Islington Additional Needs and Disability Team is a multidisciplinary service for children and young people 0-19.

We are looking for an individual who is dynamic, innovative and enthusiastic with a specialism in supporting school aged children and/or young people with Autism as well as a range of conditions relevant to the school aged population including Developmental Co-ordination Disorder and sensory and physical disabilities . The post holder will join our Mainstream Therapies team based at the Northern Health Centre alongside therapy colleagues. As well as holding a clinical caseload in a number of schools they will provide management support to the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist.The Mainstream Therapies |Team provides a multi-disciplinary service for children with additional needs and disabilities.

Find out what it is like to work in our friendly, supportive teams which span hospital and community settings across vibrant and diverse North Central London first hand, visit www.whittington.nhs.uk/CYPrecruitment (you may have to copy and paste this link into your browser) to hear from some of our current staff about why they chose to join and stay at Whittington Health.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for an allocated caseload, providing high quality Occupational Therapy and effective case management to children attending mainstream schools in Islington. The post holder will demonstrate a high standard of clinical practice as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist.

The post holder will also plan and deliver training for both parents and school staff.

They will provide clinical supervision and support to less experienced colleagues, trainees, unqualified staff and staff from other disciplines and agencies when required, both within the team and the wider service.

The post holder will have excellent communication skills, active listening skills and the ability to empathise. They will be able to communicate complex information effectively, taking into account the barriers to communication presented by the diverse caseload.

They will be skilled in working in and liaising within a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment and be able to reassure and instil confidence in clients, carers and other professionals. They will demonstrate excellent negotiation skills in working with other team members, parents/carers or other professionals.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical duties

• Be able to select and apply OT assessments (standardised and non-standardised) for a designated case load, addressing occupational performance and participation, enabling the child in the areas of self-care, productivity and leisure
• To set and maintain high standards of clinical practice, which is evidence based where possible, using standardised assessment and outcome measures, where appropriate.
• Work with children, families and MDT staff to identify goals as part of the overall care plan.
• Identify and select, with children and their carers, appropriate interventions which balance the complex interaction of risk, safety, client choice, independence, areas of conflict and eligibility for services.
• Plan and implement individual and group interventions, in collaboration with the child, parent/carer and school using meaningful graded activities to achieve therapeutic goals.
• Monitor, evaluate and modify treatments for children with multiple and complex needs in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• Provide advice to junior staff and students on a range of issues pertinent to clinical issues specific to the caseload.
• Carry out complex home and school assessments and other relevant assessments to facilitate the childs functioning in the community and promote safety and independence.
• Arrange provision of standard specialist disability equipment ordering equipment on-line using Social Services IT system.
• Demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of standard and specialist assistive equipment and eligibility criteria and procedures/policies relevant to social care and education.
• Adhere to the RCOT code of Ethical and Professional Conduct and National and Local procedures.
• Demonstrate ability to identify and reflect on ethical issues and provide guidance to junior staff as necessary.
• Demonstrate highly effective personal coordination of day-to-day activities including prioritising case loads, decision-making and problem solving.
• Demonstrate and apply a high level of understanding of the effects of medical conditions and recommend adaptations and strategies to the childs physical and social environments.
• Demonstrate specialist clinical knowledge in the areas of Developmental Co-ordination Disorder and Autism as well as having sound knowledge with other conditions common within the mainstream school health service including neurological conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and Hemiplegia.
• To have knowledge and experience of implementing a variety of treatment approaches for example Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (COOP) and Occupational Performance Coaching.
• Be able to problem solve and judge complex and sensitive situations and circumstances that require analysis of a range of different options.
• Be an active member and role model for the MDT within the community.
• Liaise with other agencies involved in the child or young persons care, including relatives/carers and education staff, as appropriate to the individual childs needs.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Moving and Handling legislation and knowledge of current moving and handling best practice and associated equipment, with application to risk assessments.

ADMINISTRATION

• To assist the team leader in the day-to-day running of the service when requested
• To maintain up-to-date records and statistics on children seen according to Islington Additional Needs and Disability policies.
• Exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance and maintain professional standards of dress code and personal presentation.
• To assist the clinical Lead OT with triaging mainstream referrals.

MANAGEMENT

• To attend relevant departmental, Inservice and Trust meetings when required and deputise for the line manager by carrying out agreed delegated tasks as required and represent at management meetings.
• Participate in the operational planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within areas of practice, leading on delegated projects within the service
• To participate in Service reviews and in the formulation of Department Policies and Procedures.
• To participate in Quality, Audit and Outcome measures initiatives
• Provide effective guidance, supervision and appraisal for junior staff including regularly reviewing clinical work and documentation
• To supervise and appraise Occupational Therapy staff, assistants and volunteers as required.
• Co-ordinate day-to-day activities for junior staff and other MDT.
• Demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.
• Demonstrate the ability to initiate, plan and implement the induction, training and education of junior Therapists, Occupational Therapy assistants, students and other staff in this setting or external to the Trust.
• Contribute to the Trusts services and OT teams clinical guidance arrangements and quality agenda including setting and monitoring practice standards.

TEACHING, TRAINING and RESEARCH

• To receive regular supervision and annual appraisal from the Team Leader and/or Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist.
• Review and reflect own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision.
• Develop and maintain an agreed area of professional/specialist interest and expertise and act as a resource for other team members for this subject area accessing relevant external training as appropriate. Take a lead as line manager in the specific specialised work area
• Take a lead in facilitating training events and presenting information as appropriate.
• Identify OT Team training needs in conjunction with Clinical lead OT and team leader and advise on solutions.
• To participate in in-service training as required.
• To participate in teaching and educational programmes with other disciplines, including groups for parents to develop knowledge of areas including occupational performance and barriers to participation.
• Demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and external available developmental opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio (CPD).
• Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them practice and disseminate findings at a local level.
• To consider possible areas of research and clinical publication, including the development of a mini-research project with support from the clinical lead occupational therapist to facilitate service development.
• To attend all mandatory training and relevant courses to develop self in specialist area of work.

OTHER

Ability to work in frequent unpleasant conditions with odours, occasional body fluids, home visits and confined areas.

Frequently required to exert moderate effort for several short periods during the day requiring lifting equipment and complex skills e.g. using hoists

To frequently deal with highly emotional and highly distressing situations and circumstances

With children and their families including child protection cases.To communicate highly complex and sensitive information relating to medical conditions and OT process, requiring skills of empathy and reassurance.

To occasionally deal with a wide range of complex emotions in staff and provide support to distressed staff members.

Regularly travel within the community (schools, homes etc).

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy and current HCPC Registration
• Evidence of CPD and attendance at relevant post graduate courses/training e.g. journal clubs, CO-OP, Zones of Regulation, Coaching etc.

Other

Essential

• Understanding of and commitment to College of Occupational Therapy and HPC guidelines and codes of ethics and professional conduct.
• Knowledge and understanding of Health and Safety Legislation and ability to integrate into clinical practice.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Skills in delivering presentations and training, including basic adaptations and presentation/ training style for a range of audiences and co-production where appropriate
• Specialist knowledge of a broad range of clinical conditions impacting children e.g. Autism, learning disabilities, genetic conditions, DCD etc.

Desirable

• Specialist skills in managing children' and young people's behaviour that challenges, or with high levels of distress

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with children with additional needs.
• Experience of developing and delivering training to others.

Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Northern Health Centre

580 Holloway Road

London

N7 6LB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

220-WHT-2350-A