Job summaryEast of England Community Health and Care Trust is establishing Experts at Hand (EaH), a major national SEND reform project recognising the importance of Occupational Therapy within early years, mainstream schools & further education. The programme aims to improve early identification & strengthen workforce capability across education settings.
The postholder will provide senior clinical & operational leadership for the development & delivery of the Occupational Therapy element of Experts at Hand across Cambridgeshire. As a credible specialist OT, they will work with partners in educational psychology, speech & language therapy, CAMHS, local authorities & education to co-produce an integrated offer.
Working closely with the Clinical & Service lead for the community Children's OT Service, the Clinical Lead (EaH) will establish effective team structures, support safe and high-quality delivery, and monitor and report objectives and key performance indicators. They will ensure that clinical expertise, the voices of children, young people & families, and best available evidence inform programme planning and delivery.
This is an exciting opportunity to develop senior strategic & operational leadership skills while helping to shape a new multidisciplinary service supporting children & young people with functional needs across neighbourhood partnerships.
Why not click on the link to the Job Description & find out more about the role.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will provide a senior leadership role, taking operational responsibility for the delivery of the Expert at Hand SEND reform processes and Occupational Therapy Services in Cambridgeshire.
Working as a key member of the system partnership the post holder will be a credible, specialist Occupational Therapy expert.
They will be a highly-specialist advisor, as well as a significant resource to the wider health, education, social care and other related agencies.
To carry a specialist caseload providing an excellent standard of occupational therapy service to children, young people and their families.
The post holder will be responsible for the development and delivery of a high quality, efficient and effective programme focusing on improving functional outcomes for children.
Ensuring structures are in place to support the team, measuring and reporting on objectives and key performance indicators with the wider system. They will work with leads within health and education to ensureintegration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence into the planning and execution of the programme.
Trialling and testing the impact of early identification and support innovations for children with functional needs across neighbourhood partnerships.
About usRated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.
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Job responsibilitiesMain Duties & ResponsibilitiesLeadership and Operational responsibility for the development, delivery and management of the Expert at Hand programme and Community Occupational Therapy team. This includes development of programmes and policies.
Work in collaboration with the Heads of service in health and education to develop the programme plan and evaluation with the focus on identification of functional needs within neighbourhood clusters in Cambridgeshire.
The post holder will act as an expert within the wider system, making judgements involving complex facts or situations that require the analysis, interpretation, and comparison of a range of options.
Leading on recruitment of the workforce that will make up the Expert at Hand team.
Developing the support practitioner and apprenticeship roles including a training programme to deliver training and interventions, ensuring governance.
Provide Line management for the Advanced Paediatric Occupational Therapists.
Developing structured universal, targeted and targeted plus care pathways within the Expert at Hand programme with the Heads of Service in Health and Education to ensure most effective use of resources.
Develop and implement new ways of working, building on existing services and initiatives in Occupational Therapy.
Ensure coproduction is integral to the development of pathways and evaluations, engaging with parent carer forums and other stakeholders as appropriate.
Responsibility for delivering and arranging meetings with relevant stakeholders, providing programme status reports on a regular basis.
Responsibility for programme evaluation: ensuring outcome measures are developed and implemented to measure the impact of the Expert at Hand programme.
Use well developed change management, communication and resilience skills to effect change within the parameters of the programme, understanding the complexities of change whilst also being able to deliver change.
Supporting CYP with sensory and functional needs through delivering universal, targeted and targeted plus support offers.
Responsible for developing and maintaining momentum within the department with clear action plans relating to the development and delivery of the Expert at Hand programme.
Leading on the independent evaluation and reporting on KPIs throughout the of the project. Working closely with the Trust QI and data services team.
Developing and overseeing processes between the Expert at Hand and Specialist Occupational Therapy Service delivery models. Identifying opportunities for shared learning and resources.
As a system expert, leading workshops / shared learning events with other Expert at Hand Leads where needed, including the collation of consensus around an approach to delivery and resources.
The post holder will also have highly developed specialist clinical skills in sensory and functional Occupational Therapy. They may be responsible for the independent management of a small, highly complex clinical caseload of children, within their specialism and provide second opinions to other members of the team.
Develop clear clinical governance structures within the department including competency review, clinical supervision, clinical audit, SOPs and research.
To develop and maintain oversight of the departments Service Plan, in line with Trust processes.
To attend Trust meetings and feed into the Trusts clinical governance structure as a highly specialist clinical expert.
