Specialist Occupational Therapist in General Surgery | Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

An excellent opportunity has been developed, for an experienced and dynamic clinician Occupational Therapist to join our Acute Medical team. This is an exciting new opportunity that has resulted from recent retirement, giving staff members the support to work between various elements of the Acute Medical Services (General Medicine, Cardiology, Respiratory). You will assess and treat people in line with emerging evidence and guidelines; you will be innovative and personalised in your approach. Participating in the supervision and training of team members and supporting the continual evaluation and improvement of the service. To provide highly specialist knowledge, advice and support to colleagues, patients and their carers on all aspects of treatment and management. You will joining our dynamic team of Therapists who strive towards providing early and holistic intervention as well as regaining independence whilst specialising in the management of acutely unwell medical patients, working closely with other members of the multi-professional team. Medical therapists provide a pivotal role in supporting patient flow and are valued as a highly respected member of the multidisciplinary team, working across a number of clinical areas supporting patient flow., Any settled workers meeting the requirements must be offered the position in preference to any non-resident candidates meeting the requirements, unless the role falls under a PhD-level code, in which case sponsorship may be attained.

• To obtain consent as outlined in Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and Trust policies.
• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work.
• To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
• To undertake a proficient assessment of patients, including those with diverse/multi pathologies by using clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques.
• To formulate and deliver an individual Occupational Therapy treatment programme based on sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills, knowledge and skills of treatment techniques, e.g. Occupational Therapy techniques, patient education and other alternative options.
• To be responsible for providing Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment plans for patients within a designated clinical area of work.
• To formulate realistic goals and participate in discharge planning as appropriate within the multi-disciplinary team.
• To effectively communicate with patients, family/carers who may have barriers to understanding or communicating, e.g. blind, deaf, dysphasic, or who do not have English as their first language.
• To evaluate patient progress, reassess and change treatment programmes if required.
• To be responsible for maintaining accurate, confidential and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and to follow Trust documentation policies.
• To actively participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings and integrate Occupational Therapy treatment into the overall treatment programme. This may include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning from the healthcare provider setting.
• To be an active member of the weekend service following the completion of the necessary training and when competency levels have been achieved.
• When working out of hours, provide feedback to medical, nursing and other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding patients' functioning.
• To ensure that your own practice meets the level of competency required by professional standards of Occupational Therapy practice.
• To discuss with mentor / supervisor during regular supervision the organising and planning of own caseload to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change/arise and where appropriate delegate tasks appropriate Occupational Therapy staff.
  
  The Walsall Healthcare Therapy Teams are made up of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Support Staff working across Medicine and Critical Care. We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated, innovative Occupational Therapist who is driven to implement change and service development whilst expanding their own and others knowledge and skills across the service. You will need good clinical skills, a flexible approach, including excellent team working, organisational and time management skills.
  
  Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 286,700, providing inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and the continued upgrading of existing areas ensures the Trust now has a state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit facilities. Work is also well underway on its multi-million pound new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre which will house a new Emergency Department (including Children's Emergency Department), co-located Paediatric Assessment Unit, Acute Medical Unit and Urgent Care Centre. This is scheduled for completion this year.
We would particularly welcome applications from people from a BME background and people with a disability as these groups are currently under-represented at senior level. We value diversity within our Trust and are working to achieve equality in our recruitment. We support flexible working for all employees and prospective applicants.