and listening skills and the ability to analyse & interpret data.

Successful candidates will undertake aninduction programme and ongoing training will be provided. The service promotes a culture of learning and development and professional development is supported at all levels.

The service strives to maintain high standards of customer care and works with its practitioners to assure continuous professional development, demonstrating best practise and a high commitment to the undergraduate education of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy students.

About us

Responsible for staff/equipment

The postholder will be responsible for a designated service area, providing regular consultation, leadership, supervision, appraisal and first level HR functions for staff within their team.

The postholder will be responsible for equipment used as part of their role as well as IT equipment.

The postholder will monitor the use of equipment, including IT equipment for staff within their service area.

Main purpose of job

Represents, organises, and leads a designated team, within Community Therapy Services to deliver the service effectively, efficiently, to a high standard and within budget.

Ensures effective performance management for the services within the responsibility of the post.

Involved in service improvement for the team within the responsibility of the post.

Ensures the Strategic Manager, Principal OT & Head of Service are kept aware of trends, quality, and availability of resources.

Leads or contributes to projects on behalf of the Strategic Manager, Principal OT and Head of Therapies.

Key responsibilities

Plans and organises own work and that of the team.

Always ensures continuity of service delivery.

Supports and supervises team members and ensures high quality services are provided to customers, including the provision of regular consultation to team members to guide therapy staff on clinical cases and decisions.

Promotes a culture of learning within the organisation.

Motivates, leads, and develops team members through formal and informal supervision, personal development plans, and annual appraisal.

Delivers training and presentations within the service, as appropriate.

Completes first line Human Resource aspects of the role including absence monitoring in line with policies and procedures.

Monitors performance of individual staff members and team performance for the area of responsibility using available resources.

Responsible for ensuring team members understand and comply with Health and Safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.

Completes risk assessments with staff members when appropriate.

Provides Duty Manager functions for Therapies working as part of the Adult Social Care Front Door service.

Works collaboratively and develops relationships, working alongside key partners to ensure effective service provision.

Continuously reviews business processes and procedures to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Promotes the Community Therapy service, its purpose, and developments within the service and to key partners.

Champions Safeguarding within the service, ensuring all aspects of safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to.

Ensures the Equal Opportunities Policy is adhered to within the team in employment and service delivery.

Treats all customers, members of the public and colleagues equally and with respect.

Promotes and champions a positive organisation-wide culture, reflecting the Councils values.

Key tasks

Screens and allocates referrals within agreed time frames.

Regularly monitors the workload of staff within their team in line with the workload management policy.

Provides regular consultation with staff, offering expert

advice and guidance on their cases, in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Completes regular supervision and appraisals for team members in line with policy and procedure.

Monitors the compliance of staff with mandatory training and promotes learning opportunities for staff within the area of responsibility.

Attends meetings within the service and represents the service at other meetings, as delegated.

Effectively monitors Health & Safety aspects of the role and to actively participate in health and safety reviews, risk assessments and monitors teams compliance to service and organisational health and safety policies and procedures.

Participates in audits and reviews across the service as delegated by the Strategic Manager/Head of Therapies.

Maintains own Continuous Professional Development through a variety of learning methods.

Complies with the organisations and services essential training requirements.

Participates in supervision and appraisal with line manager.

Maintains individual professional registration with the Health & Care Professions Council.

Other duties/specific policies e.g. DBS

The post holder must carry out their duties with full regard to the Councils Equal Opportunities Policy, Code of Conduct and all other Council Policies.

The post holder must comply with the Councils Health and safety rules and regulations and with Health and safety legislation.

The post holder must comply with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to the management of Council records and information.

To comply with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Act 2and GDPR in relation to the management of Council records and information and respect the privacy of personal information held by the Council.