Go back to Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Lead Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 20 May 2025
Join our team; we pride ourselves on providing outstanding care to patients across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. We will provide resources to develop and progress a long-term career, along with flexibility, continual professional development, and a wide range of wellbeing and support. If you would like to discuss informally if this is the right role for you, get in touch with the Recruiting Manager, whose contact details can be found on the top right-hand side of the advert.
This exciting position is for a senior occupational therapist to lead a team of allied health staff delivering support to patients across the Stonebow Unit in Hereford. The Stonebow Unit comprises a 20-bed Adult Ward, a 10-bed Organic ward, and an 8-bed functional older adult ward.
The role requires the post holder to work core hours from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with potential occasional variations based on service needs. Flexible working hours can be discussed to support the post holder.
The team includes allied health professionals (OT, OT assistants, activity coordinator, psychology, and physiotherapy). The lead's role involves providing supervision, support, operational leadership, and engaging with senior staff across the Service Delivery Unit to strategically and clinically enhance service provision for some of our most vulnerable citizens.
Main duties of the job
1. Manage a caseload of patients with highly complex mental health needs.
2. Lead clinically in managing patients with complex needs, providing guidance and advice to other therapy staff where multiple needs are identified.
3. Work with patients to identify therapy goals as part of the overall care plan, using specialist mental health and allied health professional assessment tools.
4. Manage patients with challenging behaviour, engaging in assessment, individual treatment, or therapeutic groups, and guide junior staff.
5. Contribute to patients' care plans, risk assessments, and management plans.
6. Identify and manage risks within the therapies area related to individual patients or activities.
7. Plan and implement patient-centered individual and group interventions, using graded treatments to achieve holistic therapeutic goals.
8. Monitor, evaluate, and modify treatments to measure progress and ensure effectiveness.
9. Assess and analyze therapy needs of specific patient groups and establish appropriate treatment programs.
10. Manage therapy programs within inpatient settings, following the recovery model, and coordinate occupational therapy services.
11. Carry out home and community assessments and treatments.
About us
At Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, we are committed to delivering outstanding care. We operate community hospitals and health services across Worcestershire and provide mental health and learning disability services across both counties.
Our team of over 4,500 staff provides services for people of all ages with physical and mental health conditions across more than 100 sites.
We support our staff to thrive, offering flexible working options for a healthy work-life balance, helping you achieve your ambitions, and empowering you to make positive changes within your team or service. We value diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.
What we offer includes:
* 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days with long service
* Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay for unsocial hours
* Flexible and agile working opportunities
* Comprehensive maternity, paternity, and adoption support
* Supportive staff networks
* Health and wellbeing initiatives
If you would like to learn more, please visit our website.
We encourage you to read the attached applicant guidance notes.
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Job responsibilities
Manage the day-to-day operations of inpatient therapies staff, including supervision and appraisal.
Supervise AHP students on practice placements regularly.
Provide line management and guidance to staff in the Working Age Adult Inpatient Allied Health Professional Therapy Service.
Establish effective communication networks with patients, carers, other health workers, and agencies.
Promote awareness of the role of Allied Health Professionals within the team and negotiate priorities where appropriate.
Coordinate the daily activities of junior staff where applicable.
Undertake HR responsibilities, including recruitment and selection of new staff.
Manage the performance and conduct of junior staff, coordinate tasks, and ensure quality of work. Also, coordinate the allocation of AHP students on placement in the service.
Coordinate therapy staff in practice education development.
Contribute to the induction and training of students and staff within and outside the Trust.
Supervise and assess AHP therapy students on practice placements within the Trust.
For full details of the duties and criteria, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Additional Criteria
* Ability to challenge poor behaviour.
* A positive attitude and openness to feedback.
Experience
* Evidence of ongoing professional development.
* Experience in various mental health settings.
* Significant senior-level experience, including within older inpatient mental health settings.
* Experience establishing and developing leadership forums.
* Experience with audit procedures.
* Experience coordinating cohesive therapy programs.
* Supervision of junior staff.
Skills and Abilities
* Specialist knowledge of allied health therapy assessments and interventions relevant to the patient group.
* Extensive clinical experience, including individual and group work.
* Understanding of therapy outcome measures.
* Knowledge of mental health legislation and current practices.
* Knowledge of therapy models and standardised assessments.
Qualifications
* Diploma/degree in OT.
* Practice Placement qualification within one year of appointment.
* Post-degree training specific to mental health.
* Original certificates required at the point of offer.
* Leadership qualifications.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This role is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975 (Exceptions Order).
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
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