13/04/2023
Job Title: Occupational Therapist (Band 5) Job Description
Job Summary
• The post holder will provide an efficient and high quality therapy service for patients throughout specialist areas rotating between specialties every 6 months.
• As an autonomous practitioner they will assess, diagnose and treat patients on their own case load of inpatients and/or outpatients/community patients in individual and group settings.
• Participate in Continuing Professional Development, clinical audit and in service training.
• To advise the multidisciplinary team about occupational therapy treatment.
• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of their professional and clinical work, working to agreed national and professional standards.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Clinical
• To competently carry out full consultations with patients under your care in order to establish base line data.
• To effectively examine and assess patients, identify their problems and needs and ensure that patients medical, psychological, social, environmental and cultural factors are taken in to account.
• Utilise examination and assessment findings to competently plan and carry out realistic programmes of treatment from a range of therapeutic options appropriate to each patient using evidence based practice.
• To be able to relate finding of assessment to presenting disease/pathology.
• To set appropriate treatment aims and objectives in negotiation with the patient.
• To be able to give appropriate advice ensuring patients understanding, cooperation, compliance and consent.
• To be able to adjust your approach if the patient has communication or cognitive problems.
• To facilitate safe and timely patient discharge and to determine outcome of occupational therapy management of the patient.
• Plan and prioritise your own workload.
• To appropriately select patients for inclusion on the weekend treatment list.
• Access advice and support from senior therapists as required as part of training and Continuing Professional Development.
• To communicate information from the assessment and treatment to clients, carers, other family members, members of the multi disciplinary team and other professions and agencies.
• To monitor and review occupational therapy care plans against outcome measures and adjust care plans to facilitate achievement of goals.
• To attend patient related meetings as appropriate e.g. case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings and patient review meetings, ensuring effective communication of the patients occupational therapy needs, thus ensuring a well co-ordinated and comprehensive care plan.
• To participate in the weekend and/or emergency on call rota.
• To be competent in treating patients on an individual basis as well as in a group/ class setting.
• Within rehabilitation service to be the key worker for individual patients, acting as a main point of contact and information giver for the patient, their family and carers, coordinating delivery of care plan including organisation and leading goal setting meetings, case conferences and discharge planning, often involving agencies outside of the Trust where applicable.
Communication and Leadership
• To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive records of assessment and treatment in line with British Association of Occupational Therapy national standards and local policy.
• To be familiar with the Trust and Directorate organisational structure and lines of communication.
• To establish a rapport and demonstrate empathy towards patients and carers and give effective advice to patients, staff and carers who maybe under stress.
• To be able to effectively communicate complex condition related information to patients and relatives.
• To be able to sensitively impart unwelcome news/information of a difficult /sensitive nature to patients and relatives.
• To maintain a calm, professional approach to all duties.
• To exhibit a committed attitude to all aspects of their work.
• To contribute to the development of a range of evidence based educational resources
• Communicate with patients to gain consent to treatment and to agree/inform expected treatment outcomes.
• To communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with internal and external agencies, e.g. consultants, GP’s, community staff, nurses, social services and support services about patient care, including professional clinical reports.
• To deal with initial complaints sensitively avoiding escalation where possible, seeking advice and referring to senior staff as required.
• To work with link workers or interpreters as necessary during assessment and treatment to overcome barriers of communication.
• To produce with support of senior staff information/advice/exercise information based on evidence based practise for patients/relatives/carers in accordance with the Trust information group and line manager.
Management/Human Resources
• Monitor and supervise rehabilitation assistants as delegated by senior staff with access to
advice as required.
• Contribute to the development and supervision of occupational therapy students on clinical placement in the absence of their designated supervisors or as delegated.
• To explain the role of occupational therapy to visitors, students, volunteers and at events e.g. career conventions.
• To provide peer support and contribute to peer support meetings.
• To contribute to the implementation of service objectives/business plan.
Organisational/Planning
• Delegate patients treatment programmes to occupational therapy assistants and undergraduate students in consultation with senior therapists.
• Provide cover for senior specialist occupational therapy staff during absence, holding the team bleep and organising the caseload.
