Job summary
Cognus Limited is a Local Authority Traded Company, which is commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton to provide education services to early years providers, mainstream schools and specialist education settings in Sutton. Wholly owned by the local authority, we deliver a wide range of high-quality services to deliver excellent practice that improve the lives of children, young people, and families in Sutton and beyond.

We are currently recruiting occupational therapists to support the delivery of occupational therapy provision at Sherwood Foundation School, as part of our Transdisciplinary Team, working with dedicated teaching staff, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and wellbeing practitioners, helping children aged 4-19 years with complex needs.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic team providing innovative therapy interventions following evidence-based practise and an embedded model of therapy in order to best support the pupils needs.

Sherwood Foundation consists of 3 campuses in Sutton providing education for children and young people with complex physical and severe learning disabilities, autistic pupils and moderate learning difficulties.

Cognus Therapies provides a robust supervision framework with all posts receiving Managerial and Clinical Supervision. Regular time is allocated for Continuing Professional Development.

Main duties of the job
To advise and support school staff and other therapists on the education and therapeutic interventions of children and young people with OT Needs including

• Completion of baseline and transition assessments to identify the strengths, needs, outcomes and provision for students with complex communication profiles
• Providing reports to referrers and other agencies involved in the child/young persons care and advice on appropriate differentiation of and access to the curriculum.
• Plan, create and deliver a wide range of tailored interventions and/ or therapy programmes where direct OT input is indicated and effectively hand over prescribed programmes through training and modelling with teaching staff, parents and carers.
• To monitor and record child or young persons progress and effectiveness of intervention through goal setting, outcome measurement and evaluation of practice and to communicate these with key stakeholders.
• To be aware of changing trends in treatment and promote Evidence Based Practice; embedding this into own specialist area of work in order to provide the highest standard of care to service users.
• To participate in clinical audit, service development activities and research programmes as required.

About us
Cognus Limited is a Local Authority Traded Company, which is commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton to provide education services to early years providers, mainstream schools and specialist education settings in Sutton. Wholly owned by the local authority, we deliver a wide range of high-quality services to deliver excellent practice that improve the lives of children, young people, and families in Sutton and beyond.

Sherwood Foundation School prides itself on its individualised, trans-disciplinary approach to learning; with the child/ young person and their family at the heart of our practice. We are dedicated to using strengths based, relationship and play focused, person-centred practices to support the learning and growth of our pupils. We aim to create a school culture and learning environment that facilitates the active engagement and participation of our learners, using motivating and meaningful activities that support the development of regulation, communication, social skills, cognitive abilities and life skills in preparation for adulthood.

We offer

• A friendly, supportive and collaborative working environment
• The opportunity to deliver a wide range of evidence-based interventions with your caseload and develop highly specialist assessment and intervention skills
• Onsite support from an enthusiastic and dedicated team of experienced staff
• Regular supervision, continued professional development and training

Job responsibilities
Working within a multidisciplinary team of Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists the post holder will have the opportunity to work in local schools and colleges across the 4 years to 25 years age range or with a smaller age range within this.

Advising and supporting a range of schools/settings with children and young people with Occupational Therapy Needs (OT Needs) including a possible cohort with ASD, or PMLD to manage their caseload to ensure that intended outcomes are delivered within agreed service standards.

Raising awareness of the needs of and strategies available for children and young people with OT Needs.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
To personally undertake a case load of referrals to include:

• Visiting and assessing children and young people with OT Needs.
• To appropriately identify service provision in line with child and young persons needs at specialist, targeted or universal level of support.
• Delivery of specialist programmes on an individual and/or small group basis.
• Advice and treatment for children and young people with functional difficulties and sensory processing needs.
• Offering advice to parents and carers as well as teaching staff at a targeted or universal level.
• Maintaining children/young peoples records to a high standard.

Specific Duties:
To advise and support school staff on the education of children and young people with OT Needs including:

• Screening and prioritising new referrals in order to determine the need and level of therapy provision required in line with service criteria.
• At the point of referral, gathering relevant information regarding previous and current input from health and social care services.
• Carrying out a range of non-standardised and standardised assessments and interpreting a range of factors relating to the child or young persons condition; focusing on access to education.
• Providing reports to referrers and other agencies involved in the child/young persons care and advice on appropriate differentiation of and access to the curriculum.
• Plan, create and deliver a wide range of tailored interventions and/ or therapy programmes where direct OT input is indicated and effectively hand over prescribed programmes through training and modelling with teaching staff, parents and carers.
• To maintain effective liaison with all partners e.g. parents/ carers, professionals in Education, Health, Social Care and other Services with particular regard to Safeguarding and best practice.
• To monitor and record child or young persons progress and effectiveness of intervention through goal setting, outcome measurement and evaluation of practice and to communicate these with key stakeholders.
• Collaboration with a range of partner agencies to create effective transition support for specific children and young people.
• Promotion of effective inclusion of children and young people into all aspects of the school curriculum.
• To attend and contribute to team meetings as required.

Training and Development Responsibility
To be aware of changing trends in treatment and promote Evidence Based Practice; embedding this into own specialist area of work in order to provide the highest standard of care to service users.

Embedding legislative change and key developments relating to improved outcomes for children and young people with OT Needs.

To participate in clinical audit, service development activities and research programmes as required.

To engage with continual professional development as identified through managerial and clinical supervision and appraisal, including attending training and courses as agreed.

To comply with the Cognus Limited mandatory training requirements.

As part of the therapies team to plan, deliver and evaluate training sessions for schools and educational providers.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Experience as a paediatric Occupational Therapist
• Relevant qualifications including registration with HCPC

Qualifications
Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in Occupational Therapy.

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Leads others by setting a positive example in line with company values and acts as a role model Experience as a paediatric occupational therapist
• Adherence to RCOT and HCPC policies and procedures
• Is decisive with problem-solving skills
• Is committed to safeguarding and protection of children
• Honours and upholds the Companys Equal Opportunity Policy, Dignity at Work Policy, Safeguarding and Protection of Children, Health and Safety and Data Protection Policy at all times.

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).