Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

See attached Job description and Person Specification for further information on the job role requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical

• To provide manage a caseload of service users with multiple, enduring, and complex mental health needs through the provision of therapeutic care and treatment in the individual’s own home and other community venues.
• To provide specialist, culturally appropriate, evidence-based occupational therapy assessments for service users within the hub in order to establish and meet their occupational needs.
• To provide full vocational needs assessment, advice, and ongoing intervention related to an individual’s vocational needs.
• To select and use validated standardised assessment tools routinely and in practice, exhibiting clinical reasoning skills; to include the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) assessments.
• To apply specialist clinical knowledge and skills to carry out evidence-based occupational therapy interventions, both individual and in groups, which are underpinned by relevant theoretical approaches and in line with the Trust’s Research and Development Strategy; to lead and supervise junior staff in this practice as required.
• To plan, implement, and review individually tailored programmes of intervention using individual and group work approaches.
• To support service users and colleagues to ensure that care plans are developed in partnership with the individual and that they reflect ‘recovery goals’. These should be strengths-based and oriented towards reinforcing a positive identity and developing valued social roles.
• To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions against clear aims, objectives, and outcome measures in line with evidence-based practice and in conjunction with service users, carers, and other professionals.
• To identify opportunities and needs for group work in the community and to plan, implement, facilitate, and evaluate community groups which promote social inclusion for service users.
• To establish links with the CNWL Recovery College; and as appropriate, deliver courses within the college alongside peer trainers.
• To apply a high-level understanding of the effects of mental illness and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service user’s social and physical environment.
• To determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on service user’s functional ability and

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) registered Occupational Therapist.
• Practice Educator training

Desirable criteria

• Post qualification training in relevant mental health therapeutic skills.

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive post qualification experience working in mental health settings as an Occupational Therapist.
• Experience of working with service users presenting with a wide range of complex mental health conditions.
• Experience of delivering healthy lifestyle interventions.
• Experience in assessment and interventions related to physical healthcare needs.
• Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment.
• Experience of drafting group protocols and setting up / facilitating groups / group programme.
• Supervision of OT students / non-qualified staff.
• Experience of partnership working in promoting socially inclusive opportunities for patients.
• Experience in completing HONOS screening clustering tool / Risk Assessment Tools.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in adult mental health community team.
• Experience in audit / research projects

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Clear concept of Occupational Therapy and models of practice.
• Good communication skills written, verbal, listening, and use of up-to-date systems of communication i.e. IT systems, e-mail, telephone etc.
• Ability to work autonomously, as well as part of an MDT.
• Individual/group work skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload and use initiative.
• Able to work creatively to engage patients.
• Timely reporting and record keeping.
• To actively supervise both OT students and unqualified staff.
• Regularly identify and undertake appropriate learning opportunities as part of ongoing CPD.
• Recovery-focused approach to service delivery.
• Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person.
• Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
• To determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on service user’s functional ability and undertake assessment/make recommendations with regards to the provision of equipment/aids and adaptations.
• Good understanding of the application of risk assessment and risk management strategies which facilitates a patient’s recovery.
• Good awareness of the principles of safeguarding and how to implement this in practice.

Desirable criteria

• Research and development at graduate level.
• Knowledge of the theory underpinning the Model of Human Occupation.
• Completion of OT medication management training.
• To have completed practice placement educators’ course.

Attitudes, aptitudes, and personal characteristics

Essential criteria

• High level of personal motivation.
• Ability to work in a team setting i.e. collaborating/facilitating/directing and understanding diversity.
• Good organisational skills and ability to delegate effectively.
• Ability to encourage patient participation and ensure a high delivery of customer service.
• Flexible in approach.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and an ability to use initiative.
• Ability to manage conflict constructively.
• Demonstrate a willingness to develop knowledge and skills.
• Ability to take on responsibility.
• To act as a positive role model for junior staff.