The Neonatal Unit at University College London Hospital NHS Trust (UCLH) is looking for qualified and enthusiastic applicants for the post of Occupational Therapist. The post is 0.6 WTE at Band 7.

The appointed person will be provided with leadership and support from an experienced Band 8a Neonatal OT.

This is an exciting opportunity in a tertiary medical neonatal intensive care experience working in the heart of central London at UCLH. UCLH is the host for the UK Neonatal Individualised Developmental Care and Assessment Programme (NIDCAP) Training Centre.

Main duties of the job

Occupational therapists promote infant neurodevelopment on the neonatal unit by empowering parents/caregivers to provide developmentally supportive care, considering adaptations tothe environment to promote an optimal sensory experience for brain development.They support the parent-infant relationship, helping parents to understand and respond to behavioural cues and signs of stress, helping infants to regulate their body systems andparticipate in co-occupations such as sleeping, feeding, and early interaction. Occupational therapists provide specialist assessment and early intervention for sensory, motor, attention, regulation and play development to support the infant to reach their development potential.

Early intervention and individualised infant care, using a Family Integrated Care (FiCare) approach on the Neonatal Unit (NNU) aims to reduce the developmental risks for infants born prematurely or with perinatal problems. The Specialist Neonatal Occupational Therapist will use highly specialist skills to manage their own complex caseload, working collaboratively with the Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist and wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). They will be responsible for supporting the infants and their families in participating in developmentally appropriate and meaningful co-occupations, using an individualised approach to assessment and intervention. They will support timely discharge and provide anticipatory guidance to ease transition to home.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

At UCLH, we have a real 'One Team' ethos, and our values - safety, kindness, teamwork and improving, are central to the way we work. This is supported by our staff, who voted us as the #1 NHS Acute Trust to work for in the whole of England.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The UCLH Neonatal unit is the primary referral centre for neonatal intensive care (a level 3 unit with 21 ITU and HDU cots plus 11 SCBU cots and a neonatal led TC) for the North Central London Perinatal Network, and provides a full range of intensive care for the sickest and most vulnerable babies. We specialise in Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care and we are a regional centre for therapeutic hypothermia (cooling). We work in partnership with our UCLH Fetal Medicine Unit, a regional, national and international referral centre for complex pregnancies, and the world renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), specialist paediatric hospital, to collaboratively care for babies with complex conditions.

Please note the extensive JD.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

For more information regarding the main responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy.
• State Registration HCPC.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development including attendance at recent post graduate courses relevant to the clinical field
• Completed HEE Neonatal OT modules

Desirable

• Recognised post-graduate qualifications
• Evidence of recent study at a higher level
• NBO/NBAS, NIDCAP, FINE I/II, SI

Experience

Essential

• Relevant postgraduate Occupational Therapy NHS clinical experience, preferably inclusive of neonatal care
• Knowledge and experience of a range of assessment and interventions/approaches in neonatal and paediatric care.
• Knowledge of child development, common neonatal and paediatric conditions and in-depth knowledge of developmental disabilities and factors influencing early infant development
• Experience in developing the OT's role.
• Proven experience in a wide range of clinical areas, and working with children of a variety of ages from 0-19
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Managerial experience.

Desirable

• Experience in monitoring work performance
• Membership of speciality groups
• Previous Band 7 experience
• Knowledge and experience of using a wide range of different infant assessments eg. Bayley Scales of Infant Development, NBO, NBAS, Prechtl General Movement Assessment

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Demonstrated ability to carry out occupation-based assessment
• Application of Occupational Therapy models of practice and evidence based practice.
• Management of a varied neonatal or paediatric caseload with evidence of skills in both acute and community settings.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of disabilities on patient, families and carers.
• Ability to manage caseloads, prioritise workloads and work independently.
• Ability to prioritise designated caseload and departmental duties.
• Willingness to develop own knowledge and practice in neonatal and contributes to the development of others.
• Advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• Demonstrates ability to seek, analyse and draw valid conclusions from available information
• Demonstrate problem solving approach and sound clinical decision making to facilitate a timely discharge.
• Demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of assessment techniques and tools.
• Ability to analyse tasks and activities, synthesise findings and develop goal orientated treatment plans.
• Ability to proactively resource information to address patient's needs in a timely manner.
• Able to use coaching strategies to support parent participation in caring for infant
• Developing and providing education and teaching programmes to other professionals and students.
• Ability to take an overview of the service, and to initiate and contribute to its development. Demonstrate an understanding of health and safety, importance of confidentiality and equal opportunities in relation to patient care and departmental operation.

Desirable

• Ability to support the supervision and education of junior staff and students.
• To demonstrate an understanding of internal and external factors affecting Occupational Therapy provision
• Experience in collecting and evaluating audit and quality assurance programmes and participating research
• Previous experience in applying Clinical Governance to practice.
• Involvement in the training and education of others (i.e., carers, staff and educators)
• Contributes to research and/or innovation within the profession and specialty and across professional teams.

Communication

Essential

• Analyses, synthesizes and presents knowledge and information about complex subjects and concepts to contribute to key decisions.
• Ability to delegate appropriate tasks.
• Understand and apply principles of risk management to clinical practice.
• Understand scope/role of integrated working and team dynamics.
• Understanding principles and application of supervision in promotion of clinical effectiveness as a supervisor.
• Ability to collect and record accurate statistical information.
• Effective written and verbal/nonverbal communication skills.
• Ability to appreciate the sensitivity, complexity of context and culture and diversity within clinical practice.
• Computer Literacy.

Personal and People Development

Essential

• Willingness to work flexibly.
• Excellent communication and interactive skills.
• Good personal organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage and recognise differences of opinion in both patient related and inter-professional settings coping positively with interpersonal tensions/barriers.
• Proactive approach.
• Ability to positively manage exposure to patients and environments which may be highly distressing, antagonistic, open to aggression and unpleasant.
• Commitment to life long learning

Specific Requirements

Essential

• Adherence to College of Occupational Therapy, HCPC guidelines and codes of ethics and professional conduct.
• Able to provide effective timely care across the acute Trust within neonatal services
• Takes responsibility for implementation of Trust health and safety policies in local working environment.

Employer details

Employer name

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

EGA

25 Grafton Way

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

309-UCLH-3349