Senior Occupational Therapist, Critical Care

The post holder will be proactive in their learning and desire to provide high quality services for all patients that require occupational therapy input. They will know when to seek support and learning from the specialist occupational therapists. They will be expected to carry a caseload of patients with complex health and social care needs using evidence based practise and client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. To communicate in a clear and accessible way with patients and their carers/ families and ensure communication is adapted to support them in their decision making. To develop links with other departments and to facilitate a multidisciplinary team approach including advocating for patients during decision making in team meetings. The post also includes non-clinical roles, project work and development of managerial and leadership skills.
The post requires a flexible approach to working and requires the post holder to work across various services, in different locations and undertake weekend commitments as required., 1. To identify, prioritise and manage patients who require occupational therapy input. Including education of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to promote appropriate referrals for both discharge planning and rehabilitation.
2. To assess and treat patients with complex needs who would benefit from a coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, rehabilitation and discharge services.
3. To be competent in the administration of specific occupational therapy assessments of motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and occupational areas.
4. To be competent in the development and implementation of remedial and preventative treatment programmes addressing motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychological and occupational areas.
5. To provide specialist occupational therapy input to Critical care, including intensive care units and high dependency units at Denmark Hill site.
6. To identify risks, complete risk assessments and implement risk management strategies including the use of therapeutic manual handling techniques and the lone working policy and document this accurately.
7. To recognise any change in the condition of the patient and alter treatment accordingly or escalate to medical teams as required.
8. To work within local policies and procedures, national standards and guidelines and adhere to the Royal College of Occupational Therapy professional standards and ethics.
9. To support patients in setting their own goals, then implementing this and evaluating appropriately.
10. To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions, in collaboration with clients and carers, to achieve therapeutic goals.
11. To select evidence based techniques as part of a coordinated treatment program.
12. To assess and demonstrate to patients and carers the safe use of equipment and adaptations and recommend provision of equipment to support discharge.
13. To liaise with professionals in onward services to ensure continuity of care.
14. To respect the individuality, values, culture and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs, ensuring equity of service provision.
15. To make appropriate clinical observations and keep accurate electronic records and activity data in accordance with professional and trust standards.
16. To write occupational therapy functional and discharge reports for social services, onward inpatient services and community services.
17. To work as an autonomous practitioner and display appropriate problem solving, analytical and judgement skills.
18. To assist with planning and prioritisation of the team and departments' workload in the event of staff absence to ensure the occupational therapy priority services are maintained.
19. To comply with all relevant trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to equal opportunities, health and safety and confidentiality of information.
COMMUNICATION
1. To communicate complex information to patients and family/ carers who may have barriers to understanding.
2. To actively participate in team meetings within the occupational therapy department and with the MDT, including weekly MDT meetings, case conferences and best interest meetings and to delegate for specialist or team lead occupational therapist as required.
3. To be skilled in communicating reasoning and motivating patients to participate in sessions.
4. To communicate professionally in person and by telephone with families/ carers and other professionals.
5. To manage differences of opinions and difficult conversations within the team, MDT and with patients, families/ carers
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
1. To supervise and provide support for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and technicians and students.
2. To be aware of the importance of staff well being, accessing trust support as required and raising any concerns with supervisors or senior staff.
3. To contribute to the hospital's clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
4. To assist in developing services and standards according to the occupational therapy objectives.
5. To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within the critical care occupational therapy service with a view to measuring efficiency and ensuring high quality standards.
6. To be responsible for competent use and maintenance of equipment, raising any concerns and reporting when further resources are needed.
7. To carry out administrative duties as required e.g. assisting in ordering, receiving and maintaining stock and managing petty cash.
8. To have good IT skills and use a variety of IT systems to input patient and staff data as required., 1. To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
2. To promote development of occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, technicians and students according to their training and development needs as identified through supervision and appraisal.
3. To regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement.
4. To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local level.
5. To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.
6. To demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording outcomes in a portfolio.
7. To keep in touch with new developments and changing trends in critical care occupational therapy and participate in wider issues of providing an occupational therapy service i.e. quality assurance, public relations including liaison with the community; planning and policy making.
8. To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.
9. To participate in and present on the critical care in-service training programmes, multi-disciplinary trainings, study day and external conferences.
10. To undertake any other duties commensurate within the grade.
General
The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
To live and role model the King's Trust Values and Vision.
To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder. An individual performance review and the setting of objectives will occur within each rotation.
All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.
King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King's to another level.