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Senior Frailty Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 09 December 2025
Specialist Frailty Occupational Therapist
Maternity Leave Cover
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, self-motivated Band 6 Occupational Therapist, with specialised experience within frailty and medicine for the older person to join our frailty team at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. The post is 37.5 hours per week on a 12-month‑fixed term contract to cover maternity leave.
As part of an Integrated Therapy Team, you will work closely with the Physiotherapy team, and will be clinically responsible for providing a timely, evidence‑based service to older people living with frailty. You will work on our inpatient wards as part of an enthusiastic multi‑disciplinary team.
You will be responsible for the clinical supervision and management of Band 5 Therapists and Therapy Support Workers. You will also provide support to the Rotational Band 6s Therapists and will be encouraged to participate in the trustwide Band 6 peer group meetings.
Clinical supervision and line management will be provided to you by the Team Lead Therapist. You will have the opportunity to develop your leadership and management skills, working closely with senior members of the team as well supporting the team leads in managing staffing levels and caseload to ensure equitable provision of therapy across the service.
You will be supported in your continued professional development and will be committed to improving the quality and development of our service.
Main duties of the job
To hold an active caseload within specialty based at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.
This will include assessment and treatment of inpatients and providing guidance on assessment and treatment for less experienced staff.
To provide advice/mentorship/supervision for band 5 Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, assistants and students carrying an acute caseload.
To take an active role in assisting to prioritise caseloads, to effect timely assessment and discharge.
To be actively involved in both direct and indirect supervision and teaching of junior staff.
To ensure that Therapy Service maintains high professional standards, using evidence‑based practice whenever possible.
To attend and contribute to relevant meetings both clinical and managerial, providing accurate verbal or written reporting as appropriate.
To ensure all equipment or written documentation is provided in a timely manner to facilitate patient safety.
To carry out assessment and treatment programmes for patients this may include the administration and interpretation of standardised assessments.
To ensure professional/clinical knowledge is kept updated and attend appropriate training, demonstrating continued professional development and competency and encourage evidence‑based practice.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital‑based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient‑centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in SupportingInformation section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job responsibilities
Senior Frailty Occupational Therapist
Pay Band: 6
Hours: 37.5 Hours
Contract: Temporary 12 Months Maternity Cover
Location/ Department: Alexander Hospital, Therapy Department
Accountable to: Therapy Managers
Reports to: Therapy Service Lead
Key Working Relationships:
Therapy Managers in Medicine and Surgery portfolios, Therapy Service Leads, Therapy Team Leads, all members of the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Integrated teams, Ward Managers and Nursing colleagues, community colleagues both within Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and in other professions across discharge pathways, Consultants from the employing Trust, GPs, Nursing staff, Social Workers, relatives/carers, voluntary and statutory agencies.
This post involves the frequent manual handling activities within the workplace including patient handling such as hoisting, pushing/moving wheelchairs, positioning patients for treatment and to encourage function, static stooping and limb holding whilst splinting.
It includes assisting patients with standing, walking and transferring between bed, chair, wheelchair, toilet, and bath/shower. The above manual handling activities may be carried out within the patients home environment, frequently in less than ideal circumstances.
On occasions the post holder will be required to lone work within the patients home environment which will include manual handling including the delivery and fitting of equipment.
Physical effort is required to ensure patient and staff safety. This frequently includes the handling and transportation of patient related equipment in and out of a vehicle, commodes, toilet frames, wheelchairs etc. and the moving and rising of furniture and equipment within the patients home environment.
A high level of clinical analysis is required to ensure the safety of self, patients and other staff.
Frequent close contact with patients therefore exposes the post holder to infection, bodily fluid e.g. sputum, urine, faeces, blood or vomit and a high awareness of infection control safety is required.
The post holder will be involved in and may need to instigate difficult discussions with patients and carers under difficult circumstances following a life changing event or illness. This will be around a patients functional ability and be around their prospects of returning to home, work or some life skills e.g. driving.
All qualified staff will be required to take therapeutic risks during the assessment and treatment of patients, both in the hospital and the patients home environment as required, to ensure accurate assessment of a patients functional ability and safety levels.
The post holder will be required to analyse the risks involved and ensure the safety of patients when providing a medical device. This will also involve the teaching and supervision of more junior staff carrying out the activity.
There is a need for prolonged concentration and involvement in emotionally stressful situations, e.g. terminally ill patients or those with poor recovery or functional prognosis. This will include occasional contact with patients and/or carers who are aggressive or abusive.
Job Purpose:
To provide Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and discharge planning to patients within the acute service within specialty, this will include working within tight timeframes for patient discharges.
To provide guidance and supervision to less experienced staff and students.
To take a proactive role within the integrated Therapy team, with the ability to provide advice or cover on other Trust sites as required.
To liaise with senior Therapists to ensure the smooth and effective running of the integrated Therapy service at an operational level on a daily basis.
You will gain mentorship and support from the Therapy Leads and Clinical Specialists across the specialities.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
* Ability to clinically analyse and act appropriately on professional and ethical issues.
* Ability to assess and form a treatment plan appropriate to the acute setting for patients.
* Ability to prioritise caseload effectively to enhance patient care and hospital flow.
Qualifications
* Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy
* HCPC Registered
* Evidence of post graduate training in areas related to medicine or surgery.
* Active HCPC registration
* Institute of leadership and Management Level 3
* Masters Module(s)
Experience
* Evidence of varied experience within acute NHS hospital including Frailty and Older Peoples Medicine
* Experience of the administration and interpretation of commonly used standardised cognitive assessments.
* Experience of a range of manual handling assessment and evidence of provision of low to high level manual handling equipment
* Experience of early intervention and acute rehabilitation
* Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
* Experience of working with patients on fast-track discharge.
* Experience of supporting junior members of staff and students
* Experience of working at the hospital door and/or admission prevention
* Experience of implementing MCA and conducting/or supporting Best Interest Meetings
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
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