We are recruiting for an Occupational Therapist to join one of our Croydon Locality Croydon Community Mental Health Teams.

About the role:

We are offering a specialist Occupational Therapist role, bringing the opportunity to support clients with their recovery goals, and to develop a broad range of OT interventions for adults aged between 18-65 living with a mixture of mental health conditions needing secondary care level mental health support. It is an opportunity to develop core OT skills, provide OT assessments and bespoke therapeutic individual and group interventions. You will be working alongside another Occupational Therapist in your team. There are two full time OT posts based in the Central, North and South Locality Teams, all based at Jeanette Wallace House in Croydon which is easily accessed by public transport.

There is an established SLaM Croydon Community OT network, monthly opportunities to link in with Croydon inpatient OT colleagues, a regular monthly Peer Group and OT supervision will also be provided. You will also be encouraged to link in with the wider OT network within SLaM and all it has to offer including regular training and CPD.

We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. These Occupational Therapy posts span the OT bandings 5, 6 and 7 to allow for career progression, supervision skills development, and professional support.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of this role will be to undertake Occupational Therapy assessments and deliver specialist Occupational Therapy individual and group interventions for a designated caseload. The post holder will be expected to manage their own Occupational Therapy caseload of adult clients with complex mental health needs, undertake risk assessments and risk management plans when needed and monitor, evaluate and modify treatment plans in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Post holders will be expected to see clients in community settings, such as arranging home visits or appointments in community and outpatient settings, and also liaise with external providers in the voluntary and social care sector to ensure smooth transition of service users into and out of the CMHT. The successful applicant can expect to join a highly valued and motivated workforce which consists of Care Coordinators, IPS Employment Specialists, support workers, Clinical Associate Psychologist roles and Assistant Psychologists.

About us

The Trust:

The South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of mental health services to people of Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth and Croydon as well as substance misuse services for people in Bexley, Greenwich and Bromley. The Trust provides specialist services to people from across the UK. It has approximately 4,800 staff and a budget of £220 million.

The OT workforce and associated Allied Health Professions workforce consists of approximately 200 staff based in all the Trusts boroughs and specialist divisions.

Flexible working:

As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 9am to 5pm, giving you the very best of good work life balance.

Croydon (Jeanette Wallace House):

The Croydon Community Mental Health Teams provide multidisciplinary support and treatment to clients with a range of mental health disorders, offering Care Co-ordination, OT, Psychology, Social Work, Medical and Nursing specific assessment and interventions.

The Teams are located at Jeanette Wallace House, close to the vibrant high-street that offers fantastic shopping opportunities and a wide range of restaurants. It is within walking distance to East Croydon overland station with quick links to London.

Job description Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

• To manage a caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in health, community and home settings.
• To routinely provide group interventions appropriate to the clients on the team caseload in collaboration with other professionals in the team.
• To liaise with Croydon Social services departments and other external agencies to facilitate clients access, support of needs, physical disabilities and discharge planning.
• To provide leadership for students and / or junior staff, through supervision and appraisal.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT / MDT services, holding responsibility for defined projects and activities.
• To regularly supervise OT students on practice placements and other junior OT staff (as required).
• To carry out MDT activities e.g. generic assessments and duty responsibilities.
• To support care co-ordinators under the CPA process when necessary (not routinely part of the role).

Key Responsibilities:

1. Clinical

• To select and apply Occupational Therapy assessments for a designated caseload, addressing occupational performance and skill deficits, enabling the client in areas of self-maintenance, productivity and leisure.
• To manage a caseload as agreed with Team Leader of clients with complex needs.
• To work as part of the MDT within CPA and Mental Health Act frameworks.
• To work with service users to identify OT and individual recovery goals as part of the overall care plan.
• To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions, in collaboration with the client, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
• To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for service users with multiple needs in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• To demonstrate and apply a broad / high level of understanding of the effect of disability and recommend adaptations to the clients physical and social environment.
• To assess occupational / vocational needs of a defined client group.
• To undertake risk assessments and risk management plans as appropriate.
• Provide clinical training and supervision to clients extended support network as appropriate.

2. Communication

• To demonstrate effective / apply a comprehensive range of communication skills with users and carers, team members, OT colleagues and external agencies.
• To effectively work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team and contribute to / implement core decisions with regard to service users care programmes.
• To actively support and educate service users and carers regarding aspects of Occupational Therapy provision

3. Documentation

• Maintain appropriate, up-to-date, written and electronic records and activity data in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
• Participate in departmental and corporate administration through collection and completion of statistics.
• Provide specialist OT / other reports as required

4. Leadership, supervision and appraisal

• To review, reflect and change own practice through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
• To undertake the supervision and appraisal of junior staff as delegated by a senior member of staff.
• To demonstrate basic leadership skills through the management of dedicated projects.
• To apply clinical leadership skills through the management of dedicated projects (groups/ Quality Improvement activity etc).

5. Training staff and students

• To demonstrate the ability to / undertake to initiate, plan and implement the induction, training and education of students and other staff.
• To regularly be responsible for the supervision and written. assessment of OT students on practice placement within the Trust
• To participate in inter-professional training within the Trust.

6. Professional ethics and development

• To comply with the COT code of ethics and Professional Conduct and national and local procedures and guidelines.
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.
• To demonstrate the ability to reflect on complex ethical issues and to provide guidance to junior staff as necessary.
• Demonstrate an ability to apply increasingly complex skills and knowledge commensurate with establishing higher level professional practice.
• Demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording learning outcomes through maintaining and developing a professional portfolio for CPD.

7. Service Development and delivery

• To actively participate in and be responsible for relevant planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within service area and corporate OT as required.
• To actively participate in the delivery and review processes of the Community Services and CMHT delivery plans.
• To participate in local OT service development under the supervision of OT staff and the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development.

8. Clinical Governance and Quality Standards

• To contribute to the Trusts, Directorates and Teams Clinical Governance activities and be involved in setting the quality agenda.
• Demonstrate / apply an understanding and application of national guidance and legislation relating to health and social care in Mental Health service provision.

9. Line Management, staff and budgets

• To exercise good time management, punctuality and consistent, reliable attendance.
• Be responsible for maintaining stock, advising on resource allocation and responsibility for managing petty cash (where applicable).
• Co-ordinate day-to-day activities of junior staff, Technical Instructors and volunteer staff where applicable.

10. Research and practice development

• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate current research, apply it to practice and disseminate findings at a local level.
• To engage in and develop or broaden research skills through involvement in local audit and research projects.

Person Specification Training, qualifications and registration Essential

• Registered Occupational Therapist
• Post-graduate training relevant to Mental Health
• Post-registration qualification

Desirable

• Post-graduate training
• Membership of OT professional body and / or special interest group

Experience Essential

• Post registration experience as an OT working at Band 5 level
• Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
• Working with mental health service users (pre or post qualification)
• Advising and supporting junior staff / Experience of supervising junior staff and students

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours / personality disorders
• Practice Placement Educators course
• Experience of working in an inner-city, multi-cultural environment
• Experience of research, audit and / or Clinical Governance
• Experience of specialist Mental Health settings
• Leadership and first line management experience

Knowledge and skills Essential

• Broad / high level understanding of Mental Health disorders and treatment models
• Sound / detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to Mental Health
• Applied / working knowledge of the principles of CPA (Care Programme Approach)
• Applied / extensive knowledge of the principles of risk management and risk assessment
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions and outcome measures, relevant to client group
• Experience of planning and coordinating treatment
• Understanding / working knowledge of the importance of service user involvement
• Demonstrate commitment to client centred practice
• Applied knowledge of / skills in applying evidence-based practice


Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

334-CRY-5057240-TA