Job overview
We are looking to recruit a part time (0.5WTE) Band 7 Occupational Therapist, to lead a new, 18-month project working with autistic individuals on inpatient wards in Croydon, with the ultimate aim of supporting a positive discharge. You will work with an autistic peer support worker and behaviour support practitioner, and be hosted within the wider Transforming Care in Autism team, a diverse and supportive multi-disciplinary team working across Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.
The role is based at Monks Orchard House on the Bethlem Hospital site, with occasional travel to the Maudsley Hospital to meet with the wider Transforming Care in Autism team. You may also undertake community based visits, and attend other meetings across the Trust as required.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide specialist interventions according to discipline including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
2. To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
3. To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.
4. To promote service evaluation, audit and research.
5. To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor
6. To offer training to mainstream services.
7. To be active in the provision of staff support within their area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
Working for our organisation
Be a part of the internationally renowned South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust by joining our hard working and energetic team in the London borough of Croydon.
We value diversity and want our teams to represent our population in Croydon. With that in mind we welcome applicants who have lived experience as well as those from people from ethnic minority background.
8. Career Progression pathways and development opportunities:
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. We have career pathways available, where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience with the aim of progressing into other roles across the organisation. For this role, we offer support to develop management and leadership skills and knowledge as required. In addition, we offer ongoing training and development including weekly Education and Research meetings across the pathway and beyond.
9. Agile and flexible working:
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. Although the core hours for the service are Monday to Friday, in the time frame from 9 to 5, there are opportunities to work outside of these hours, giving you the very best of good work life balance.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
10. To provide specialist assessments, formulations and interventions for individuals and their support network where the identified client has specifically Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to discipline in the Transforming Care in Autism (TCA) service.
11. To provide culturally appropriate interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
12. To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
13. To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users and their families.
14. To select and deliver evidence-based specialist interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.
15. To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.
KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
16. To contribute to the effective working of the TCA service.
17. To contribute to the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
18. To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
19. To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
20. To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals.
KR 3 Policy and service development
21. To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
22. To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
23. To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
KR 4 Care or management of resources
24. To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
25. To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.
26. To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.
27. To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.
28. To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.
29. To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.
KR 5 Management and supervision
30. To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of a paid assistant if required, under supervision from a more senior therapist.
31. To supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Supervision Training.
KR 6 Teaching and Training
32. To provide specialist training to other professions as appropriate.
33. To disseminate research/service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance
34. To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
35. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
KR 8 Research and development
36. To undertake regular complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.
KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
37. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior professional according to discipline, professional body and Trust guidelines.
38. To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
39. To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
40. To comply with professional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
KR10 General
41. To travel to home visits, community placements, meetings etc.as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
42. To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
43. To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc) and to support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
44. Entry-level qualification in Occupational Therapy and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
45. Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline eg. HCPC/RCN. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
46. Post-graduate training relevant to the specialist area
47. Post-registration qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
48. Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
49. Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities including experience of working within a multicultural framework. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
50. Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects. (A/I)
51. Experience of working with individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Knowledge/Skills
Essential criteria
52. Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care. (A/I/R)
Abilities
Essential criteria
53. Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
54. Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. (A/I)