University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN)

UHN both have a level 2 Local Neonatal Unit, Gosset ward (LNU) at Northampton General Hospital and Local Neonatal Unit at Kettering General Hospital. The Local Neonatal Units provides intensive, high-dependency and special care from 27 weeks gestation, as part of the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNON).

Admissions to the unit comprise both Northampton and Kettering-born babies and those born in other hospitals within EMNODN and referred for short-term intensive and high-dependency care.

Exciting Opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly specialist Occupational Therapist to join our expanding Neonatal Allied Health Professional Team. This newly created cross-site role offers the chance to play a key part in shaping and developing an innovative service that supports babies and their families during some of the most critical stages of early development.

As part of a significant investment in the service, you will work alongside Dietitians, psychologists, Speech and Language Therapy and Physiotherapy colleagues at UHN, and will be supported by a friendly, knowledgeable and highly collaborative neonatal multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Be part of developing a new neonatal OT service, helping to define its future direction.
• Carry a designated clinical caseload including highly complex and diverse patient groups and prioritise that work efficiently.
• Apply an enhanced level of understanding of the effect of preterm birth, perinatal problems and congenital disabilities on the development and occupations of infants and their families.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of individualised infant and family-centre developmental care, using evidence-based practice to support clinical outcomes as appropriate.
• Perform detailed occupation-based, neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioural observations of infants using specialist skills to assess physiological, motor, sensory, state regulation and cognitive behaviours.
• Use advanced clinical assessments including Prechtl General Movements Assessment, Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS), Newborn Individualised Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP).
• Provide specialist support for colleagues and the families of babies in managing expectations around potential recovery.
• Support discharge planning and transitions to paediatric, outpatient and community services for caseload.
• Advise nursing staff on individualised neonatal programmes, including but not exclusive to: positioning, developmental activities, stretching exercises, equipment use, self-soothing strategies, environmental management, etc.