Job summary
We have an exciting and unique opportunity to join our General Medicine and Older Persons Team at St Thomas' Hospital as a Band 7 Occupational Therapist.This post sits within a supportive occupational therapy management structure which welcomes innovation and quality improvement whilst prioritising staff well-being.
You will need to be enthusiastic and flexible with excellent communication skills to manage a varied and interesting role. We are looking for a motivated clinician who will contribute to helping us to lead the way in defining a new Occupational Therapy role within the OPU/medicine pathway that will focus on those discharges that can be managed within a short time frame.
The successful candidate will have responsibility for overseeing the inpatient caseload which will include provision of holistic and client centred occupational therapy assessment and intervention. This post will allow you to develop and utilise your specialist clinical skills in the management of people with complex health, rehabilitation and social care needs whilst providing you with an excellent opportunity to develop your leadership skills, expand your professional development and participate in the wider local and national agenda's for acute medicine and older people.
Main duties of the job
Job Summary
To provide a high quality expert Occupational Therapy Service to a specialist caseload ofpatients within the Older Persons Unit and medical wards at St Thomas Hospital.
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To manage a complex caseload within the Medicine and Older Persons team using critical thinking, reflection and analysis to support assessments using a client centred approach.
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To be responsible for a designated team of Occupational Therapists providing leadership for junior staff, Technical Instructors and Occupational Therapy Assistants through supervision and performance management as required.
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To assist junior staff in the management of complex cases requiring advanced clinical reasoning.
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To lead and advise on clinical Occupational Therapy developments within the Medicine and Older Peoples service within the hospital and nation-wide level, and other related Trust wide projects.
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To be responsible for the maintenance and development of own CPD identifying and contributing to the evidence base of Occupational Therapy.
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To educate Occupational Therapy Students on practice placements.
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To provide a patient centred approach and current evidence base to assess, treat, implement, evaluate and document Occupational Therapy interventions.
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To support the management of the Occupational Therapy Service as required by the Heads of Service.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' is among the UK's busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King's Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King's College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of 'good'. Our adult community services achieved a rating of 'outstanding'.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
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To be responsible for providing individual and group client centred assessments to inpatients and outpatients with complex conditions on the medical wards and Older Persons Unit, being aware of common precautions and complications and the impact these have on a patients lifestyle and Occupational performance. To manage the most complex cases addressing Occupational performance skills, patterns, context or contexts and activity demands in collaboration with patients and carers.
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To undertake Occupational Therapy Specialist multi-needs assessments on patients with complex conditions, using complex and advanced clinical reasoning demonstrating critical thinking, reflection and analysis to develop individual and group goal and task oriented treatment plans, including education and advice to patients, their families, carers and staff.
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To carry out complex physical and functional assessments and treatments to facilitate and promote functional independence.
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To prepare and disseminate reports and data including highly sensitive information regarding clinical examination and prognostic indicators for functional performance to vulnerable patient groups.
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To act as a source of clinical expertise and advice providing clinical leadership within the medicine and Older Persons team and a resource for other teams as appropriate.
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To develop collaborative treatment plans with patents, carers and colleagues both in the hospital, workplace and patients home environment, demonstrating ethical clinical reasoning and problem solving techniques to determine agreed outcomes across health and social care.
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To maintain high professional standards, continuously promoting and developing quality improvements appropriate to the needs of the Occupational Therapy Service and profession.
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To be responsible for clinical and managerial caseload management ensuring clinical governance, quality assurance and Occupational Therapy professional standards are met.
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To regularly undertake complex risk assessments and to advise others in determining appropriate management specifically relating to moving and handling and safe use of equipment, both in the hospital environment and in the patients home.
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To understand and apply National Guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care in Occupational Therapy practice and in geriatric medicine.
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To take a lead in developing and implementing clinical training programmes and inservice training for Occupational Therapy staff, patients and staff, and other professionals.
Managerial
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To operationally lead and manage designated Occupational Therapy Staff within the team and department, providing effective guidance, supervision and performance management including the education and management of students on practice placements.
