Paediatric occupational therapist

at  Medway Community Healthcare CIC

We are currently recruiting a band 6 occupational therapist on a fixed term contract to cover maternity leave within our children’s therapy team. The post will provide the opportunity to work across our neurodisability and neurodiversity pathways, depending on experience. Offering the chance to work with children who present with complex health needs within schools and their community.
We value partnership working with our local colleagues such as social services and education to provide Medway families with an inclusive service.
We are a supportive team with a strong emphasis on enabling individuals to develop their skills. The occupational therapy staff form part of an MDT.
Our service is open to continuous improvement and promotes innovation.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO:

• Holds an occupational therapy qualification, with 18 months post graduation experience and experience in paediatrics
• HCPC registered
• Is committed to working in the community as part of a multi-disciplinary team

with a range of partner organisations, keeping the child and family in the centre of our care

• Is enthusiastic, with excellent assessment and communication skills
• Is passionate about the occupational therapy profession
• Is excited about working with a wide range of children: children with developmental co-ordination difficulties, sensory and behavioural difficulties, autism and children with complex needs
• Is keen to help shape and drive our children’s team and is willing to work innovatively

If you answered yes, we’ve got the perfect role for you!
We are looking for ….
If this is you we look forward to welcoming you to our team.

So what else?

• This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
• We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
• We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
• You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

The small print

• Informal visits can be arranged on request.
• We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
• MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.

1. Communication and relationship skills
   The post holder is required to represent the paediatric occupational therapy service at relevant meetings within the multiagency team.
   Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing at a professional level, to include detailed report writing for both internal and external agencies.
   Teaching and supervisory skills.
   Performance appraisal skills.
   To promote understanding of paediatric occupational therapy input to professionals, unqualified staff, students and families in all settings, including education staff, via multi-disciplinary work, discussion, information giving and training days, and as part of the overall package of clinical input to the child.

2. Knowledge, training and experience
   Minimum of 18 months post-graduate experience.
   Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and with an inter-agency approach to the needs of patients.
   Experience of assessing and treating patients with a wide range of needs.
   Experience in the use of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools, including assessing social communication and motor coordination needs.
   Experience of working within a wide variety of community and clinical settings.
   Experience of supervising therapy assistants and students.
   Understanding of the occupational therapy process of assessment, treatment and discharge as relevant to children and their families.
   Up to date knowledge of current legislation affecting children with disabilities and their families.
   Understanding of clinical governance issues and managing risk within therapeutic intervention.
   Knowledge and awareness of child protection issues.
   Knowledge and awareness of the wider view of children’s issues, to include health, education and social care of children.
   Knowledge of health and safety at work act responsibilities .
   Clinical practitioner skills in theoretical and manual paediatric occupational therapy.
   To provide regular structured professional supervision and training, to ensure the competence, confidence and development of technical instructors and to provide supervision to students, according to their individual training requirements .

3. Analytical and judgement skills

• 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 the capacity to consent to treatment.

1. Planning and organisational skills
   The post holder is responsible for management of a caseload of children referred to occupational therapy in line with service priorities.
   Ability to respond to complex demands, prioritise work, and autonomously manage a varied caseload.
   Time management and caseload management skills.
2. Physical skills
   Implementing specialist manual occupational therapy assessment and treatment skills.
   The post holder assesses and provides occupational therapy intervention for children with a wide range of social, behavioural and developmental disabilities.
3. Responsibility for patient / client care
   The post holder contributes and assists in the general organization and development of a holistic, high quality service to children with a wide range of social, behavioural and developmental disabilities.

To implement the delivery of a paediatric occupational therapy service, offering a range of assessments and treatments through selective techniques and graded activities in order to facilitate children reaching their optimum level of function.

• To maintain a varied caseload of children referred to occupational Therapy in line with service priorities, and to work as a member of the multi-disciplinary and inter-agency team to provide co-ordinated therapy and care for children and their families.

1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• The post holder is required to support, assist and participate in the development of a high quality service to children with a wide range of social, behavioural and developmental disabilities

1. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• To maintain assessment resources specific to the role including standardised assessment kits

1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
   The post holder gives direct daily guidance and support to the technical instructors.

The post holder contributes to the training and supervision and mentors students on clinical fieldwork placements within the service, and contributes to the training and development of students from other professions within the children’s therapy team.

• To undertake regular professional supervision sessions, regular training, annual individual and team performance review and objective setting, to maintain professional competence and develop skills within children’s occupational therapy.

1. Responsibilities for information resources

• To provide written and electronic record of clinical intervention, report writing and other work in line with departmental and organisational standards, and to meet the needs of audit and clinical governance with reference to all aspects of the service.

1. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

• To participate in development of specialist programmes of care and to purpose changes to practice in own work area to improve the overall service delivery. This may include auditing own area of work

1. Freedom to act

• Reporting to the team manager, the post holder works autonomously within the team, liaising and working with other senior therapist, whilst also delegating tasks to the technical Instructors and administrative staff.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• To maintain assessment resources specific to the role including standardised assessment kit

10. Responsibilities for information resources

• To provide written and electronic record of clinical intervention, report writing and other work in line with departmental and organisational standards, and to meet the needs of audit and clinical governance with reference to all aspects of the service

11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

• To participate in development of specialist programmes of care and to purpose changes to practice in own work area to improve the overall service delivery. This may include auditing own area of wor