Job summaryWe are excited to announce that we are looking for a Band 7 Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our Frailty and Geriatric Emergency Medicine Service (GEMS) at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.This role supports our vision of a highly skilled, experienced, dynamic and flexible workforce that has knowledge and skills in delivering modernised Occupational Therapy. The role is suited to an experienced Band 6 or Band 7 with a wide and varied portfolio that evidences high level acute illness management, awareness and application of the Mental Capacity Act, manual handling assessment and management, cognitive assessment and application, end of life and palliative care, positive risk management, frailty and complex discharge management.As part of our recently launched Clinical Practice Strategy, you will play a key role in the delivery of essential to role training, service development and modernising Occupational Therapy clinical practice which underpins our service philosophy of Think OT, Do OT, Be OT.You will be part of an expanding service and supported by our newly appointed Band 8A Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for Frailty!This post is essential for the clinical delivery of Occupational Therapy and to profile and demonstrate the value that the profession can bring to the assessment and treatment of a wide range of patients. You will specifically support the urgent care footprint, frailty wards and community outreach, so both exciting and diverse for you!Main duties of the jobThe post holder will be working as a highly specialist autonomous practitioner, professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of their own work.You will be expected to carry out a wide variety of assessments in order to comply with clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice in order to maximise functional independence. You will provide occupationally focused, individualised assessment and treatment plans and support the OT service manager with ensuring proactive discharge pathways to modernise the way we deliver Occupational Therapy.You will be part of a new and fresh service that will be lead by the Strategic Clinical Lead for Frailty, specifically there to develop, nurture and direct the team. The 30 hour contract also supports our peoples promise for flexible working!You will work within a supportive and caring team of Band 7's, Band 4 OT Assistant Practitioners, Band 5s and Senior Band 6s providing leadership and management on a daily basis including supervision, appraisals, absence management, staffing rosters and staff development.We would like to support you with the relevant training and postgraduate studies when you are ready to expand your clinical portfolio. You will initially commence on the Trust's essential managers course at the start of your employment.This post includes 7 day working which may be an expectation in the future and there is an expectation of working Bank Holidays to ensure robust delivery of service and patient care.About usOur purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and WorcesterOur workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.Our objectives are simple:Best services for local peopleBest experience of care and best outcomes for our patientsBest use of resourcesBest peopleBetter never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesJob Purpose:The post holder will be working as an highly specialist autonomous practitioner, professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including provision of patient care, documentation and use of specialist equipment.To deliver advanced Occupational Therapy/ assessment and treatment for older and frail patients within an acute ward setting. To act as a source of expertise to fellow clinicians, Trust managers, Healthcare Professionals and other services internal and external to the Trust as required.To manage, supervise and appraise staff and students within the serviceTo lead in training and development of clinical practice and service.To undertake clinical audits and evaluation of evidence based practice, initiating/participating in research within specialist area.Key Duties:To be a source of expertise, to identify, analyze, evaluate and problem solve to enable the development and delivery of individualized intervention and treatment programmes in a variety of settings.To provide a consultative role with relatives and staff providing advice, recommendations, support, training and instruction as identified.To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, managing and prioritizing own caseload and time. Maintain appropriate records and data inputting.To provide leadership and management on a daily basis to the therapy team within specialist area, including supervision, appraisal and development. To be involved in recruitment process for these staff.To supervise, educate and assess the performance of students as required. Work with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the requirements of the degree level qualification. To contribute to the education of students from other disciplines.To deliver training to multi-disciplinary team members ensuring competence in performing duties within their agreed scope of practice.To undertake Evidence Based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice, making recommendations for changes. Leading the implementation of specific changes to practice / contributing to service protocols, with own specialist area.To take a lead role within the Frailty/GEMS team, providing highly specialist Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions within an acute and/or in community setting.To use specialist skills to effectively manage caseload, work priorities including service delivery, patient and professional demands.To be an active member of the relevant weekend rota and to have flexible working to align with your designated clinical area.The job role includes working bank holidays and 7 day working as part of a roster system as required. To be able to travel and work in support of OT service including 