Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the job description for the details regarding the post

Communication and working relationship

· Communicate complex condition-related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multidisciplinary team/other professions in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include facilitating strategies for people with communication disorders where barriers to understanding may exist

· Demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to communication exist, or sensitive issues are being dealt with. Patient, carers and family will frequently have difficulty accepting the information provided

· Form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging difficulties

· Employ good presentation skills to promote multi-disciplinary and interagency liaison and collaborative practice to a broad range of audiences including other professionals and users

· Write reports reflecting knowledge of paediatrics that can be accessible to both lay and professional people

· Contribute to clinical pathways both multi and uni-professional by discussing own and others input around client’s needs, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan

· Deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible

· Demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues

Analytical and judgement

· Demonstrate specialist Occupational Therapy knowledge across a range of therapeutic interventions

· Use knowledge and experience to inform sound clinical judgement/decision making for case management

· Integrate evidence from a variety of sources to make a differential diagnosis, of occupational performance, seeking advice as appropriate

· Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers and mentors and identify own strengths and development needs

Planning and organisation

· Responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans as situations change/arise

· Responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of Occupational Therapy Technicians on a daily basis

· Responsible for the supervision of Band 5 staff on a regular basis

Responsibility for patient/client care, treatment and therapy

· Undertakes all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner including professional and legal accountability and clinical risk management for all aspects of own work

· Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-agency team. Otherwise to be the sole professional with responsibility for that patient’s episode of care and for onward referral as required

· Perform advanced therapeutic assessment of children who present with developmental problems, long term conditions and may have severe communication impairment, learning disability, complex and severe physical and sensory disability

· Use advanced questioning and communication, manual assessment techniques and clinical reasoning skills to provide a diagnosis and prognosis enabling the delivery of an individualised occupational therapy treatment programme. This includes but is not exclusive to the appropriate selection of referrals for inclusion in a range of treatment and management options, including neuro developmental, motor co-ordination, sensory differences, specialised equipment and environmental adaptations.

· Supervision takes the form of annual appraisal with line-manager plus planned management supervision, clinical supervision on a planned regular basis. Clinical work is not routinely evaluated. Access to advice and support is available from peers, the paediatric team and clinical manager

· Responsible for own caseload as an autonomous practitioner

· Responsible for tasks and duties as delegated by the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Children’s Occupational Therapist.

· To use routine outcome measures and goal-based approach, collaboratively with service users, in ways that inform treatment and clinical care

· Work closely with clients, carers, and families agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management

· Co-produce specialist clear care plans based on best practice with children, young people and their families/carers

· Ensure care plans are written in an understandable format for the child, young person and their family/carer

· Provide specialist Occupational Therapy intervention including 1:1 / group therapy, parent/ carer-based interventions and consultancy/coaching mentoring within a range of community settings. Outcomes to then be evaluated · To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures

· To always consider safeguarding and child protection issues, following relevant policies and procedures and receiving safeguarding supervision as required

Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

· Deputise for the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Occupational Therapist in their absence, taking responsibility for operation management of the team, allocating and organising the work of less experienced occupational therapist and assistant staff to meet priorities on a daily basis

· Provide children and young people with the opportunity to express their views in an age appropriate way, to have their opinions considered and to be able to influence the shaping of services

· Interpret and assist in the implementation of local and national guidelines, policies and procedures affecting the development of children’s services

· To follow their employer’s policies, procedures and guidance as well as professional standards and guidelines

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

· Work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer

· Take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use

· Responsible for maintaining a clear desk policy and protecting all confidential information in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures

· Required to act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources

· Responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring that adequate supplies are maintained

· Ensure all equipment used is maintained to the required standard to ensure patient and staff safety

· Maintain stock control, ordering supplies in a timely manner through the agreed process

· Complete an assessment, order, set up the provision of specialist equipment for identified children. Demonstrate to parents/ staff how to maintain and adjust as appropriate

Responsibility for human resources, e.g. supervision, training, HR advice and management

· Contribute to the delivery of a range of training opportunities, as appropriate using a broad range of technology to develop and deliver

· Supervise the work of Occupational Therapy Technicians and/or Integrated Therapy Assistants where necessary

· Mentor and supervise newly qualified occupational therapists as required

· Access clinical supervision at the frequency determined by the organisation

· Oversee the caseload management of newly qualified staff and Occupational Therapy Technicians

· Demonstrate the ability to target training (formal and informal) appropriately to the needs of course participants, reflecting and evaluating training provided.

· To participate in the appraisal process

· Ensure prompt action is taken in raising issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters

Responsibility for information resources and administrative duties

· Responsible for accurate and timely inputting of data into relevant data collection system to ensure workload is accurately reflected

· Responsible for the inputting of accurate and contemporaneous case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards

· A sound knowledge of IT

· Computer literate

· Ensure all employer’s policies, procedures and guidelines are followed

· Complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer

· Identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate

· Take part in activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development

Responsibility for research and development

· Participates in clinical audit

· Participate in clinical research as appropriate

Freedom to act

· Acts as an autonomous professional

· Works within codes of practice as defined by Royal College of Occupational Therapy and HCPC

· Works within organisational policies and procedures

Please contact us to discuss the post more fully.