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To contribute to the Trusts, Directorates and Departmental Clinical Governance and Quality assurance programmes, setting and monitoring practice standards within the Occupational Therapy Service and in liaison with interdisciplinary colleagues.
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To inform the Occupational Therapy Service of changes in Clinical practice which may influence Occupational Therapy Service delivery, business planning and strategic reviews to support the delivery of the annual Occupational Therapy plan, meeting agreed objectives.
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To ensure accurate and up to date records of all professional judgements, decisions taken, related statistical information are kept and reported in accordance with Occupational Therapy policies.
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To participate as required in the recruitment selection and induction of Junior Occupational Therapy Staff.
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To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within Occupational Therapy leading on delegated projects.
Communication
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To articulate and work to the value base and principles which underpin Occupational Therapy practice representing the unique role of Occupational Therapy in relation to interdisciplinary working.
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To use effective interpersonal skills to communicate complex and frequently unwelcome news regarding prognosis where agreement and co-operation is required and there are barriers to understanding such as vulnerable and at risk patients.
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Utilise formal and informal reporting mechanisms including electronic reporting to ensure effective communication across health and social care.
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Use effective interpersonal skills to encourage patients and carers active participation in the Occupational Therapy process.
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Use verbal and non-verbal communication to receive and disseminate complex clinical information in all therapeutic, educational programmes and professional contexts acknowledging sensitivity and utilising approaches appropriate to the complexity of the context or culture.
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Maintain confidentiality consistent with Trust and Service policies.
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Act as an advocate on behalf of patients and carers by adopting a client centred approach to support meaningful participation in life roles.
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To provide legal assessments and reports on patients where litigation is pending. To provide work assessments where necessary.
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To maintain and develop professional communication links across health and social care including representation at multidisciplinary collaborative forums and networks.
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To provide support to the multidisciplinary team and be involved in the training of other hospital staff and students, educating other disciplines in the role of Occupational Therapy within the Medicine and Older Persons service and to participate in the education of patients and carers.
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To utilise advanced communication skills acting as a prime educator of other professionals including doctors, nurses, qualified and unqualified AHPs and students on own area of clinical expertise and on the role and scope of Occupational Therapy.
Professional Development
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To maintain professional status and competence at a senior specialist level taking responsibility for keeping own knowledge and skills up to date by engaging in and directing continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
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Actively participates in internal and external post registration education programmes.
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Use supervision monitoring and performance development plans to promote clinical and personal effectiveness of self and others.
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Share expert acquired clinical knowledge and specialist skills with colleagues and peers both at a local and national level.
Research Audit and Quality
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To commit to evidence based practice by undertaking and contributing to audit projects and research opportunities relevant to Occupational Therapy within the Medicine and Older Persons Service at Guys and St. Thomas Hospital, and at a national level.
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To participate in Therapies Directorate research forum and activities to develop research knowledge and skills base.
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To lead and develop designated Occupational Therapy Service audits reporting findings and actions at local and directorate levels.
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy
- HCPC Registration
- Postgraduate experience in physical disability in an acute/community environment
Desirable
- Experience working within acute and community settings including medicine/older people
Skills
Essential
- oKnowledge, understanding and application of Occupational Therapy process relating to client centred practice.
- oDemonstrate sound techniques in applying a range of complex assessments and treatments including cognition.
- oGeneral understanding of frailty and impact on occupational performance
- oExperience of working within multi-disciplinary diagnostic and intervention services
Desirable
- Ability to work with multi-disciplinary agencies often required for complex case management
- Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and associated frameworks
- Knowledge of manual handling and complex positioning/seating
- Previous experience of research and audit
Personal Qualities
Essential
- oExcellent communication and interactive skills.
- oWell developed personal, organisational and time management skills.
- oProactive and innovative approach
Desirable
- Membership of professional body. Membership of RCOT Special Interest Group.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Address
STH
Westminster Bridge
London
SE1 7EH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)
This listing was aggregated from publicly-available sources. The employer holds an A-rated sponsor licence at the time of this listing, but sponsorship of this specific role is not guaranteed — the employer's offer and UK Visas and Immigration are the final authority. Details may have changed since our last update — verify with the employer via the Apply link.