PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical

1. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.
2. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Royal College of Occupational Therapy standards and local/Trust policy. To communicate appropriately with other disciplines (this might include meetings, report and letter writing)
3. To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use advanced clinical reasoning skills.
4. To provide comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of both inpatient and outpatients referred, including those with complex presentation in a timely manner. 
5. Formulate and deliver an individual occupational therapy treatment programme based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills.
6. Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive management plans.
7. Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, which must be documented and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To comply with local confidentiality policies, child protection and vulnerable adult procedures.
8. Use an extensive range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers; to motivate, gain co-operation, to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes.  This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.  For example, patients may be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or who may be unable to accept diagnosis, or realistic expectations of Occupational Therapy intervention.
9. Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
10. To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and to report incidents and near misses
11. Plan and review treatment programmes in close liaison with all members of the multi-disciplinary team, patient’s, carers and family in accordance with consent given.
12. Work within trust clinical guidelines and Royal College of Occupational Therapy guidelines and to have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate.
13. To train, clinically supervise and performance management junior staff, technical instructors, assistants and students, with assistance from more senior members of the Occupational Therapy team. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.
14. Represent occupational therapy service and /or individual patients at the multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate occupational therapy into the treatment programme.  This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning.
15. To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all relevant equipment and patient appliances and aids by patients and ensure that junior staff/assistants attain competency prior to use.
16. To liaise with relatives and carers, Social Services, the Primary Health Care Team and other agencies involved, regarding Home Visits, establishing comprehensive discharge package to ensure continuation of care and maintenance of clients in the community.  This includes providing written communication to support the need for services and equipment. 
17. Liaise with other hospitals, rehabilitation setting when patients are transferred.

Professional

1. To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
2. Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in the clinical area, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.
3. Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.
4. Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraiser, when qualified to do so.
5. Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with more senior occupational therapists.
6. Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance, participation and delivery of, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, or external courses.
7. To undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects. 
8. Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, and other professional development activities.
9. To provide clinical education and training to occupational therapy students to graduate level. Provide support guidance and training to occupational therapists and assistants, assessing and evaluating competence.

Organisational

27.  Assist the team lead in the day-to-day management of a team of Occupational Therapists in the continuing development and maintenance of a service in this clinical speciality.

28.  Be responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of Band 5 occupational therapists, students and assistants on a daily basis.

1. Ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meet the required professional standards of occupational therapy practice.
2. Be responsible for the safe and competent use of relevant occupational therapy equipment by yourself, patients and occupational therapy students, through teaching, training and supervision of practice. Be aware of relevant Health and safety/risk issues and ensure those under your supervision understand their responsibilities.
3. Deputise for the Team Leader in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the team, allocating and organising the work of junior and assistant staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis, with support from the Occupational Therapy Manager.
4. To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities.  Readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
5. To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by the Team Leader or the Occupational Therapy Manager.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Within the organisation:-

Via face to face, or e-mail or telephone contact: physiotherapists, ward managers, nursing staff, SHO’s, SPR’s Consultants, psychologists, psychiatrists, speech & language therapists, other OT colleagues in Derriford Hospital, social workers, ward clerks, administrative staff, Orthotists, podiatrists, hotel services and Medical Physics.

Outside agencies and bodies:-

Via face to face, or e-mail or fax or telephone contact: social services, sensory teams, Reablement teams, Housing Department and associations, charitable bodies, Occupational Therapists in other Hospitals, Social services OT, GP’s, Integrated Community Equipment Store, residential & nursing homes, community pharmacists, wheelchair services, home care staff (including enablers), benefits advisors, patient’s employer.