7 day service and service provision.General Duties:CLINICAL AND PROFESSIONALTo be responsible for the planning and leadership of the medicine service countywide, prioritizing clinical needs to provide an effective, efficient service.Responsible for efficient and safe care management of medical patients as part of the Multi-disciplinary teams, including risk assessments.To be responsible for the development, implementation, and delivery of Occupational Therapy including assessment, treatment planning and carrying out treatment for own patient workload.To monitor and advise on the clinical input of others and ensure patients receive the highest level of care.To develop and implement treatment programmes and initiate discharge planning. To be skilled in assessing and interpreting a range of complex factors relating to the patients condition, including diagnosis and prognosis. Highly specialised skills in the assessment and provision of occupational therapy for patients who have complex medical conditions and multiple co-morbidities.To take responsibility for own professional actions, demonstrating knowledge and skills to manage a caseload including complex and specialist cases, evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independent clinical judgementTo apply a high level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and adaptations to the clients social and physical environment both within the hospital and the community and the effect that this may have on family/carers.To provide highly specialist Occupational Therapy that may not only involve physical based assessments but also cognitive/perceptual/visual and upper limb assessments and treatments particularly for those patients recovering in medical high dependency unit and critical care. This would be supported through liaision and joint working of the Neuro and complex care teams.To demonstrate highly developed clinical reasoning skills to undertake risk assessment for patients, carers and therapists within the hospital and community settings which includes assessment of home environment, both with and without the patient present, assessing both patient and carers needs, identifying and recommending preparations required for discharge planning and continuing care.To establish and maintain a high standard of clinical expertise and care for the patients under your management, and support junior staff to do likewise.To demonstrate the ability to assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.To undertake highly specialist clinical programmes/interventions/treatments in line with identified evidence base and national guidelines assessing the functional ability of the patient, including those of a complex nature. This may involve using standardised or non-standardised assessment tools.To formulate accurate evaluations and deductions following interpretation and analysis of clinical and non clinical facts in a wide range of complex conditions, recommending the most appropriate interventions.To evaluate treatments in order to measure progress, ensuring clinical effectiveness and progressing the interventions to a satisfactory closure, setting up reviews as appropriate and using outcome measures.To educate and train patient/carer/support workers in safe use of specialist equipment recommended e.g. use of hoist to move patient. This involves handling and manoeuvring patients and equipment often in confined spaces.To use highly developed specialist knowledge to respond to urgent requests from staff, patients and relatives to expedite rapid assessment and discharge planning as required in an acute setting.To work in a variety of clinical areas, both ward based and home environments in the community where frequent and often highly unpleasant and unexpected exposure to conditions may be encountered, which includes odours, body fluids, human and animal faeces, insect and animal infestitations and verbal aggression.To work on a variety of medical wards and undertake / demonstrate interventions that are in line and appropriate to the evidence base and national guidelines for this cohort of patients. These patients are medically very unwell and require specialist intervention.To manage and support other members of the team who may lack experience within this area.Person SpecificationExperienceEssentialSignificant post graduate working experience at Band 6 level or above in the designated areaEvidence of significant knowledge/experience of MDT working within an acute settingExperience of service improvements/audits and implementation of recommendationsQualificationsEssentialDiploma/BSc (hons) in Occupational TherapyHPC RegistrationRelevant post graduate trainingDesirableMasters/specific practice related Masters modules / Advanced PracticePersonal QualitiesEssentialEvidence of flexibility and managing changeEvidence of on-going engagement/interest in wider current health care topics and willingness to promote/present the Occupational therapy professionEmpowering and encouraging excellent performances within the team and wider organisation through role modellingSkills & KnowledgeEssentialSpecialist knowledge of designated areaSignificant experience of working with patients within designated areaEvidence of high level clinical knowledge in assessments and treatment with designated areaEvidence of leadership and supervisory skillsHigh level communication skills to a wide range of professionals both internal and external to the organisation (reason for including i.e. HCAs, Consultants etc)Knowledge of National Guidelines/standardsAdvanced organisation/time management skillsHigh level clinical reasoning skills and management of complex clinical needsTeaching to develop to specialist practice underpinned by clinical reasoning to various members of the MDTTo identify and implement novel ways to meet national targetsDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer nameWorcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS TrustAddressThe Alexandra HospitalWoodrow DriveRedditchWorcestershireB98 7UBEmployer's websitehttps://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)