Children's Occupational Therapist

Job responsibilities

Clinical Requirements

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of children in your care.

To undertake skilled assessment of children and young people, including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi-pathologies.

To formulate and deliver outcome focused, individual therapy treatment programmes, based on evidence based practice using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills.

To take delegated responsibility from Team Lead Occupational Therapists for managing children with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist therapy assessment and treatment plans.

To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention.

To use effective communication skills, verbal and non-verbal to communicate treatment programmes to children who may have barriers to understanding or communication e.g. children with developmental delays, visual impairment, hearing impairment, impairments of cognition and difficulties with verbal communication etc.

To evaluate and review the progress of Occupational Therapy interventions, making changes to treatment programmes as required.

To work as an autonomous practitioner with regular supervision and support from supervising therapists.

* To prioritise the health and wellbeing of children and young people at all times and immediately raise any Safeguarding concerns through the correct channels and processes.

To supervise assistant and student therapists in line with Professional and Service standards.

To represent the Occupational Therapy Service and/or individual children at the multi-agency team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service, and integrate therapy into the treatment programme.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment, appliances and aids used by children and young people, ensuring that assistants and students are competent in their use.

To maintain comprehensive contemporaneous clinical and statistical records in line with professional and service standards.

* To contribute to multi-agency assessments including Education, Health and Care Plans, Child Safeguarding reports etc

Professional

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.

To teach, assess and contribute to the performance assessment and appraisal of therapy assistant staff.

Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programme to meet set knowledge and competencies.

Undertake measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, as required, under the direction of senior therapists.

Be an active member of in-service training by attendance at, and participation in events such as in-Service programmes, tutorials, training sessions, external courses and peer review.

Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as Children Young People and their Families, Occupational Therapy special interest group, Peer Review Groups and other professional development activities.

Organisational

Ensure that your own practice meets the required professional standards of therapy practice.

Deputise for other Occupational Therapy staff in their absence, taking responsibility for caseload management, allocating and organising the work of assistant staff to meet service priorities on daily basis.

To be responsible for organising and planning your own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans at short notice as situations change/arise.

Work safely at all times and report all untoward incidents via the quality and safety reporting systems within the Trust.

Any other duties commensurate with role and responsibilities of the post.

Ensure the corporate identity guidelines for the Trust are implemented and adhered to at all times.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma, BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy

Desirable

• Specialist post graduate clinical experience in Occupational Therapy practice, linked to a related field e.g. Neurology, Paediatrics, Learning Disabilities, Social Care

Special Requirements

Essential

• Ability to travel independently across the County to fulfil the requirements of the post.
• Driving posts musty have valid Full UK driving licence

Special Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Proven ability to communicate effectively about a client's health and social care needs - on a formal and informal basis. Professional experience of providing written and verbal reports and feedback to a wide range of people
• Demonstrates excellence in presentation skills
• Proven ability to prioritise workload and work within timescales

Desirable

• Specialist skills in related fields of Occupational Therapy such as postural management, fine and gross motor skills, handwriting skills development, skills related to provision of aids and adaptations
• Skills and knowledge related to Sensory Development and related difficulties in Children and Young People

Experience

Essential

• 2 years post registration ...