Title: Specialistoccupational Therapist

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: SpecialistOccupational Therapist

Base: Joseph Weld Hospice and working across Trust locations.

Reporting to: Occupational Therapist & Specialist Therapies Lead

Job Context:

Weldmar Hospicecare Trust is a local charity providing high quality palliative and supportive care services for people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. The Trust covers north, south and west Dorset offering expert support and advice to patients and their carers as well as to health and social care professionals. The Trust comprises a multi professional team approach and the care and support given extends to patients and their families in their own homes, within our day services provision and within our inpatient unit at Joseph Weld Hospice in Dorchester as well as the local community and acute hospitals.

The role of the occupational therapist is to work within the multidisciplinary team to minimise some of the effects which the disease or its treatment has on the patient; thereby improving the patient’s quality of life by helping them achieve their maximum potential of functional ability and independence, or gain relief from distressing symptoms. This includes specialist treatment and rehabilitation of in-patients, patients attending day servicesand specialist input in the Community as required.

The job description for this role has been designed to reflect a skills and competency model, providing two levels of delivery.The post has been designated as a development post whereby achievement of the higher level is linked to attaining the skills and experience necessary for the Band 6 (higher).

Job Purpose

Level One

To provide a specialist occupational therapy service to palliative care patients, helping them tomaintain and/or improve their quality of life through the delivery of a range of occupational therapy interventions.
To contribute to the ongoing development of the occupational therapy service.

Level Two – as above, plus

To act as an educational resource for the Trust and the wider community as required.
To play a lead role in the ongoing development of a specialist occupational therapy service.
To provide support and guidance to Level One Occupational Therapist.

Scope and Limits of Authority

The Occupational Therapist is required to assess and treat a specialist caseload of patients with complex and rapidly changing conditions.
To maintain records in line with the Trust guidelines/policies.
The occupational therapist will organise and prioritise his/her own tasks/caseload.
The occupational therapist will not have any direct budgetary responsibility but may be required to contribute to budgetary decisions.

Level 1: Postholders will have knowledge and experience of some of the occupational therapy specialisms relevant to palliative care e.g. respiratory care, oncology, neurology, palliative care, elderly care, and an interest in developing their palliative care expertise.He/she will work within their level of competency consulting with more senior colleagues to gain advice and guidance when dealing with complex assessment and treatment issues, as necessary.

Level 2 : Postholders will lead and act as mentor for less experienced occupational therapists, and play a key role in the development of the occupational therapy department and policies working consultatively with the specialist therapies lead.

Areas of Responsibility

Clinical Practice

Level One

To assess patients with complex, rapidly changing needs and provide rehabilitation, as appropriate, and or provide aids and equipment.
To provide a patient centred approach meeting the needs of the patient and their carers.
Carry out environmental assessments to contribute to well planned discharges, which meets patient’s current and likely changing needs and supports carers.
Carry out assessments and implement interventions which will prevent admission,enable the patient to remain at home as long as possible/desirable, whilst also supporting the carer.
To obtain and record informed consent from all patients prior to any occupational therapy intervention.
To employ sound clinical reasoning and best/evidence based practice in order to deliver specialist occupational therapy intervention.
To maintain contemporaneous, accurate and comprehensive documentation meeting professional, legal and Trust standards.
To work in partnership with other agencies and professionals to ensure a seamless journey of care for the patient and their carers.
To employ developed interpersonal and communication skills in order to be able to provide and receive complex and sensitive information.
To be responsible for establishing and maintaining excellent communication with other agencies and professionals, patients and their carers.
To be responsible for the safe use of equipment related to the delivery of occupational therapy interventions in accordance with current legislation and Trust policy.
To participate in specialist palliative care clinics, as required.
To educate carers and other professionals to deliver occupational therapy treatment programmes as appropriate.
To provide statistical data for the Trust when required.
To continuously learn/develop good practice as agreed at annual appraisal.

Level Two

As for level one, plus:

To be a specialist educational resource for therapists and other health care professionals within the Trust and wider community.
To develop and deliver formal and informal training sessions to other health care professions.
To provide guidance, support to Level One occupational therapist.
To deliver/develop specialist clinics as required.
To deliver /develop the specialist occupational therapy service within the Trust working closely with the Occupational Therapist & Specialist Therapies Lead.
To undertake delegated development projects, including drafting of policies or guidelines.

Professional Development

Levels One and Two

To maintain continuing professional development, by attending annual performance reviews, participating inone to one meetings and through engaging in learning opportunities.
Complete mandatory Training Tracker modules on an annual basis
To attend courses which have been identified as supporting development of knowledge and skills relevant to this post.

Professional Responsibilities

Levels One and Two

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and to adhere to the Chartered Society of Occupational therapy Rules of Professional Conduct and meet the Health Professions Council Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.
To maintain registration with the Health Professions Council.

To comply fully with the Trust’s Operational and Clinical Guidelines/Policies.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Qualifications and Experience

Level One

A Degree/diploma in Occupational therapy.
Membership of the British Association of Occupational Therapy.
Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
Experience of working in the N.H.S. in one or more of the following specialist areas: neurology/neuropsychology, mental health, care of the elderly, palliative care, oncology, some experience of splinting is helpful, but not essential.
Preferably some previous experience of working in isolation.
Understands and conforms to the Trust’s infection prevention and health and safety policies and actively promotes best practice and infection prevention awareness at all times

Level Two– as above, plus

Experience of working within at least two of the specialist areas.
Membership of the specialist interest group H.O.P.C. HIV/AIDS, Oncology, Palliative Care, is desirable.

Experience or evidence of at least one of the following:

Post-graduate research/audit
Education of health care professionals and/or students.

Working in the community setting.
Contribution towards the development of a specialist service.
Understands and conforms to the Trust’s infection prevention and health and safety policies and actively promotes best practice and infection prevention awareness at all times

Skills and Abilities

Level One

The ability to apply the patient centred approach to assessment (physical, psychological,cognitive,social and spiritual) followed by appropriate goal setting in partnership with the patient and their carers.
To utilise appropriate outcome measures, relevant to the palliative care setting, and as agreed at a department and Trust wide level.
The ability to work collaboratively within a small team acknowledging and respecting the unique contribution of the other members of staff.
High levels of dexterity, coordination and sensory skills for the assessment and management of patients.
Developed interpersonal skills, including listening and negotiating, the ability to motivate and re-assure, and to provide non-judgemental and empathetic emotional support to patients/carers whilst maintaining safe and appropriate boundaries.
The ability to work within the emotionally demanding field of palliative care.
Maintain and develop skills and knowledge in line with the requirements of the post and the development of a specialist palliative care service.
Developed planning and organisational skills in order to manage efficiently own caseload and departmental activities.
Basic Computer literacy.
Developed communication skills.

Level Two - all the above, plus

Developed teaching and mentoring skills.
Ability to monitor and analyse the performance and development of the occupational therapy role in the Trust.
Ability to contribute to policy and development of the specialist therapy department.

Special Requirements of the Post

Access to a car in order to travel during the working day to meet the requirements of the post and a current driving licence.

Weldmar Hospicecare TrustSpecialist Occupational Therapist

Job Descriptionpage 1 of 5January 2014