Vacancies

Children’s Occupational Therapist – Band 6

Main Responsibility

Patient/client care

• To complete comprehensive assessments of needs for the children.
• To communicate effectively with children and young people, families and other professionals to agree joint goals for therapy.
• To use and analysis a range of appropriate outcome measures.
• To communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing to members of the multi disciplinary team. This may include contribution to Education, Health, and Care Support Plans, Individualised Support Plans, and legal proceedings.
• To work closely with parents who are themselves dealing with anger, grief and frustration as they come to terms with the impact of their child’s condition.
• To attend meetings where requested in order to provide specialist advice about the therapy needs of the child. To arrange these meetings when appropriate.
• To contribute to the child’s diagnosis by communicating assessment findings to the child’s paediatrician, parents/carers and other involved professionals
• To re-evaluate and progress/adapt therapy programmes at established intervals depending on the needs of each child and the outcomes expected and discharge when appropriate

 Operational and Administrative Responsibilities

• To be responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care
• To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients and to organise this efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support junior staff to do likewise
• To plan and organise designated area of work efficiently and effectively with support from relevant team leader and clinical supervisor, with regard to patient management and use of time
• To ensure that up to date written electronic records and activity are maintained in accordance with the professional and organisation standards
• To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients using investigative and analytical skills
• To formulate an individualised management and/or treatment plan, using clinical reasoning skills and utilising a wide range of treatment skills.
• To lone work as necessary to meet caseload needs following all safety guidelines and protocols
• To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required
• To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out Occupational Therapy duties, and to adhere to departmental equipment policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice.

Education and Training / Self-Development

• Identify own training and development needs and undertake appropriate training/education as required
• To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in Children’s Occupational Therapy developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types
• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development in line with HCPC guidance
• To identify objectives for personal development and evaluate regularly as part of clinical and team supervision
• To participate in clinical supervision according to the departmental policy
• To provide supervision for Occupational Therapy students on placements and explain the role of the Occupational Therapist to departmental visitors and those on work experience
• To provide support, guidance, training, and appraisal activities to therapy assistants and Band 5 therapists, assessing and evaluating competence
• To encourage and support the professional development of other members of the team.
• To use and maintain sound clinical reasoning skills throughout the therapeutic process to ensure best practice and identify risk
• Make recommendations to the Therapy Clinical Lead for changes to practice and be willing to lead the implementation of changes to practice or contribute to service protocols/pathways.

The Ideal Candidate

• Degree/diploma equivalent
• HPCP registration
• 2 years Post grad Occupational Therapy experience
• Work experience with children in the wider setting
• Broad knowledge of current best practice
• Competent to use standardised assessments and outcome measures
• Able to act independently and on own initiative but recognise limitations.
• Have strong problem solving/analytical skills
• Articulate and good communication skills
• Self-directed in learning and commitment to CPD
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Ability to deliver training
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance in relation to current best practice and develop skills accordingly
• Working knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology and relevant paediatric conditions
• Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapy
• Good secure knowledge of a range of assessment and treatment tools frequently used with children.
• Committed to personal and team development
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Positive and innovative in attitude
• Ability to develop a detailed knowledge of specialised therapy equipment, and the ability to carry out demonstrations, maintenance and safety checks
• Ability to learn as demonstrated by previous education/qualifications
• Be able to work with children and families and adapt their style and delivery according to the needs of the individual
• Evidence of attendance on relevant courses. demonstrating an awareness of client needs and likely service issues

• Have an appropriate working standard of spoken and written English

• Have a high level of self-motivation and enthusiasm

• Show an ability to be organised and manage own time efficiently

• Be able to on occasions cope with and appropriately manage the emotional consequences of working with patients with distressing conditions, or in challenging situations

 • Demonstrate good interpersonal skills including the ability to listen well and show empathy as well as be able to deal with difficult/sensitive situations

• Have a willingness to learn and develop

• Be able to communicate clearly, directly, openly and honestly with services users and colleagues

• Have a good awareness of self and of others

• Have a good working knowledge of I.T.

• Demonstrate ability to document details clearly and accurately

• Possess a valid UK driving license and have access to a car in order to carry out duties of the post

Package Description

As a Band 6 Occupational Therapist, you’ll be part of our valued team

You will feel valued as an Occupational Therapist within HCRG Care Group, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including: 

• £35,392 - £42,618 Band 6 with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions
• Free tea, coffee, and milk at your base location 
• Plentiful on site-parking
• 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 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

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. 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. 

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from a broad, diverse range of people who want to join our team. We’re a Disability Confident Committed company, so we work to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and technical solutions to be as inclusive of everyone. 

While it doesn’t happen often, sometimes a role is very popular, and we’ll need to close it earlier than the date we’ve shown here. If you’re keen to join our team, we’d love to hear from you so please apply as soon as you can. 

As you’d expect, safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with is of the utmost importance so we have policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices and everyone who joins the team is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. 

Finally, we need to let you know that the company you’ll work for is part of HCRG Care Group Holdings Limited and by applying for this job we’ll need to process and hold information about you. If you would like to know a little more about how we use your information, please see our website's privacy policy.