Specialist Occupational Therapist (Rotational)
Job Description
Job summary
At St George's, Occupational therapists work in specialist multi-disciplinary therapy services that have a strong focus on patient experience and continual improvement. The post offers the opportunity to be part of a friendly, dynamic and forward-thinking teaching Trust. We are looking for a dedicated occupational therapist who is motivated and keen to develop their clinical specialist knowledge and skills.
This role is a rotational post on the Band 6 Acute Occupational Therapy Rotation at St Georges Hospital. The rotation covers: STAR (A & E), Specialist Medicine, Cardiac & Renal, Infectious Diseases, Hand Therapy, Amputee Rehab, Trauma & Orthopaedics, Ortho-Geriatrics, Senior Health, Vascular & Surgery.
As a Band 6 OT you will benefit from peer support and supervision programmes and have access to multi-professional clinical specialists in a range of specialist areas. You will have opportunities to develop advanced clinical skills and knowledge.
You will also be encouraged to be involved in service development, research and audit, and supervise both students and Band 5 occupational therapists.
Main duties of the job
Deliver Occupational Therapy within acute medical wards and outpatient services, including assessment, treatment planning, and management of own caseload.
Provide clinical oversight and guidance to junior staff and students to ensure high standards of patient care.
Assess complex acute medical patients, interpreting diagnosis and prognosis to inform care.
Develop and implement treatment programmes and support early discharge planning following acute interventions.
Communicate sensitively with patients and carers, managing expectations in complex or distressing situations.
Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decision-making and sharing complex information.
Liaise with community services to support discharge, ensuring continuity of care and appropriate equipment provision.
Participate in a 7-day therapy service, including weekend working on a rota basis in relevant rotation - incl. Medicine, STAR (A & E), Trauma and Orthopaedics/Plastics and Neurosciences on a 1 in 6 roster with compensatory rest days.
About us
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group form a leading regional healthcare partnership serving populations across Southwest London, Surrey, and beyond. Our integrated hospitals group delivers a comprehensive range of services--from cutting-edge tertiary, trauma, and specialist care to robust community health offerings--to nearly 5 million people, backed by a 17,000-strong workforce.
At our flagship site, St George's Hospital in Tooting--a major teaching hospital and one of the UK's 11 major trauma centres--we drive clinical excellence and research in partnership with St George's, University of London and Kingston University. Our network extends to Queen Mary's Hospital; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, which hosts the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). Additionally, St Johns Therapy Centre and The Nelson Centre provide specialised services to a diverse patient base.
The Acute Therapy team provide assessment, acute rehabilitation and discharge planning services for patients in STAR (A & E), Specialist Medicine, Cardiac & Renal, Infectious Diseases, Hand Therapy, Amputee Rehab, Trauma & Orthopaedics, Ortho-Geriatrics, Senior Health, Vascular & Surgery.
Job responsibilities
Please see attached the job description for more details on the main responsibilities for this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Diploma / Degree in Occupational Therapy
- HPC Registration
- Continued Professional Development including evidence of reflective practice, and clinical experience gained
Desirable
- Fieldwork Educators Course
Experience
Essential
- o18 months clinical experience post-qualification, at least a year of which must have been in an acute setting.
- o1 year's previous NHS experience either as a qualified Occupational Therapist (substantive or locum) or as an undergraduate Occupational Therapy Student.
- oWorking as part of an MDT team within a clinical environment.
- oDelegation to support staff.
- oExperience of general assessment and intervention with patients in a physical setting (e.g. medical, surgical, trauma and orthopaedics and neurology patients).
Desirable
- Student supervision
- Clinical research / audit
- Involvement in service development
Skills
Essential
- oClinical Reasoning skills
- oAbility to organise, prioritise and delegate
- oAbility to document legible and accurate notes in English using the SOAP note writing system according to local standards
- oExcellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language.
- oBasic Wheelchair Assessment and Prescription skills
- oGroup work skills
- oAbility to work under pressure
- oFlexible working approach
- oInitiative
- oCompetent IT skills
- oAble to work at moderate to high levels of physical activity involving the delivery of manual therapy, therapeutic handling of patients and the assessment, demonstration and installation of adaptations and equipment.
Desirable
- oBasic Splinting/ Hand Therapy Skills
Knowledge
Essential
- oClear & demonstrable understanding of the OT process
- oClear understanding of evidence-based practice.
- oWorking knowledge of functional and standardised assessment tools
- oUnderstanding of the legal responsibilities of the working as a healthcare professional.
- oKnowledge of current OT and Government initiatives.
- oUnderstand the legal responsibilities of the working as a healthcare professional
- oUnderstanding of Clinical Governance and implications for allied health services including experience of quality issues and audit
- oAble to work within Trust's policies of data protection, equal opportunities and Health and Safety to meet the needs of the patients
Other
Essential
- oAble to alter their working patterns to include working extended hours, unsociable hours and weekend working. This may be via additional hours or a shift pattern.
Desirable
- oRCOT membership
- oCar driver
- oMember of Specialist Section / Interest group
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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 Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
St George's Hospital
Blackshaw Road
London
SW17 0QT
United Kingdom
