A fantastic new opportunity has arisen in Harrow for a Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist post to join the esteemed acute services at Northwick Park Hospital Mental Health Centre.

We are looking for someone with significant experience in mental health, to oversee the Occupational Therapy input across the two mixed inpatient wards and the Home Treatment Team. The acute teams all practice with a Trauma-Informed Approach and a recovery-focus from the point of admission to discharge. The post involves contributing to service development as well as the opportunity to offer specialist individual interventions, group work and assessments.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Main duties of the job

• To provide highly specialist occupational therapy as an expert clinical practitioner
• To work effectively in partnership with a range of agencies and community providers.
• To manage a defined clinical caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, using evidence based and recovery principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment.
• To integrate evidence-based practice and skilful use of assessments & interventions with personal recovery principles in order to support the client to prepare for discharge from the ward.
• To provide the operational management and clinical leadership to the occupational therapy service
• To manage the financial resources for the service
• To be an active participant of the unit's management team
• To work in conjunction with senior staff in the MDT to support the development of services within the acute unit
• To provide training and education to occupational therapists and other professionals with regard to how occupation may assist the recovery of service users.

About us

CNWL is very fortunate in having a long-established professional structure and this includes a Head of Therapies, an AHP associate director, Trust wide Professional Leads for all professional groups and borough and specialist professional leadership. This has the huge benefit of ensuring representation of our profession and therapies as a whole at all levels - both strategically and operationally.

Personal and professional development is a high priority for the profession this enables us to invest in the development of our staff by providing excellent internal training as well as commissioning specialised external training and providing quality supervision. This ensures all our therapists / AHP's reach their full potential at every stage of their career. Our commitment to research, audit and evidence-based practice is made possible by our strong links with local universities and our CNWL AHP Research Network.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are a priority for us in CNWL we expect staff to be culturally competent, reflective and open to culturally diverse CPD opportunities.

Job description Job responsibilities

Job Summary

• The services offered within the unit will be provided in line with the principles and ethos of recovery and social inclusion. The Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist will contribute their specialist knowledge and expertise in supporting this approach and will ensure that all interventions amplify an individuals self- management skills.
• To provide the operational management and clinical leadership to the occupational therapy service in the acute service in the adult mental health unit wards at Northwick Park Hospital.
• To work in conjunction with the Borough Head OT and other Lead OTs in the Trust to support the development of and promote evidence-based OT within the acute service
• To manage the financial resources for the service, including procurement, petty cash and team budget.
• To be an active participant of the units management team and support the development of services within the acute unit
• To provide occupational therapy clinical expertise within the acute services
• To work effectively in partnership with a range of agencies and community providers that support service users in their recovery
• To manage a defined clinical caseload of service users using evidence based and service user centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment
• To provide training and education to occupational therapists and other professionals with regard to how occupation may assist the recovery of service users
• To jointly work with other Lead OTs in acute services in CNWL to develop services including specific projects, audit and research
• To act as an educator to students on practice placement.

Person Specification (Essential criteria)

Education and Qualifications

Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.

HCPC registered Occupational Therapist.

Practice Placement Educators Course.

Mental health specific workshops and short courses

Previous experience

Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services.

Experience in participating in audit / research projects.

Experience in leading and/or developing a service/component of a service

Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments.

Experience of supervising and appraising staff / unqualified staff; recruitment and workforce planning.

Experience in managing resources e.g. financial, stock, equipment etc.

Experience of effective partnership working, with external providers, in promoting socially inclusive opportunities for service users.

Experience in completing Risk Assessment Tools.

Experience in partnership working with external agencies.

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

Individual and groupwork assessment and intervention skills.

Ability to deal with sensitivities and complexities, using interpersonal skills

Effective leadership skills through the management of designated projects, audits and research.

Excellent communication skills i.e. written, verbal, listening, presenting, and proficient use of IT systems, e-mail, telephone etc.

Ability to work autonomously & to make and action decisions independently within agreed time frames.

Ability to deputise in the absence of the Head OT.

Ability to prioritise workload, delegate effectively

Attitudes, Aptitudes, Personal Characteristics

Committed to working as part of an MDT.

Able to work flexibly.

Able to utilise supervision effectively.

Demonstrates a commitment to personal development.

Demonstrates an enthusiasm for the post.

Ability to work independently and is self motivated.

Other

Sickness (or attendance) record that is acceptable to the Trust: to be checked at interview.

Declared medically fit by the Occupational Health Department to perform the duties of the post.

Ability to understand and implement the Equal Opportunities Policy at a level appropriate to the job.

Person Specification Education Essential

• Degree or diploma in OT
• HCPC registered Occupational Therapist
• Practice Placement Educator's Course
• Mental health specific training and courses

Desirable

• Post graduate training specific to clinical specialty
• Management & Leadership Diploma.
• RCA Training.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Paid/unpaid relevant to job. Essential

• Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services.
• Experience in leading and/or developing a service/component of a service
• Experience of supervising and appraising staff
• Experience of effective partnership working
• Experience in participating in service evaluations, audit or research projects.
• Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments.
• Experience in completing Risk Assessment Tools

Desirable

• Experience in Inpatient mental health
• Experience in managing complex HR issues with staff e.g. the management of performance / long term sickness.
• Experience in budget management
• Experience in completing Root Cause Analysis investigations
• Experience with MOHO assessment tools

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES Essential

• Individual and group work OT assessment and intervention skills.
• Effective leadership skills through the management of designated projects, audits/research
• Ability to deal with sensitivities and complexities, using interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication skills i.e. written, verbal, listening, presenting, and proficient use of IT systems, e-mail, telephone etc.
• Ability to prioritise workload, delegate effectively
• Ability to work autonomously & to make and action decisions independently within agreed time frames

Desirable

• Delivery of formal presentations and teaching sessions
• Chairing of senior meetings
• Car driver or use of motorised transport
• R&D experience at post graduate level.

ATTITUDES, APTITUDES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Essential

• Committed to working as part of an MDT.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

333-J-HA-0488