Job overview
There is currently an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Paediatric team, to lead covering the Paediatric wards at The James Cook University Hospital. Excellent communication and organisational skills, enthusiasm, commitment and ability to negotiate across a wide range of agencies are also vital in this post.
Experience of working with children in an acute setting is desirable but an enthusiasm for working with a range of children/young people up to the age of 19 is essential. The post holder will work within the wider community Occupational Therapy team but will lead/coordinate the acute ward caseload. There is close MDT working within the acute ward setting. The team is friendly and supportive and there will be the opportunity to develop more advanced clinical, leadership and service development skills.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will lead/coordinate the work on the paediatric wards at James Cook University Hospital managing any child/young person who requires Occupational Therapy intervention whilst on the wards and facilitating a safe discharge back into their home environment. This includes elective orthopaedic cases, a variety of paediatric trauma, neurological conditions and admissions in relation to chronic pain or functional disorders. An awareness that children may have a variety of pre-existing conditions is essential as this adds complexity to their care.
The post holder will be expected to complete appropriate access and post-op home visits across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and occasionally the wider area as the unit provides a sub-regional service. Close working with parents and partnership with social care and community Occupational Therapists is essential. This will also be shared within the wider team. The post holder may also have the opportunity to hold a small community caseload.
You will work within a multidisciplinary team offering specialist Occupational Therapy assessment, intervention and rehabilitation.
You will need to be able to work as part of a team and on your own. The role will require being involved with clients with a range of multiple medical, social and emotional problems, as well as home visits, discharge planning, rehabilitation and education. The ability to travel independently is an essential part of this post.
Working for our organisation
We support the Making Every Contact Count approach to behaviour change in the promotion of health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. You will be expected to attend the following training sessions:
·Your Leadership Impact
·Leading your Team to Success
·Leading Into the Future
·Service Improvement for Beginners
·Developing your Service Improvement Skills
·Lean Practitioner
The leadership and improvement programme aims to:
·Explore leadership within the NHS
·Promote Trust values and behaviours
·Develop your leadership effectiveness and skills
·Equip staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and complete service improvements within the scope of your role.
After you complete these six and a half days of training you will be able to explore further leadership and improvement training opportunities. We also offer a range of additional in-house and externally provided courses and bitesize programmes through our Leadership and Improvement Team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for main responsibilities of the role.
Person specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential criteria
1. To hold a Diploma or degree awarded by professional body RCOT.
2. Registered as fit to practice by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
3. Evidence of Paediatric post graduate clinical training and development
Desirable criteria
4. To have attended relevant post-graduate qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Have broad OT clinical experience.
6. Evidence of adaptability and ability to prioritise
7. Evidence of effective people management skills
Desirable criteria
8. Ability to assess for and prescribe appropriate equipment.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
9. Demonstrates specialist clinical knowledge and skills relevant to Paediatric OT
10. Evidence of proficient clinical reasoning skills
11. Demonstrates an ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team.
12. Demonstrates ability to prioritise and coordinate own and others workloads.
13. Demonstrates organisational and delegation skills.
14. Demonstrates an ability to motivate staff by providing a positive role model.
15. Demonstrates competent IT and system skills.
16. Able to access independent transport for travel to community visits.
Desirable criteria
17. Evidence of working in Paediatric OT services within the NHS.
Disclosure and Barring Checks (DBS)
It is now the policy of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who are new to the Trust who require DBS clearance for the post they have been offered, are required to pay the cost of their DBS. The method of payment for this is via salary deduction from your first month's pay.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. We welcome applications from the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network; LGBT+ Network; Disability and Long-Term Health Conditions Network, Faith Network, Childless not by Choice Network and the Menopause Support Group.
As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you.
If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at
Right to Work in the UK
The Trust welcomes applications from all candidates who meet the criteria for the role. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Work in the UK - (.
Please provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Your current immigration status will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or interview process.
Please note that not everyone needs a Skilled Worker visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead.
We are able to offer sponsorship for a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, subject to candidate and position eligibility. Please review the job eligibility guidance for skilled workers here: Skilled Worker visa: Your job - ( and for the Health and Care Worker visa here: Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - (
Please note: if the job you are applying for does not meet the eligibility criteria above, we will be unable to offer you sponsorship and you will need to explore whether you may be eligible to apply for an alternative immigration route which will secure your right to work in the UK before you apply. If you are in the UK already on a visa, please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.
The Trust encourages and supports all applicants to be fully vaccinated against both COVID19 and influenza.
Please be aware, there are occasions where some vacancies may close prior to the closing date advertised. This will only happen where sufficient applications are received AND will be made evident on the job advert.
Please note if you are successfully shortlisted, we will contact you via the email address that you have applied from so please ensure you check your emails regularly.
Existing employees of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust currently on the Redeployment Register, who meet the essential criteria for this post, will be shortlisted and interviewed prior to all other applicants.