Specialist Occupational Therapist Sponsorship Available

Job Description

Summary

Located in Rugeley and serving the Cannock community.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is happy to announce an opening for a Specialist Occupational Therapist to join the Cannock ESD/community Stroke Team. There is potential to obtain community experience by treating patients in their own homes and having access to a gym area at Springfields that provides Occupational Therapy intervention to maximise a patient’s rehabilitation following a stroke.

Specialist external training opportunities are available.

Please contact us to discuss the position or schedule an informal visit.

An intriguing opportunity exists for a Specialist Occupational Therapist to join the Cannock ESD/Community Stroke Team. The team provides home-based rehabilitation for adults who have had a stroke.

We are searching for a motivated and imaginative Occupational Therapist with prior expertise in stroke/neurological assessment and rehabilitation. Experience measuring cognitive impairment and vision is required, as is knowledge of splinting techniques or a desire to learn. You will also be needed to operate autonomously in a community context, thus previous experience with a community rehabilitation team is preferred. You will need outstanding leadership, communication, organisational, and supervision abilities, as well as strong clinical knowledge, but enthusiasm and the ability to grow these skills while in the position will also be valued.

You will need to collaborate closely with the Clinical Lead and Team Leader for Stroke Care Services to help drive the development of high-quality Specialist Stroke Services for Cannock residents, as well as participate in evidence-based projects and service assessments.

Applicants must have current Health Profession Council registration and the requisite means and documents to work in the United Kingdom.

Supervision, personal development reviews, and professional development opportunities are available, and CPD is both welcomed and encouraged.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated trust and the sole provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, servicing a population of 286,700. It provides inpatient and outpatient treatments at the Manor Hospital, as well as a variety of community services. Walsall Manor provides the entire range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million expansion was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades guarantee that the Trust now has cutting-edge Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit capabilities. Work is already well started on the multi-million pound new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, which will include a new Emergency Department (including a Children’s Emergency Department), a Paediatric Assessment Unit, an Acute Medical Unit, and an Urgent Care Centre. This is anticipated to be completed this year.

We would particularly like to hear from those from BME backgrounds and those with disabilities, as these groups are currently underrepresented at the top level. We value diversity within our Trust and strive for equity in recruitment.

We promote flexible working arrangements for both employees and prospective applicants.

Any settled workers meeting the requirements must be given preference over any non-resident candidates meeting the requirements, unless the employment falls under a PhD-level code, in which case sponsorship may be obtained.

Job Summary

Objective To deliver accomplished, high-quality occupational therapy services to patients within the therapeutic specialty of Cannock Community Stroke Services. This entails working with patients in their homes, with access to a gym for outpatients.

As an autonomous clinician, organise, coordinate, deliver, and evaluate the occupational therapy service given to the community stroke service. Provide highly developed professional assessment and therapy to patients with different and difficult rehabilitation presentations, such as vision, cognition, and vocational rehab.

• Conduct occupational therapy assessments on patients with a variety of presentations and complex conditions, providing analysis, findings, and delivering personalised treatment regimens.

• Take responsibility for one’s own caseload and work without direct supervision. Regular formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, case review and clinical intervention, peer review, and case conferences all serve as forms of supervision.

• Perform all areas of clinical duties as an independent practitioner.

• Conduct evidence-based audits to evaluate the team’s clinical practice. Making recommendations may lead to the implementation of changes in practice or the contribution to service protocols.

• Collaborate with other professionals to ensure safe and effective treatment and care.

• Supervise, educate, and evaluate the performance of undergraduate occupational therapy students.

• To delegate tasks to less experienced employees and make better use of available resources.

• To supervise junior staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Be professionally and legally accountable for all parts of one’s work.

• To seek consent in accordance with Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) and Trust policies.

• Be in charge of managing and planning one’s own workload to match service and patient priorities, revising plans when situations alter or emerge.

• Perform a proficient assessment of patients, particularly those with diverse and complex presentations, using clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment procedures.

• Develop and implement an individual Occupational Therapy treatment plan based on a solid understanding of evidence-based practice and treatment options, including clinical evaluation, reasoning skills, and knowledge and skills in therapy approaches such as patient education and other alternatives.

• To be assigned a specific area of duty. To be in charge of providing Occupational Therapy assessments and treatment plans for patients within this scope.

• Develop realistic goals and assist in discharge planning as needed within the multidisciplinary team.

• Effectively communicate with patients, family, and carers who may have difficulty comprehending or communicating, such as those who are blind, deaf, dyslexic, or do not speak English as their first language.

• Evaluate patient progress, reassess treatment plans, and make changes as needed.

• To be accountable for maintaining accurate, private, and thorough patient care records in accordance with the RCOT Standards of Practice, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance, and Ethics, and Trust documentation policies.

• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings. This may include discussions about patient care, progress, ongoing management, and participation in discharge planning, as needed.

• Ensure that your own practice fulfils the professional requirements for occupational therapy practice.

• During regular supervision, discuss with mentor / supervisor how to organise and manage own caseload to match service and patient priorities, readjusting plans when situations change/arise, and delegating responsibilities to appropriate Therapy staff as needed.