Job overview

This rare and exciting opportunity has arisen to gain experience in a specialist intensive inpatient rehabilitation service in our functional neurological disorders and cognitive rehabilitation/acquired brain injury occupational therapy service for inpatients. 

The FND service is a national, quaternary service where you will gain experience of managing functional motor symptoms such as functional weakness, functional tremor and functional dystonia, as well as non-epileptic seizures and other FND symptoms, working in an integrated team using a biopsychosocial approach and psychological formulation.

The cognitive rehab service admits people with traumatic brain injuries with primary cognitive presentations and with this group you will gain experience in values based goal setting, insight building and cognitive rehabilitation strategy application.

You will be supported on site by senior colleagues and therapy technicians. Also linked with the team is the FND Virtual Outreach Team and the nationally significant FND physiotherapy service located at St George's Tooting, as well as wider FND services across South West London.  The inpatient service is one of only three publicly funded inpatient units for FND in Greater London. 

The post would suit a therapist with significant neuro-rehabilitation experience who enjoys working within a psychological formulation, or an experienced mental health OT with skills in neuro-rehabilitation, including cognitive rehabilitation. 

Main duties of the job

Undertakes specialist neurological assessment of own workload of patients, who may have complex presentations, and from this assessment formulates a treatment plan and carries out this treatment as an autonomous practitioner

Supervises and teaches peers, recently qualified Occupational Therapists/technical instructors/therapy assistants/students, and involved in teaching MDT staff

Undertakes evidence-based projects, including making recommendations for change in practice and participating in departmental research and audit as appropriate.

Deputises for Occupational Therapy team leaders in operational management

Working for our organisation

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). 

 After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.