• To manage and prioritise a defined caseload independently, seeking advice from senior staff within the specialty as appropriate.
• To manage workload and time appropriately with occasionally support.
• To facilitate and plan for discharge as appropriate and liaise with multidisciplinary colleagues within own organisation and with external agencies to achieve a safe discharge and provision of continued treatment and care.
• To contribute with multidisciplinary team, colleagues and managers to the AHP service wide initiatives which address specific issues relating to overall service delivery e.g. on-call working party, teaching and development group, improving working lives.
Education/Development
• To maintain up to date Health and Care Professions Council registration.
• To identify and achieve personal development objectives set in conjunction with the supervisor as part of the Continuing Professional Development/appraisal process, maintaining an up to date Continuing Professional Development portfolio.
• To maintain the skills and knowledge required of a rotational occupational therapist through reflective practice and attendance at team in-service training, informal teaching, relevant national courses, clinical specialist interest groups and other clinical meetings.
• Participate in the development and delivery of formal and informal training to other health care professionals, other agencies and service users.
• To undertake Trust and local mandatory training.
Management of Resources
• Be responsible for the safe issue of equipment for patient use under your care in hospital and the community
• To have delegated responsibility for the security and safe use of equipment within treatment sessions, reporting and removing from use any faulty equipment.
• To have responsibility for own personal safety and that of patients and personnel within the
department.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of local policies and best practice guidance pertaining to equipment provision and personal competence in the use of this equipment e.g. walking aids/wheelchairs/hoists/ADL equipment
/patient appliances.
• Contribute to stock control system in own service area.
• To observe lone working policy when working as a lone practitioner in the community
• To organise external / internal courses to generate income for postgraduate training
Research and Audit Clinical Effectiveness
• To participate in service research, clinical effectiveness and audit projects under guidance of senior staff.
• To gather data for other research projects, clinical audits, quality assurance standards etc in line with the service/team clinical effectiveness agenda.
• Utilise evidence-based practice, audits and published research to inform practice.
Policy
• To work within the Health and Care Professions Council standard of conduct and proficiency
• To adhere to Trust and departmental health and safety policies.
• To comply with the College of Occupational Therapy standards and rules of professional conduct.
• To observe patient confidentiality in compliance with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott recommendations.
• To comply with the Trust Risk Management policies
• To operate within local and national policies and procedures
• To adhere to College of Occupational Therapy standards and code of conduct policies
• To comply with all infection control policies and procedures as set out in the Trust Infection Control manual.
• To ensure that Child Protection, Vulnerable Adult and Mental Health legislation is adhered to in accordance with Safeguarding policies.
Administrative
• To complete manual and computerised statistical returns which meet both legal and service standards.
• To undertake routine administrative tasks e.g. booking appointments, arranging patient transport, booking vehicles to ensure smooth service delivery.
• To attend and contribute to relevant team/service meetings
Conditions of Service
Health and Safety
The postholder must not wilfully put him/herself or others at risk while at work. Safe working practices and safety precautions must be adhered to, protective clothing and equipment must
be used where provided.
All accidents must be reported to a member of management who has to participate in accident prevention by reporting all potential hazards.
Infection Control
It is a requirement for all staff to comply with all infection control policies and procedures as set out in the Trust Infection Control manual.
Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain confidentiality at all times in all aspects of work.
Security
The post holder has a responsibility to ensure the preservation of all NHS property and resources.
Equal Opportunities and Fair Treatment
The postholder will immediately report to their line manager any breach or suspected breach of both equal opportunities and fair treatment guidelines.
No Smoking Policy
The Trust operates a no smoking policy, which applies to all staff, patients and visitors and extends to the hospital grounds as well as internal areas.
Team Briefing
The Trust operates a system of Team Briefing, which is based on the principles that people will be more committed to their work if they fully understand the reason behind what is happening in their organisation and how it is performing.
It is expected that all employees will attend the monthly briefing sessions.
This job description indicates the main functions of the post holder and may be subject to regular review and amendment in the light of service development. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder and in line with Trust policy.