To be responsible for the development and implementation of service policies and procedures for the Experts at Hand Programme.
CommunicationKey relationships: Children and their families Paediatric Occupational Therapy teams Clinical Leads in Expert at Hand across counties Early years and Education setting staff including SENDCOs and Head Teachers Speech and language Therapy Service Leads Educational Psychology Service Leads CAMHS Local Authority Partners including family hubs and Neighbourhood clusters SEND Teams Health service partners including 0-19 team/Community Paediatrics/Physiotherapy NHSE and the Department of Education programme partners Parent Carer Forums Other Locality Expert at Hand Leads Heads of Service Director and Deputy Director of Childrens Services Universities
Ensure children and their carers/families are aware of the standards they would expect of the service.
Provide programme reports, updates and be responsible for communicating reporting information to stakeholders and governance meetings.
Demonstrate the ability to reconcile conflicting interests which may arise including management of complaints.
To communicate effectively highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, using negotiation skills, persuasion and diplomacy for example, complaints, patient experience, disciplinary, performance and grievance matters.
To anticipate barriers to communication and resistance to change and to be able to manage these effectively, liaising and seeking appropriate support as required.
Responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with key partners and stakeholders, promoting and marketing the development of universal, targeted and targeted plus support.
Influence decision regarding service delivery through leading meetings.
Ensure communication plans to raise awareness of Experts at Hand and impact to local services and key stakeholders.
Develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally.
Communicate effectively with commissioners from NHS England and Local Authority
Analyse and provide reports, decipher complex information from data and communicate this information to the Heads of service in health and Local authority.
To support the team and demonstrate, by their own leadership approach, the achievement of Trust values in their day-to-day work.
Budgetary ResponsibilityResponsible for any delegated budgets, income, and expenditure positions.
Responsible for ordering resources needed for the programme.
Identify cost efficiencies and implement aspects of any cost improvement plan as delegated to them by the Head of service.
Contribute to the achievement of agreed financial targets and budgetary objectives
People ManagementResponsible for day-to-day leadership and operational oversight of the Occupational Therapy Expert at Hand team.
Undertake line management responsibilities for Advanced Occupational Therapists, including supervision, performance management, appraisal, and professional development.
Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and job planning process.
Ensure that the recruitment, retention, motivation and development of staff is a key management priority.
Support the workforce planning process within the team, liaising with the Heads of service in LA and NHS including the HR Directorate to ensure appropriate staffing levels to meet service requirements.
Work in accordance with the organisation's human resources policies and procedures.
Implement effective communication strategies to promote staff involvement.
Promote and monitor compliance with mandatory training requirements in line with Trust targets.
Support annual appraisals, which will include the establishment of key objectives and personal development plans to enhance team and individual performance.
Develop morale and motivation through effective personal leadership, ensuring views and decisions are communicated across the management and service structure.
Provide appropriate leadership to direct reports who line manage others to ensure they have sufficient skills and support to carry out their role effectively.
Ensure personnel records are accurately maintained.
Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.
Research and DevelopmentLead the development and implementation of a robust evaluation framework for the OT Experts at Hand programme, including agreed outcome measures, baseline information and methods for assessing impact.
Initiate and oversee regular clinical audit, service-evaluation and quality-improvement activity across localities.
Analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative information to evaluate clinical effectiveness, accessibility, experience, equity and system impact.
Critically appraise national research, policy and professional guidance, translating emerging evidence into clinical pathways, workforce development and service delivery.
Identify gaps in evidence and develop appropriate evaluation questions and methodologies, working with relevant clinical, academic and system partners where required.
Produce reports and presentations for senior governance groups, commissioners and partner organisations, making recommendations for service improvement and future development.
Disseminate findings and learning across the local system and through appropriate regional or national professional networks.
Ensure all audit, evaluation and research-related activity is undertaken in accordance with relevant clinical governance, information governance and ethical requirements.
Person SpecificationQualifications & TrainingEssential- BSc in OT
- Post Graduate masters level training
- RCOT registration
Desirable- Sensory OT training
- More than 5 years post graduate experience
ExperienceEssential- Extensive knowledge of children's OT
- Ability to work autonomously
Desirable- Staff management
- Managing complex projects
Knowledge & SkillsEssential- Computer skills including Excel and statistical packages
- Working with children with SEND and complex needs
Desirable- Excellent writing skills
- Ability to develop SMART action plans
SafeguardingEssential- Ability to safeguard and promote welfare
- Has a good understanding of the safeguarding agenda
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). 
