OT Assistant Therapy Practitioner

Are you interested in being part of Adult Community Eating Disorder Service in Hertfordshire? Do you have a passion for supporting recovery through occupational therapy? If so we want to hear from you!, We are looking for an enthusiastic OT Assistant Therapy Practitioner to work with adults with eating disorders and their carers in the Acorn Day Unit. The ADU aims to support local treatment where appropriate to support individuals in their recovery, help prevent hospital admissions, support and facilitate early discharge. You will be part of the ADU who are a small caring multi-disciplinary team. The ADU works collaboratively within the Hertfordshire Community Eating Disorder Service using therapeutic community values. We are a caring team; working closely to ensure we support people using our service, their family/loved ones, our colleagues and each other. We are excited about the progression of the service and possibility of positively impacting peoples recovery journey. We are looking for staff who hold our team and Trust values. Ideally you will have experience of working with people with mental health issues and/or eating disorders.,

• To work individually with service users on specific tasks and therapeutic activity guided by an Occupational Therapist.
• To carry our specific Occupational Therapy assessments as guided by an Occupational Therapist.
• To promote a culture of engagement in meaningful occupation within the service in order to enhance quality of life.
• To support service users and carers in regards to improving nutrition and food skills under guidance of senior staff.
• To provide interventions in the manner that is consistent with Trust standards and values.
• To provide feedback to the team regarding observed occupational performance during a session which will contribute to assessment and therapeutic interventions.
• To maintain clinical records using the electronic patient record system.
• To work effectively as a member of a team in providing therapeutic activities (to include; promoting life skills such as, meal preparation; shopping; cooking and eating).
· To use technical / creative skills to engage service users in meaningful and appropriate activities to promote independence, recovery and well-being.
• Under the guidance of the Occupational Therapist provide ongoing assessment and adjustment of clinical interventions based on the fluctuating needs of the service users
  
  Essential criteria
• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy role within a mental health setting
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office and associated packages
Desirable criteria
• A Levels and/or Health and Social Care NVQ level 3 or equivalent
• Additional training in Eating Disorders, Experience of working with people with mental health problems
• Ability to work autonomously
Desirable criteria
• Experience of working in a OT related setting
• Experience of service user and carer involvement in the development of services
• Knowledge of Recovery Principles
• experience of motivation, Ability to provide and receive sensitive information regarding services users care and social situation
• Strong communication skills written and verbal
• Knowledge of and ability to use a range of communication skills to overcome barriers to engagement
• Good problem solving and clinical judgement skills
• Ability to understand and respond and adjust appropriately to the changing needs of service users
• Knowledge of appropriate professional relationships and boundaries
• Good Observational skills
• Ability to engage in a range of physical activities
Desirable criteria
• Knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation Assessment tools
  
  Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services. The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Our Trust values are: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional. These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it! Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. In 2021, we won the prestigious Health Service Journal award for Mental Health Trust of the Year, with the judges saying they were "blown away" by our people's achievements and that everything they saw "sings and hums". This year, our staff rated us the 4^th best mental health and learning disability trust to work for out of all 52 trusts in the country. Our staff tell us that they are proud to be part of the HPFT team, proud of the standard of care we provide and proud that service users are our top priority. Our people tell us they feel supported though a great development, wellbeing and work-life balance offer and a highly compassionate, values-driven culture. We are equally proud of our staff, who live our values of being welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional