Job overview
To provide efficient and effective Highly Specialist Community Occupational Therapist assessment and intervention to the clients who are care coordinated within the MACCT MDT.
To provide creative personalised treatment programmes co-produced alongside client’s strengths and their support network to support them to manage with complex health conditions.
The Highly Specialist Community Occupational Therapist will be aware of physical and psychological factors living with long term health conditions and frailty and will support the stabilisation of their social situations with the view to improve quality of life, wellbeing.
To promote excellent collaborative working links with partnership agencies across the health, social and voluntary sectors to ensure the clients have the best possible support network toutilise the most appropriate health and social care services with the view to reduce and prevent unplanned hospital admissions.
To be an active and motivated member of the multidisciplinary team and participate in projects and service developments as identified by the successful candidates, their colleagues and managers including audits, quality improvement projects and the promotion of integrated personalised care strengths based approach. To provide support and clinical supervision to colleagues or junior staff, and to share specialist knowledge with others working within MACCT
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health NHS Trust and the Haringey GP Federation have a strong and established history of working together to improve health outcomes for Haringey’s diverse communities. As two of Haringey’s integrators, we work in partnership with the London Borough of Haringey to lead the development and delivery of the borough’s neighbourhood health model, recognised for its collaborative and innovative approach. As integrators, we act as enabling organisations responsible for supporting and scaling integrated, place‑based delivery of neighbourhood services. This role is central to the national ambition to shift care from acute settings into the community, with a strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention and reducing long‑term inequalities.
A leading example of this integrated approach is the Multi‑Agency Care and Coordination Team (MACCT): bringing together professionals from health, social care and the voluntary sector to support adults with frailty or complex needs. MACCT is widely recognised as the model on which the Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT) can be built, demonstrating what truly joined‑up, preventative and person‑centred neighbourhood care can achieve.
Colleagues appointed to joint roles will join an ambitious and inclusive partnership shaping the future of integrated care in Haringey.
The post is funded for one year through neighbourhood test‑bed funding.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Responsibilities:
Communication & Relationship Skills
Provide and receive complex information; persuasive, motivational, negotiating,training skills required.
Explains complicated issues relating to long term health conditions, legal and health and social care systems.
Works with clients and carers to support self-management, engagement in interventions and manages sensitive interactions when discussing treatment plans, interventions and topics such as advanced care planning.
Able to adapt communication style to match the clients understanding and communication
Knowledge, Training & Experience
Highly developed specialist knowledge across range of procedures underpinned
by theory and experience.
Specialist knowledge of the full range of client groups plus further theoretical study
and in depth experience of legislation and policy appropriate to the setting.
Advanced skills relating to Occupational Therapy community practice supporting clients to maintain and improve functioning and management of long term health conditions.
Skills acquired through degree or equivalent plus clinical experience working with clients with complex care needs in the community or skills that can be transferred into the community setting.
Working with client groups plus further theoretical study and experience within a community environment to master’s level equivalent (desirable).
Analytical & Judgemental Skills
Complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
Initial and ongoing assessment of service user needs taking into account a range of physiological, psychological and environmental factors.
Ability to assess urgency of clinical need and ensure client receives high quality care within appropriate time limits (urgent, standard and ongoing complex case coordination).
Planning & Organisational Skills
Plan and organise and prioritise complex activities.
Initiates and co-ordinates e.g. case conferences with multidisciplinary and agencies.
Able to chair and contribute to MDT teleconferences, MDT meetings, best interest meetings and other clinical activities (safeguarding, Datix, MASP)
Able to manage a caseload and respond to clinical priorities.
Physical Skills Physical skills obtained through practice/ developed physical skills, manipulation of objects, people; narrow margins for error
Ability to move around Haringey Borough and access clients properties.
Driving (desirable)
keyboard skills
Advanced moving and handling experience/training.
Responsibility for Client Care
Develop specialised programmes of care; provide highly specialist advice concerning care at the right time and right place by the right professional.
Ability to provide a variety of profession specific and role blurred interventions with support of MDT members; provides advice to clients, carers, and other departments/agencies departments regarding ongoing care.
Ability to co-produce client centred goals and interventions. Ability to determine when interventions have been achieved, requirement for review and ability to close cases when client stable and linked in with appropriate ongoing support. Ability to develop effective and compassionate relationships with clients and their support network, to be able to case-manage and coordinate care on behalf of the client when under the care of MACCT.
To contribute to the triage of the referral and allocation process for new referrals received by the service.
To maintain a role as care coordinator of a case load of clients whose range of needs require ‘complex’ arrangements of care
To ensure good caseload management in including that discharges or transfers of care are progressed in a safe and timely manner.
Management Responsibilities
To collaborate with partner agencies in the development of the local delivery of services provided by the MACCT.
To deputise for the Haringey Proactive Care Services Manager/Team Manager/AHP lead as required.
In conjunction with senior managers, participate in recruitment, selection and appointment of staff.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development; Propose policy or service changes, impact beyond own area.
To participate in the formulation and implement legislation ,suggests changes to policies and protocols relating to which impact on working practices for staff within the MACCT service and the clients the team serves.
To act as a role model for integrated working and collaboration between professions, services and organisations to ensure the best care is provided to the client.
To actively participate in team reviews and service development projects through team meetings, Quality Improvement projects and audits.
Responsibility for Financial & Physical Resources
Responsible for authorising recommendations for equipment orders.
Supporting service leads with requesting and maintaining adequate stock levels of equipment and resources required to provide safe and effective care.
Responsibility for Human Resources Day to day supervision; clinical supervision; training in own discipline
Allocates work to other MDT staff through agreed pathways/processes.
Provides regular clinical supervision to one or more junior service members.
Engages and actively participates in reflection and continuing professional development in professional and operational supervision.
Provides practical training to other MDT staff and ensures annual student placement support.
Maintains clinical portfolio professional registration and professional body membership.
Responsibility for Information Resources Record personally generated information
Maintains client records and statistics as necessary and expected with the service.
Adheres to all information governance policies and mandatory training.
Responsibility for Research &Development
Actively undertakes surveys and audits as necessary to own job/ regularly undertake R&D, Quality Improvement activity.
Freedom to Act Broad occupational policies
Works within trust, and all connected services legal frameworks.
Physical Effort Occasional moderate effort for short periods
Moving patients/clients with mechanical aids, assisting patients or clients to stand during assessments, across borough travel.
You will be required to work, predominantly through out the borough of Haringey using your own means of transportation or public transportation.
In patient’s homes you will often work in cramped conditions such as small bedrooms with cluttered furniture.
Mental Effort Frequent concentration, work pattern predictable/unpredictable
Concentration for preparation of complex assessments, writing up complex assessments, detailed reports and interruptions for advice and support from colleagues.
Able to use high level de-escalation
You will consistently be engaged in frequent periods of intense concentration – in meetings, during assessments and treatment sessions, while preparing teaching, during supervision and appraisal time and during report writing.
You will be required to provide high-level information with structure and clarity to both managers and to the MDT, often with little or no notice and with frequent interruptions from junior staff who may need immediate help.
Emotional Effort
Frequent distressing or emotional circumstances; occasional highly distressing or emotional circumstances
Frequent distressing or emotional circumstances; occasional highly distressing or emotional circumstances
Sharing unwelcome news regarding functional ability/ prognosis’s, progression, end of life or available support to patients/clients and carers;
Manage patients/clients or carers with severely challenging behaviour.
On a daily basis you will be working with acutely/chronically unwell patients, some of who have low rates of survival and / or limited rehabilitation potential. You will also be working with patients with chronic conditions helping them come to terms with their conditions.
Working Conditions Frequent unpleasant working conditions
Possible contact with body fluids, odours, dust, dirt, verbal aggression when visiting Clients
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Degree or Diploma in Occupational therapy
2. Registration with the Health Care Professions Council
Desirable criteria
3. Higher degree/MSc. relevant to the area of practice.
4. Member of the College of Occupational Therapists and relevant Clinical Interest Group
5. Further training within the specialist area of frailty/falls/dementia/manual handling.
6. Member of RCOT
Experience
Essential criteria
7. Significant post - graduate clinical experience of working with individuals with complex needs and the effects of this on the individuals/ carers/ family.
8. Commitment to effective multidisciplinary and integrated approached to working
9. Experience of prescribing community equipment and exercise programmes/ interventions.
10. Supervision experience of: junior staff; students; rehabilitation assistants
11. Experience of research and audit
Desirable criteria
12. Experience in an acute setting and/or the community.
13. Experience of cross organisational working.
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
14. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate in a way which will neither offend nor antagonise.
15. Leadership skills
16. Willingness to embrace innovative working practices e.g. role blurring, cross organisational boundary working.
17. Ability to manage own caseload, prioritising cases appropriately, with regular support and supervision of Line Manager /Senior AHP/Team manager.
18. Ability to work in partnership with other professionals and organisations.
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
19. Able to communicate highly complex and sensitive information in written, verbal and presentational form to patients, carers and staff within the Trust and across other organisations.
20. Able to lead, motivate and influence a team, and to describe strategies to support effective team working.
21. Highly skilled ability and competency in using a range of therapeutic skills including but not exclusively, various assessment techniques, handling skills, manual handling techniques, exercise therapy, and splinting.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
22. Up to date and advanced knowledge of a variety of Occupational therapy concepts and approaches, and of current best practice.
23. Evidence of critical appraisal / analytical thought. Involvement in appraisal scheme
24. Knowledge of national drivers for integrated health & personalised care guidelines, NICE guidelines, Primary Care networks, Neighbourhood Health 10 year plan
25. Demonstrate an understanding of responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act and of assessing risk within clinical work.
26. Knowledge of broad range of conditions
Desirable criteria
27. Knowledge of standardised and non-standardised assessments and outcome measures that can be used with service user group.
28. Experience of managing other professions
29. Two or more years experience working within a multidisciplinary team
30. Interest and involvement in quality, audit and service evaluation
Other Qualities
Essential criteria
31. Ability to work in the community in patient’s homes and to travel around the borough.
32. Willingness to work on any site as service requirements dictate, and as appropriate.
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
33. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
34. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
35. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
36. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
37. Participate in required training and supervision.
38. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.