Job Summary
Experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist needed for a 12‑month fixed‑term contract covering maternity leave. Provide high‑quality occupational therapy interventions for children and young people aged 0‑19, working within a dynamic, county‑wide multidisciplinary team.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Work autonomously with an emphasis on multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency collaboration, holding own clinical caseload.
* Provide clinical supervision and develop more junior staff.
* Carry out specialist assessments and treatment and offer advice for children in mainstream schools, special schools, and other community settings.
* Attend multi‑agency meetings, EHCP meetings, and tribunals as required.
* Contribute to projects, working with co‑production and service redesign teams.
* Offer specialist, evidence‑based assessment, treatment, and advice to children aged 0‑school leaving age.
* Participate in regular supervision from a higher‑grade Paediatric Occupational Therapist.
* Use clinical judgement for assessment and recommendation of specialist equipment, ensuring safety and training for staff and children.
* Collaborate with multi‑disciplinary/agency teams to provide coordinated care, including health, social services, education, voluntary sector and families.
* Provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals.
* Work with and provide specialist information to members of the multi‑disciplinary team regarding a child’s functional ability.
* Use outcome measures to measure progress and modify interventions.
* Assess child/carer understanding, obtain informed consent and work within a legal framework.
* Facilitate a child’s return to school following discharge from hospitals.
* Contribute to planned admissions to hospital in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
* Follow Trust procedures for incident reporting, safeguarding, and incident reporting.
* Provide advanced specialist assessment, treatment and advice for a wide range of conditions.
* Take an active role in and help organise or present as appropriate staff meetings, peer review, and external courses.
* Manage and prioritise own workload balancing clinical, non‑clinical and professional demands.
* Triage referrals as delegated.
* Work alone in different environments including patient’s own homes, nurseries and schools, following the Lone Working Policy.
* Refer to other professionals/agencies as required.
* Seek assistance from colleagues where further advice or support is required.
* Decide on appropriate clinical and non‑clinical tasks to be delegated.
* Be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work.
* Critically evaluate and benchmark current clinical practice against national guidelines, standards and evidence‑based practice.
* Interpret conflicting information and recommend the best course of intervention.
* Contribute to or lead on projects as required.
* Participate in the Paediatric Occupational Therapy team’s clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
* Adhere to and apply the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice, Conduct and Ethics.
* Implement changes to the service that may impact other services.
* Understand national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care.
* Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, families, carers, the public and extended health services.
* Use appropriate communication skills to overcome language and cultural diversity issues/barriers.
* Communicate condition‑related information of a highly sensitive or complex nature.
* Empathise with and support patients and families in difficult circumstances.
* Represent and promote the Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service.
* Participate in co‑production, service redesign teams to coordinate, develop, audit and review aspects of the service.
* Provide written reports to the Education Health and Care Plan and for the Education Tribunal process.
* Maintain up‑to‑date and accurate case notes in line with professional standards.
* Provide written and verbal reports on all children on caseload at appropriate intervals.
People Management
* Maintain own professional development and participate in appraisal.
* Participate in supervision to enable reflection on practice and enhance professional skills.
* Be responsible for supervision and education of junior Occupational Therapy staff, support staff and student Occupational Therapists.
Important Relationships
* Countywide Paediatric Occupational Therapy Team
* Children and their families/carers
* Parent Carer Forums
* Co‑production Team
* Multi‑agency teams
* Education staff within special and mainstream schools and pre‑school settings
* Social Services staff
* Wheelchair Services
* Acute hospital
* Voluntary organisations
* Specialised Units/Hospitals e.g. Tadworth
* Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children
* Augmentative Communication Services
* Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
* Second Skin
* Illustration of important relationships; not an exhaustive list.
#J-18808-Ljbffr