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Job summary

Main area
Allied Health Professionals
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent: This post may be offered under Annex 21 AfC Terms & Conditions, subject to experience, competency and suitability.
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This post may be offered under Annex 21 AfC Terms & Conditions, subject to experience, competency and suitability.)
Job ref
409-5502285-D
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Whiston Hospital
Town
Prescot
Salary
£35,392 - £42,618 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
17/05/2024 23:59
Interview date
29/05/2024

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Specialist Occupational Therapist (Annex 21)

NHS AfC: Band 6

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced therapist to join the St Helens UCR /Community Frailty Team. This integrated multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team provides specialist rapid assessment and interventions to our local population of St Helens.

Our progressive working environment  manages ‘crisis’ on a daily basis, taking referrals from community, care homes and acute colleagues as well as self-referrals. Your clinical skillset will contribute to people being able to remain safely and supported in their own homes wherever possible and preventing unnecessary A&E attendances.

The post holder will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team comprising of Frailty Consultants, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Occupational therapists, Physiotherapists, Nurses, Social Workers and support workers.Staff may rotate within the frailty therapy services based at Whiston hospital site.

The service provides a 7 day, 8am-8pm, urgent and timely response to referrals. Following this, a rapid assessment and community intervention for up to 72 hours will support adults ‘in crisis’ with health or social care needs at home.

This post may be offered under Annex 21 AfC Terms & Conditions, subject to experience, competency and suitability.

Main duties of the job

You will be a champion of an integrated community care approach, a strong team player with experience of MDT working and an excellent communicator. You will be adaptable, committed, able to organise and prioritise work effectively and able to work well under pressure. You must be able to travel around various community locations delivering care. You must be motivated, enthusiastic and have proven experience of working as an autonomous practitioner. A commitment to improving the patient’s experience is essential.

The successful candidate should have a working knowledge and experience of community or acute services and be familiar with the patient pathways between hospital and home. You will be required to process referrals, manage a caseload independently and take responsibility for providing assessment and treatment of patients with a variety of medical conditions.  

As a Trust, we are committed to continuing professional and personal development and will therefore provide support with regular supervision and training. We are keen to promote collaborative practice and to develop staff within a supportive and friendly environment. You will participate in delivering training to other staff to facilitate their development.

Working for our organisation

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

  • CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
  • ​​​​​​SAFETY that is of the highest standards
  • COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
  • SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
  • PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

  • Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
  • Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
  • Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

  • To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients/clients in your care.
  • To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients/clients under your care and support more junior staff to do likewise.
  • To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients/clients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use specialist clinical reasoning skills and appropriate assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition.
  • Formulate and deliver an individual treatment programme using assessment, reasoning skills and treatment skills based on a sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options. Formulate an initial diagnosis and prognoses to recommend best course of intervention and develop comprehensive discharge plans.
  • To take delegated responsibility from the Band 7 clinician for managing patients/clients with conditions and be responsible for providing specialist assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions.
  • Evaluate patient progress, reassess, and alter treatment programmes as required.
  • To have the ability to undertake self-directed/lone working in a variety of locations.

 CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To maintain Professional Registration
  • To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these.
  • To be responsible for a designated area of work, as delegated by a senior clinician. Plan and organise efficiently and effectively patient/client caseload, and use of time for self and more junior staff.
  • To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training, and supervision of practice.
  • To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of treatment and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
  • To provide specialist clinical advice to colleagues working within other clinical areas
  • To provide specialist clinical advice, teaching and training to other members of the MDT regarding the management of patients
  • To train, supervise and performance manage more junior staff and students. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.
  • To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise potential and to ensure understanding of their condition.
  • To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and can work within a legal framework with patients/clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
  • To communicate highly sensitive information effectively with all patient groups/clients/carers where there may be difficulties in accepting or understanding information.
  • To maintain tact and diplomacy and use highly developed communication skills when working in situations which may become hostile/antagonistic including potential complaints as per Trust Policy

 ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up to date documentation, in line with legal and local requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
  • To undertake as directed the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department.
  • To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include participating in a variety of MDT, internal and external agency meetings, and forums plus other forms of verbal/written communication as necessary including report writing and referrals to other agencies.

 TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

  • To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as appropriate into your work. To support junior staff to do likewise.
  • To be an active member of relevant training programmes attending and delivering presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, and by attending external courses and being a reflective practitioner
  • To participate in the supervision scheme as supervisor and supervisee

 LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery.
  • Influencing, motivating, supporting, and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the Therapy Team
  • To provide specialist advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment, and long-term management of patients/ clients within sphere of practice.
  • To deputise for the band 7 in terms of operational issues
  • To take responsibility for their own specialist and complex decision making and the decisions of their team which effect service delivery
  • To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by senior staff.
  • To participate in working parties developing policy changes within speciality which will impact on all service users.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT

  • To adhere to the appropriate Registrant Body code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and facilitate compliance of staff with local and national standards of practice.
  • Implement policy and service development changes as directed.
  • To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation.
  • To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices using evidence-based practice projects, audit, and outcome measures under the guidance of senior staff. Make recommendations for change and to implement change.
  • To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate.
  • To support research activity within the Service
  • To engage actively in practice development, evaluation, audit, and research activities relevant to service to promote evidence-based practice.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree in Occupational Therapist
  • HCPC registration
Desirable criteria
  • Clinical Educators Certificate
  • Post Grad accredited study e.g. MSc in relevant health studies

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment and evidence of evidence based practise in relevant health setting
  • Awareness of own strengths and limitations
  • Knowledge of relevant national policies and guidance and relevant assessment tools
  • Experience of line managing a team including setting objectives, conducting appraisals and effective delegation and co-ordination
  • Evidence of effective working within an MDT
  • Experience of Service development
  • Demonstrate experience of problem solving approaches
  • Demonstrates continuous Professional Development
Desirable criteria
  • Audit and research in a clinical area

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives
  • Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines
  • Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings
  • Accurate record keeping, report writing and IT skills including presentation skills
  • Have a flexible approach to working with good time management
Desirable criteria
  • Mentorship skills

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyJob share policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderHSJ Best places to workMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Care quality commission - OutstandingStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sophie Banks
Job title
Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07780 477 276
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