Occupational Therapist

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen in Croydon for a full-time Band 6 OT to work on our rehabilitation inpatient ward. You will be working closely with a Band 5 OT and Activity Coordinator, and with an experienced, supportive MDT who highly value OT.

You will be delivering a varied mental health rehabilitation activity programme, undertaking OT 1;1 and group interventions with service users on and off the ward. You will be working as part of the MDT to support service users active rehabilitation and discharge to the community.

There are great opportunities to be part of the wider inpatient network of Activity Coordinators, OTs, peer workers, volunteers and students.

We welcome applications from experienced band 5s who are interested in taking the next step into a band 6 role. You will be well supported with regular supervision from the Inpatient Clinical Specialist Band 7 OT.

Main duties of the job
The role involves regular use of OT functional assessments, provision of group and 1;1 interventions and a teamwork approach to rehabilitation.

The Band 6 OT provides day to day professional supervision to the Band 5 OT and Activity co-ordinator as well as OT students so supervision skills and sound clinical reasoning are essential skills.

Applicants need to demonstrate excellent communication and engagement skills, an understanding of re-motivation, challenging behaviours and sensory integration approaches is helpful.

About us
The Bethlem Royal hospital has a central occupational therapy department which offers a wealth of creative opportunities. There is an onsite clinical exercise service, community social hub and large grounds. The site has good transport links to Croydon.

The OT service promotes access to peer learning, training and CPD opportunities to support your ongoing career progression.

Job responsibilities

• To manage a caseload of rehabilitation clients with complex needs using evidence based/client centred principles.
• To assess, plan, implement and evaluate group and 1-1 interventions, in collaboration with other members of the multi-disciplinary and occupational therapy team.
• To provide leadership, development opportunities and support for defined staff, students and volunteers via regular supervision and appraisal systems.
• To develop links with relevant services and agencies in the community to support service users to begin community reintegration as soon as possible.
• To take a lead in promoting the use of employment and other vocational avenues to service users and the multi disciplinary team as a means to recovery and social inclusion.

Qualifications
Essential

• Qualified Occupational Therapist
• HCPC Registered OT

Desirable

• Post-registration qualification in related area
• Practice Placement Educators course

Experience
Essential

• Post registration experience as an OT working with mental health service users
• Experience of implementing both individual and group interventions
• Experience of supervising junior staff and students

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
• Experience of working in an inner-city, multi-cultural environment
• Experience working as part of an MDT

Knowledge
Essential

• High level understanding of Mental Health disorders and treatment models
• Understanding of the importance of service user involvement and collaborative working
• Knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management.
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments

Desirable

• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance

Skills
Essential

• Comprehensive written and verbal communication skills demonstrating the ability to disseminate assessment findings clearly and professionally.
• Computer literate
• Ability to manage own workload and determine / set own priorities
• Understanding of OT professional code of conduct and OT core skills and their application in practice.
• Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex information

Desirable

• Skills in applying evidence-based practice and use of outcome measures
• Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues

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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).