Children's Occupational Therapist inCambridge inCambridge PUBLISHED
TUE 29 OCT 2024
The post holder will utilize evidence-based practices to formulate and implement individual therapy programs, provide training to various stakeholders, and produce necessary documentation for statutory processes. Additionally, responsibilities include participation in professional development, management of junior staff, and involvement in research and development activities to enhance clinical practice within the community. Strong communication skills and the ability to handle sensitive information are crucial, as effective coordination with various stakeholders, including local authorities and healthcare providers, is a key aspect of this role.
This is an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the dynamic therapists at Cambridgeshire Community Children's Occupational Therapy Service.
Our service has been a fully integrated OT service combining health and social care roles for many years. This role is based in the community and will involve working at your clinic base, local special schools, family homes, mainstream schools and local pre-school settings.
Children seen will have range of disabilities and developmental delays and are between 0-19 years old.
The post holder will be based in the Cambridge area at The Peacock Centre in Cambridge, however, this post will require travel across the county to facilitate regular CPD and mandatory training.
The post holder will be joining a skilled and enthusiastic team of occupational therapists and assistants. We also work closely with our physiotherapy colleagues as well as other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
There is a strong commitment from Cambridgeshire Community Services for continued professional development for all members of staff.
We want you to use your skills and knowledge to make a real difference in children and young people's lives.
To provide an integrated Occupational Therapy service to children and young people and their families, this will involve crossing traditional health and social care boundaries and promoting close, effective working relationships within the health multi-disciplinary team, the local authority and schools.
You will be responsible for your own caseload and in a supervisory capacity for that of junior staff/students working within your team.
About us
Nature of work
To provide specialised childrens occupational therapy assessment and treatment for children.
To work in a variety of settings such as clinics, mainstream schools/nurseries, special schools/nurseries, clients homes and other community settings
To appropriately delegate work/tasks to therapy assistants, maintaining oversight of their input with children and young people.
To formulate and deliver an individual occupational therapy programme based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment approaches using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment modalities available, e.g. CO-OP approach, COPM, neurodevelopmental therapy, sensory integration therapy (in line with strongest evidence) and other alternatives (with appropriate support from senior colleague)
To participate in training/lecturing programmes, with support from senior colleagues, for Occupational Therapists staff, Occupational Therapy students, medical students, doctors, teachers and learning support assistants in schools and parents/carers.
To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the children and young peoples Occupational Therapy service.
Where appropriate, to act as a key worker for CYP on their caseload, ensuring that there is effective communication between all members of the team and that a coordinated approach is in place.
To complete assessments with support from senior occupational therapist to inform the SEN tribunal process
Planning
To plan their own diary and prioritise their caseload in line with the service offer.
To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the children and young peoples Occupational Therapy service.
To work as an autonomous practitioner supported by regular clinical and management supervision.
To comply with departmental and organisational policies and procedures.
Specific projects
To participate in defined, delegated projects.
To liaise with Team Leaders to ensure that all children referred into the occupational therapy service receive an equitable service.
Communication
To provide excellent communication with Children and Young People, Parents, carers, schools, local education authority, social services, acute hospitals, paediatricians, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, pre-school teachers, psychologists (clinical and educational) and child and family nurses.
Often information handled will be sensitive and highly complex. Occasionally children are seen with extremely sensitive rare and complex medical conditions this requires communication at a high level with specialist doctors and national centres of excellence.
To investigate and manage concerns, incidents and complaints recognising limitations and referring to more senior colleagues, where appropriate.
To provide clear, concise written reports for other agencies for statutory processes to meet legal requirements, e.g. Education, Health and Care Plan, Tribunal cases.
Contribute to CCS internal communication strategies ensuring effective two-way communication and engagement within the organisation
Contribute to CCS external communication strategies working with the Head of Communications to raise awareness and promote the reputation of CCS services
People Management
To be involved in the supervision of junior Occupational Therapists (alongside the team leader Occupational Therapist).
To be involved in the supervision of occupational therapy students in their clinical practice.
Maintain their own professional development and ensure complies with mandatory requirement to take part in appraisal process
To provide support, guidance and training to therapy assistants assessing and evaluating competence and delegating work appropriately.
To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraiser for therapy assistants, where appropriate.
To support in the recruitment of therapy assistants and administrative staff, where appropriate.
To train educational assistants to support the childs goals in the educational setting.
Research & Development Activity
To maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process
To participate in evidence based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice. To have support from senior colleagues to make recommendations to the clinical lead of the service for changes to practise by the team. This may lead the implementation of specific changes to practise or contribute to service protocols.
To participate in undertaking the measurement and evaluation of her work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, with support from senior colleagues.
To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and to maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in childrens occupational therapy developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.
To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with his agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.
To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review, ensuring delivery of feedback following attendance at external courses.
To be competent in carrying out literature searches and to actively maintain/update specialist knowledge.
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