Position Summary
A mid‑senior, experienced Occupational Therapist is required to cover a secondment until September 2026 at Audrey House, the female‑enhanced care unit at Kingsway Hospital, Derby. This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience in delivering OT in a challenging inpatient setting, supported by a multi‑disciplinary team that prioritises trauma‑informed care and sensory modalities.
Responsibilities
* Lead and deliver the OT service, providing assessment and interventions to approximately eight patients with enhanced care needs.
* Supervise the Occupational Therapy Assistant and Recreation Worker in the delivery of the OT‑based service.
* Work within the MDT, offering an occupational/functional perspective to patient care and recovery.
* Use the Model of Creative Ability as the primary OT model, with full training and support provided.
* Provide individual, group and practical OT interventions, including standardised assessments and sensory modulation strategies.
* Build and maintain respectful, consistent and reliable therapeutic relationships with patients, enhancing their ability to build social networks and work in partnership with other agencies.
* Act as a resource for the service, advising staff on OT approaches for people with acute mental health issues and other needs, focusing on functional interventions.
* Promote and implement sensory modulation strategies throughout Audrey House and develop individualised sensory modulation‑based care plans as required.
* Ensure evidence‑based practice and research awareness underpin assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of OT services.
* Manage own workload effectively, prioritising competing demands and maintaining a blanket referral system that covers all admitted patients.
* Conduct rigorous occupational and risk analyses, ensuring appropriate evidence‑based clinical risk assessments are undertaken.
* Ensure all patients’ OT needs are included in their up‑to‑date care plans and that occupational needs are regularly reviewed.
* Implement effective communication and record‑keeping systems, adhering to Trust professional guidelines.
* Guarantee person‑centred assessment and treatment that respects the gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture and spiritual needs of patients.
* Promote patient and carer involvement, embedding autonomy and choice into the team’s philosophy.
* Maintain compliance with the Trust’s Clinical Supervision policy and act as a role model for high‑quality OT delivery within the multi‑disciplinary team.
* Take a leadership role in challenging practice requiring change, ensuring good practice is maintained through formal and informal leadership processes.
* Work within legislative requirements relevant to occupational therapy (e.g., Mental Health Act, Code of Practice, Human Rights Act, Disability Discrimination Act) and ensure child and adult protection procedures are followed.
* Support the development of the Trust’s OT role guidelines and demonstrate understanding of leadership and management theory.
* Facilitate clinical governance, including the development of evidence‑based standards, clinical audits, incident investigation and reporting.
* Participate in education and development activities, including mentoring, coaching, student education, and coordination of staff development and annual appraisals.
Speciality Specific Requirements
* Work with patients within the limitations of the unit environment and be aware of potential hazards.
* Provide support for patients who experience high levels of distress and adopt appropriate strategies for challenging behaviours.
* Take responsibility for utilising local support systems such as manual handling, violence and aggression management and lone worker policy.
Compliance and Professional Standards
* Comply with NHS Confidentiality Code, Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, Human Rights Act and NHS data security and protection policies.
* Maintain Health and Care Professions Council registration and promote ongoing professional development.
* Adopt and uphold Trust policies on Equal Opportunities, Human Rights, Disability Discrimination, Race Relations and Sex Discrimination.
Managerial and Professional Accountability
Managerially responsible to the Ward Manager and professionally accountable to the OT Clinical Lead for Audrey House.
Employment Details
Mid‑Senior level, Contractual role, Health Care Provider job function.
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