Job Description
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 – the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013.
Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over staying comfortable; Listening over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values hereOur hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care.
The Trust is rated as “good” or “outstanding” in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King’s College London’s GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities.
This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.Job overview- To provide Occupational Therapy input to a multi-disciplinary client focused discharge team, working across wards within Queen Elizabeth Hospital. - To work alongside the Discharge team leads, the discharge advisors and the MDT on the ward in facilitating safe and speedy discharges of patients presenting with complex issues. - Maintain records which fulfil legal requirements and document such on the electronic database.
- To regularly supervise junior members of the team. - To provide leadership for the discharge team staff alongside all the other Band 7 staff and junior staff through supervision and appraisals. Main duties of the job- Willingness to be a part of the 7-day working rota in the QEH Discharge Team.
- To manage and co-ordinate the discharge plans for patients requiring complex support, supporting the Trust in managing the patient pathway and flow. - To ensure smooth and timely communication between the Trust and partner agencies involved in patient discharge/transfer of care to avoid unnecessary delays. - Develop systems to improve the ‘real time’ flow of patient information by electronic means where possible.
- Lead on service development, audit and research to identify areas where practice fails to reach agreed standards and improve service delivery. - As part of a team identify and capture patient discharge delays in the Trust each week, discuss with social service and general managers and report agreed ‘delays’ into the SITREP’s.Working for our organisationOur people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients.
Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development2.
Widening access (anchor institution) and employability3. Improving the experience of staff with disability4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development5.
Making equalities mainstreamDetailed job description and main responsibilities- To work alongside therapists on the ward and the MDT to plan discharges of patients with complex needs, prioritising efficiently to reduce long length of stay.- To undertake discharge planning and coordination of complex patients. - To carry out joint working with others from the Trust and across other agencies.- Support ward based multi-disciplinary teams in making timely referrals and progressing discharge arrangements, addressing areas of concern and offering advice and practical support to enhance discharge plans. - Maintain a close working relationship with social services and primary care trusts/teams to assist with MDT agreed discharge plans and enable timely transfer of care.
- Attend identified daily ward board reviews. Work effectively as part of the multi-professional, inter-disciplinary team. - Lead on ensuring the timely completion of key documentation to support discharge planning; DST, Checklists and D2A Passports.
- Manage and co-ordinate the most complex group of patients and/or those likely to require significant co-ordination. Provide specialist assessment/advice on various discharge care pathways and process.- Support the ward teams in developing processes to ensure all patients have a discharge plan developed by the ward within 24 hours of admission. - Provide a key point of information, reducing the duplication of communication and documenting all actions clearly within the Discharge database.
- Attend daily flow meetings and advising site management on managing patient flow. - Lead on liaising with families in complex discharge planning, ensure they are kept up to date and organising family meetings as appropriate. - Attend TOCC meetings with local authority and CCG colleagues to ensure timely and effective discharge of patients and ensure timely escalation of potential issues.
- Ensure all patients have recorded Expected Discharge Dates. - Monitor, record and accurately progress and all delays related to planning for discharge and escalate themed delays to Service Manager. - Discharge management to be across the Divisions, taking new patients on a needs and workload related basis.- Discuss with the Discharge Manager any plans in relation to service development, service improvement, and the resolution of any on-going problems.
Using evidence base research or local audits to influence service improvement plans. - Support the patient flow to the Discharge Lounge ensuring optimising the use of the facility through the day.- Collect data pertaining to discharge and work towards supporting KPI’s and improvements in quality of care and process efficiency. - Develop policy and guidelines for own work area and ensure policies and guidance are cascaded to and applied across the work areaPerson specificationQualifications & TrainingEssential criteria- Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy.- HPC registration.ExperienceEssential criteria- At least three years post registration experience.- Broad based Occupational Therapy experience.- Good experience of complex patient management.- Audit experience.- Good knowledge of clinical governance issues.- Experience of supervising staff and students and the teaching role.Desirable criteria- Evidence of post grad study.
Member of a special interest group.- Use of Evidence Based Practise.- Good experience of neuro specific treatment approaches.- Management of abnormal tome, to include splinting.Knowledge & SkillsEssential criteria- Good verbal communication skills in the English language.- Ability to keep clear precise records which meet legal requirements in the English language.- Clear concise report writing.- Computer literacy. Able to plan, prioritise and manage a caseloadDesirable criteria- Car driverWe reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting.
If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women’s staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.
Please note that sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route is subject to Trust allocation and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approval.