Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient/client care

1.    Attains competencies for the safe use of all equipment and techniques before use.

2.    Once training period complete, uses evidence based knowledge and clinical reasoning to undertake routine and complex clinical assessment, in a relevant location, eg hospital, nursery, school, work or home, identifying patient needs, treatment aims and goals in collaboration with the individual patient and the MDT. These may be in-patients, out-patients or those attending specialist clinics. Assessment and treatment may include splinting, wheelchair adjustment, therapeutic handling / hoisting and discharge planning in a busy and unpredictable environment.

3.    Uses professional skills to engage patients with challenging behaviour, psychological and psychiatric needs in purposeful treatment programmes, in collaboration with the MDT, to ensure the provision of holistic care.

4.    Determines patients’ level of understanding of treatment plan to ensure valid patient consent and works within legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent.

5.    Documents findings according to Trust policy and department procedure.

6.    Uses recognised outcome measures and goal setting measures to motivate challenging clients.

7.    Formulates and implements graded treatment plans.

8.    Oversees treatment plans delegated to support staff, maintaining responsibility for overall care of patient.

9.    Analyses patients’ progress and adjusts treatment programmes as appropriate.

10. Manages clinical risk within own patient caseload and in own work area.

11. Plans and leads group and individual specialist education, advice and support sessions for up to 15 patients / carers.

12. Makes referrals, reports and recommendations verbally and in writing to the MDT, external agencies and employers as required.

13. Prioritises and manages own clinical caseload, delegating as appropriate.

14. Attends ward rounds, case conferences and other patient reviews and reports both verbally and in writing.

15. Maintains and develops knowledge of evidence based practice and own competencies through CPD activities (e.g. peer review, in-service training, journal club, external courses), maintaining a portfolio, which reflects personal development.

Policy/service development/implementation

16. Works within established standards of practice and procedures of the department and clinical unit and makes suggestions for changes in work practice in own area.

17. Assists senior staff in evaluating the OT service and implements changes in liaison with senior staff.

18. Discusses issues brought to the peer support group and feeds back as appropriate.

Financial and physical resources

19. Monitors stock levels of equipment and materials for own clinical area and initiates ordering process as required.

20. Checks OT equipment is in working order within manufacturers’ guidelines and reports need for repair if required.

21. Carries out or delegates maintenance and cleaning of equipment as appropriate.

22. Ensures equipment is issued appropriately and processes cash donations as per department policy.

Human resources

23. Participates in staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and is responsible for complying with agreed personal development plan to meet required knowledge and competencies.

24. Inducts, supervises and educates an allocated member of staff according to their learning needs.

25. Conducts appraisal of an allocated member of staff with guidance from own supervisor.

26. Prepares for fieldwork placements as allocated and directly supervises undergraduate and post-graduate OT students, completing assessments and reports for the Higher Education Institution.

27. Assists senior staff in presenting educational sessions to the MDT.

28. Prepares and delivers in-service training sessions to groups of 5-30 OT staff in rotation with other staff members as required.

29. Provides specialist advice and education to OTs in other organisations who may be specialists in the field and discusses the most complex queries with peers and senior staff as appropriate.

30. Shares good practice with all grades of staff, internal and external to the organisation. 

Information resources

31. Maintains statistics according to department procedure.

32. Maintains resource files and contact details for relevant external organisations.

33. Monitors current patient information and updates as agreed with senior staff.

Research and Development

34. a) Undertakes measurement and evaluation of current practice through use of projects, audit and outcome measures as agreed with senior staff and shares findings within the Trust.

b) Where post is part-funded by research monies, the post holder initiates and undertakes measurement and evaluation of current practice through use of projects, audit and outcome measures with approval of Head Occupational Therapist and RNOH Research & Development Committee.

35. Uses a range of research methodologies and collects required data as part of research and audit initiatives.

36. Documents projects undertaken, submitting papers for publication and presentation to special interest groups and conferences.

Freedom to act

37. Maintains professional and legal responsibility for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients within own clinical caseloads and those of staff & students under their supervision.

38. Works within the Trust and College of Occupational Therapists (COT) standards of practice and procedures and national guidelines and monitors own quality of practice and that of staff & students under their supervision.

39. Maintains responsibility for own time management to meet caseload and service priorities.

40. Management of workload is via staff meetings, one to one meetings with supervisor and informal updates with supervisor and/or peers.

41. Seeks assistance from senior staff or peers as appropriate.