Job Introduction
We're looking for a passionate and motivated Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join our Urgent Community Response (UCR) Service. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing rapid assessment and intervention to patients in their own homes, helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting timely discharge from acute settings.
As part of the UCR team, you'll assess patients experiencing a sudden deterioration in health, functional ability, or mobility and provide timely occupational therapy interventions to maximise independence, reduce risk, and support recovery within the community. You'll work closely with Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Nurses, Paramedics, Support Workers and other healthcare professionals to deliver person-centred care within a two-hour response model.
If you are a final year student due to qualify, or if you are newly qualified, why not let us support you with our forward-thinking Preceptorship scheme, which has been awarded a Quality Mark? This combines face-to-face learning, eLearning and workshops to support your development and help you build confidence within your chosen career pathway.
Travel across Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley and Swale localities is required; therefore, a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes is essential.
Main Responsibility
Within this role, you will:
- Communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team and/or those in other professions, from initial assessment to discharge.
- Use communication skills to convey complex information in an easy to understand format where there may be significant barriers to understanding.
- Work closely with patients/ clients and their carers in goal setting and decision making.
- Use empathy, tact, sensitivity and discretion when communicating life changing events e.g. patient remaining at high risk of Rapid Response and potentially requiring 24hr care.
- Understand and maintain the required standards of clinical record keeping in line with Organisational and professional guidelines.
- To work in partnership with other professionals. Supporting staff, patients and carers within the Team and organisation.
A full list of responsibilities can be found in the attached job description.
The Ideal Candidate
This is an opportunity to put your Degree in Occupational Therapy to great use. You will have a full driving license with access to a car, you will be motivating, innovative and adaptable, with the ability to work flexibly across specialities as need arises, holding the HCPC (Occupational Therapist) registration. With strong communication and organisation skills, and a flexible approach you will ensure delivery of positive experiences to patients at every stage of their healthcare journey.
If you are a final year student due to qualify, we can also look to support you with our preceptorship scheme that we offer where we support you into the team within the first year of your qualification.
You will also need to be confident using IT systems and be able to demonstrate working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages i.e. Outlook, Word, Excel.
Package Description
As a Band 5 Occupational Therapist within our Urgent Community Response (UCR) Service, you'll be part of our valued team based at Livingstone Community Hospital in Dartford, North Kent.
You will feel valued as a Band 5 Occupational Therapist within HCRG Care Group, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including:
• £28,407 - £34,581 salary with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions plus a 5% high cost of living area allowance
• Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on everyday purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you
• Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life's emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates
• Online and face to face help with your mental and physical wellbeing – from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well as career coaching and counselling
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our 'Outstanding' learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise
• An open, just culture where you're encouraged to have and implement ideas which can help us deliver our purpose: changing lives through transforming health and care – backed up by at least £100,000 of ringfenced innovation funding each year
• The pride of working for an organisation committed to the highest clinical and quality standards, with a majority of our rated services holding "Good" or "Outstanding" ratings from the Care Quality Commission
• Free tea, coffee and milk at your base location
About the Company
We change lives by transforming health and care.
Established in 2006, we are one of the UK’s leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as well as adult social care and wellbeing services.
From around 500 locations across England, we support communities of many millions and directly help more than half a million people each year – guided by our simple values: we care, we think, we do.
