Are you passionate about working in mental health and supporting individuals to achieve their goals and live more fulfilling lives?

Are you interested in working in a fascinating and ever-changing environment?

Are you curious, creative and always looking for new learning opportunities and ways to put this into practice?

If so, our Occupational Therapist (OT) role at The Hellingly Centre on Blossom Ward may be just the role for you...

Forensic mental healthcare is a unique and fascinating field which provides both challenge and opportunity in abundance.

At the Hellingly Centre, we specialise in the assessment and treatment of people with complex and enduring mental health needs, who have had contact with the criminal justice system.

You will be working with service users who have committed criminal offences, but have also often been victims themselves. Service users regularly experience stigma for both mental health and offending history, so our role is to develop trusting and safe relationships which balance being compassionate, collaborative and supportive with sound risk assessment and management skills.

OTs are recognised as essential, core members of the multi-disciplinary team and play a key role in supporting and advocating service users towards recovery while maintaining the legal requirements within the MHA and of public protection.

We have a Band 5 to Band 6 development post for an Occupational Therapist on Blossom Ward, Woman's Medium Secure Ward.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

• Manage a defined caseload of service users on alongside a robust multi-disciplinary team.
• Support service users to establish helpful routines, maintain and develop roles, grow motivation and confidence and develop and improve skills across the domains of occupation (self-care, productivity and leisure).
• Use OT specific assessment tools (from the Model of Human Occupation MoHO), in order to identify meaningful goals and areas of focus for individuals, informing treatment and care plans.
• Co-ordinate and deliver a programme of occupationally-focussed interventions (both individual and group sessions), according to the need of the service users and evaluate the effectiveness of these using outcome measures.
• Alongside the MDT, contribute to service users' risk assessment and management plans and 'My Care and Safety Plan'.
• Work alongside and provide supervision to Occupational Therapy support staff (post-preceptee )
• Support students on placement with the service as a practice placement educator (PPE), following completion of PPE training with the University of Brighton.
• Support the development of the secure recovery college at the centre.

About us

The Hellingly Centre is a purpose-built secure hospital, comprising of three medium secure wards (Oak, Ash and Blossom) and one low secure ward (Elm).

We have access to a range of therapy facilities within the centre, including a gym, shop, music, woodwork and art rooms and on-site, Badger's Caf and allotment space (offering vocational and therapeutic horticulture opportunities).

Situated within the beautiful Hellingly Country Park and close to the Cuckoo Trail, we enjoy the benefits of both beautiful countryside and the nearby larger towns.

Facilities:

• There is a small gym on-site, available for staff to use
• Badger's Caf sells a good selection of hot drinks, meals and snacks
• We have a large car park and parking is free for staff.

Development and Training:

We are committed to investing in staffs' learning and development and offer:

• Regular supervision and reflective practice
• Quality training and development opportunities.
• OT-specific training available includes: Occupational Formulation, Sensory Processing Theory into Practice, Solution-Focussed approaches.
• Access to well-established 'Communities of Practice' groups for evidence- informed and based interventions (e.g. Sensory Processing, Recovery Through Activity, MoHO and Occupational Formulation).

Hellingly Centre is a member of Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services and there are opportunities for staff to become certified peer reviewers for nationwide forensic services.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

To be a successful Occupational Therapist at the Hellingly Centre you will be:

• A qualified OT, registered with the HCPC
• Have experience working within a mental health setting, either as an OT or in another capacity (including as a student/in another role).
• Passionate about improving the lives of individuals who are being held within the criminal justice system
• Understanding that this is a challenging but hugely rewarding work setting
• Ability to create secure attachment relationships, and earn the trust and respect of patients who are likely to have had adverse experiences of authority figures.
• You will not be put off by rejection, and will see this as part of the process of building a therapeutic alliance.
• Work holistically and creatively with service users to improve occupational functioning and improved quality of life.

We support flexible working

We know that a positive work/ life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Although this role is advertised as full time (37.5 hours), we are open to conversations regarding flexible working (part time hours / working pattern). If it works for you and works for the role/service, we'll do our best to make it happen.

We welcome you to contact us for any further information / with any questions or if you would like to arrange a visit, prior to making an application:

Jessika Lack - Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist jessika.lack@spft.nhs.uk.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
• Registration with the HCPC as an occupational therapist
• Training in the use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools

Desirable

• Evidence of post graduate level study/training
• Practice educator training

Knowledge

Essential

• Experience working in mental health (student or different role/capacity)
• Experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
• Experience of both group and individual work
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of being supervised

Desirable

• Experience as a Care Coordinator
• Leadership experience
• Experience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of occupational therapy clinical approaches used in mental health
• Experience as a qualified occupational therapist in mental health
• Broad Experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
• Experience of supervising staff and students
• Experience in a clinical area related to the post

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hellingly Centre

The Drive

Hellingly

BN27 4ER

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

354-FH-20431