Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationships requirement:

1. To use advanced levels of communication, negotiation and motivational skills to facilitate good working relationships with staff, between all levels of the multidisciplinary team and with external agencies.

2.  To communicate effectively with patients to maximise rehab potential, and ensure understanding of clinical condition.  To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills of persuasion, motivation, demonstration and explanation to encourage patients to undertake treatment programmes and optimise treatment outcomes.   To adapt style to various levels of understanding and different situations, including those where sensitive, complex or emotive information needs to be gained or imparted or where there are barriers to communication e.g. due to complex psychological conditions.

3. To maintain accurate and up to date documentation in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate vocational/employment programme/activity results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of timely reports and letters.  

4. To communicate appropriately using electronic formats including word processing and e-mail.  

5. To ensure compliance with confidentiality is maintained.

6. To collect statistics and submit them regularly as required 

7. To undertake administration tasks as required for the smooth running of the department, including managing service user employees’ time sheets and wages.

8. To supply patients and staff with information on the OT service which is accurate and current.

Clinical Responsibility:

1. To promote OT specifically the vocational and employment activities within the service to staff and patients.

2. To co-ordinate operational aspects of all employment projects to ensure their smooth running. 

3. To provide clinical and operational support to the Band 4 project leads   

4. To be involved in planning, initiation and delivery of vocational and employment programmes in collaboration with other professionals specifically tailored to patient need. 

5. To prioritise workload as necessary according to individual patient’s needs and the standards of the employment service.

6.   To have knowledge of clinical skills to carry out vocational and employment programmes/ activities in both one-to-one and group interventions with patients.

7.     To use clinical reasoning to support the Occupational Therapist in assessing patients’ occupational performance in relation to their mental health needs and risk.

8.   To assess the client’s mental state and identify any significant risk factors, both in general and pertaining to the specific therapeutic activity  with supervision of senior staff.

9.  To provide individual employment advice and guidance as required ie CV writing, disclosure statements, etc.

10. To be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of therapy interventions in conjunction with patients and other professionals etc.

11. To apply evidence based practice to service delivery under supervision of senior staff

12. To apply equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory interventions that respect the patients’ customs, values and spiritual beliefs at all times.

13. To contribute to reports focussed on the vocational and employment aspects on a regular basis and disseminate to relevant professionals, agencies and the patient.

14. To make entries in the multidisciplinary notes pertaining to the patients’ assessment, intervention and progress.

15. To attend clinical meetings/ ward rounds/ CPA meetings and contribute clinical information on patients’ progress. 

16.   To exercise professional and clinical judgement in routine cases and refer to senior staff when necessary.

17.To prioritise caseload in response to client need and the changing needs of the service under guidance of senior staff

18. To develop and maintain links with relevant statutory and non-statutory agencies in relation to vocational rehabilitation and employment in the community.

Service Development and Improvement:

1.   To follow all Trust and OT Service policies and procedures and the College of Occupational Therapy (COT) Professional Standards in Clinical Practice. 

2.     To encourage user involvement in service development.

3.  To attend staff and business meetings within the OT service, relevant MDT meetings and other clinical specialist groups.

4.     To implement and suggest changes to policies within the service user employment department.

5.  To actively participate in clinical audits related to service evaluation and review.

6.     To participate in the development of culturally sensitive services responsive to the ethnic diversity within the borough. 

Financial and Physical resource Responsibility:

1. To monitor the levels of stock and equipment required for departmental needs.

2. To adhere to policies and procedures for the safe use of therapeutic stock and equipment in line with health and safety requirements.

3.    To manage procurement of patient wages for vocational jobs and ensure this is in line with trust policy.

4.    To be responsible for accurately completing petty cash vouchers related to purchases made for patients’ service provision

Working Conditions and Environment:

 Physical effort

 Physical skills required to facilitate a wide range of activities both on a one to one and group basis, including using and moving technical equipment and managing, moving and transporting stock.

 Emotional effort

 Ability to manage frequent highly distressing clinical interactions with patients who have personality disorder and other mental health problems.  

Mental effort

Ability to assess and manage exposure to potential hazards including frequent verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression in hospital setting whilst ensuring safety of self, patients and other staff in line with the trusts policy in relation to management of violence and aggression.

Knowledge, Training and Education:

1. To have a formal qualification or equivalent or in-depth knowledge and practical experience of one or more specific technical areas relevant to the service user employment projects such as graphic design, catering, horticulture / landscaping.

2. To have knowledge and experience of designing and implementing both group and individual therapeutic interventions e.g. vocational programmes, therapeutic group work etc.

3. To have knowledge of various diagnosis’, their management and effect on function in relation to the specialist areas.  

4. To maintain up to date knowledge of policies across therapy and other areas of work.

5. To maintain updated knowledge with regard to areas of mandatory training and emergency procedures including CPR, fire, equality and diversity, MAPPA and infection control.

6. To ensure own professional development through regular participation in the supervision process and the Trust’s appraisal and individual performance review.

7. To assist with the training and development of OT students on clinical placement when suitably experienced.

8. To participate in the induction of new staff as required. 

9. To work autonomously within trust and occupational therapy policy and guidelines to manage caseload of patients and rotas to ensure sufficient cover for all projects and the smooth running of the department.

10. To maintain Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and keep a personal CPD portfolio. 

Research and Development Responsibility:

1.  To contribute to activities related to clinical effectiveness via audit, research and evidenced based practice.

2.  To contribute to regular Trust-wide Clinical Interest groups and other relevant forums.