This is an exciting opportunity for an Occupational Therapist to work in our Accident and Emergency and Emergency Floor Team at St. Richard's Hospital Chichester on a fixed term contract to cover maternity leave.

We are looking for Occupational Therapists with proven experience of working in a fast paced emergency department setting for admission avoidance at the front door. Candidate must be able to commit to working on a 7 day rota.

Bank shift also available.

We are a hardworking and compassionate OT service and will support the successful candidate to progress clinically and personally within our dedicated and energetic service.We offer regular formal and informal supervision with an annual personal development review and a full and comprehensive mandatory training programme. Continuing professional development is highly valued and we offer in service training programmes and access to external learning opportunities.The OT Service is committed to practice placements with strong links to the University of Brighton and Southampton.

Main duties of the job

To provide a wide range of highly specialist Occupational Therapy interventions as part of an evidence based, flexible and patient-centred approach with a specific aim of avoiding unnecessary admissions and facilitating timely discharges, to meet the health and social care needs of adults and children who are referred via the Accident and Emergency (A& E) Department, CDU / EF and the Urgent Treatment Centre.

To perform a rapid and comprehensive highly specialist Occupational Therapy role for patients referred to the postholder's clinical team with complex health, mental health and social care needs.

To provide supervision and leadership for relevant junior and senior members of staff and students on practice placement.

To participate in and facilitate the planning, development and evaluation of Occupational Therapy services within the front door specialist teams, holding responsibility for defined projects.

About us

Join us at UHSussex, every day is different, you can be the change, better never stops

At UHSussex we're proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK's largest acute Trusts, we're a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

Improving lives: We are a vibrant and inclusive organisation, with hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals, who work together towards a common goal, to always put our Patient First. Our mission is summed up by our 'where better never stops' motto and no matter the role at UHSussex, you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

Build a career with us: As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

1. To independently manage a caseload of patients with complex health and social needs, using evidence-based principles to plan and implement effective assessments and treatment programmes.

2. To undertake comprehensive and timely assessments of patients utilising robust clinical reasoning and analytical skills, responding to changes in patients clinical and functional needs, including assessing their ability to give informed consent for therapy and eliciting active patient participation in treatment.

3. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to inform accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of clinical conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention and to develop comprehensive goals and discharge plans.

4. To carry out specialist interventions and apply appropriate treatment approaches, such as splinting, and specialist seating, with both individual and groups of patients, on the wards, in the Occupational Therapy department and in community settings.

5. To use specialist activity analysis techniques in conjunction with patient centred practice (patient choice and patient priorities), to select and grade activities in order to achieve therapeutic goals.

6. To empower patients to be actively involved in self-management, through advice, education, coping strategies and therapeutic procedures.

7. To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of interventions.

8. To develop effective therapeutic relationships with patients who may have complex, cognitive, perceptual and behavioural presentations, demonstrating empathy and sensitivity to issues, which may arise in hostile and emotive situations.

9. To communicate effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and other agencies, demonstrating developed verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate often complex concepts, managing barriers to communications such as dysphasia, learning difficulties, cognitive or sensory difficulties, different languages etc.

10. To seek advice from other relevant professionals to inform analysis and reasoning where appropriate.

11. To apply a robust understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to patient environments.

12. To ensure accurate and up to date documentation of all interventions complying with trust, departmental and professional standards and provide Occupational Therapy reports relevant to clinical speciality.

13. To delegate appropriate tasks to junior staff, taking into account their skills and competencies.

14. To demonstrate a good working knowledge of specialist disability equipment.

15. To arrange for the provision of appropriate standard and non-standard specialist disability equipment, obtaining authorisation where necessary.

16. To provide verbal and written advice, demonstration and teaching to patients and carers in the use of equipment and other techniques to optimise patients functional ability, safety and independence.

17. To demonstrate a robust understanding of the implications of manual handling legislation and current best practice, applying this knowledge to the practice of therapeutic manual handling.

18. To undertake risk assessments in complex interventions including moving and handling situations where appropriate.

19. To identify and justify when a patient does not require occupational therapy intervention but needs other MDT input or referrals to other services.

20. To liaise with health and social care professionals and other related private, statutory and voluntary organisations, providing comprehensive written reports, recommendations and referrals where appropriate.

21. To provide specialist advice within own field of expertise to colleagues working within other clinical areas.

22. To be prepared to work on a short term basis in other areas in the hospital as directed by the Head of Occupational Therapy in times of staff shortages and service need.

Management

1. To support and assist the team leader in the planning and delivery of the Occupational Therapy service, including participation in the recruitment and selection of junior staff.

2. To identify unmet needs and gaps in service provision and highlight these to team leader.

3. To provide support, guidance, teaching and clinical supervision to junior qualified and non-qualified Occupational Therapy staff.

4. To support and assist the team leader in appraisals for junior staff on an annual basis ensuring feedback on performance is given at regular intervals throughout the year.

5. To initiate, plan and implement the induction, training and education for students on practice placement and other staff, within or external to the Trust, as delegated by senior staff.

6. To take responsibility for risk management and health and safety in the workplace by adhering to and promoting Health and Safety regulations, trust and departmental policies.

7. To ensure that written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and trust standards.

8. To have a good working knowledge of good resource management and budgetary constraints.

9. To maintain and advise on stock and resources necessary to carry out the work of the Occupational Therapy service. To deputise for the team leader by carrying out delegated tasks when required, seeking guidance and support from Head of Occupational Therapy or another appropriate senior.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD

Desirable

• Clinical Supervisors Course
• Speciality Specific Post registration training

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of the OT role, relevant standardised OT assessments and interventions in conditions relating to speciality/post.
• Knowledge of OT models of practice (A) Working knowledge of current legislation, government initiatives and current practice affecting OT
• Proven experience as an Occupational Therapist

Skills

Essential

• High level verbal and written communication skills
• Good command of English

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

St Richards Hospitals

Spitalfield Road

Chichester

PO19 6SE

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

279-5790843-NOV23