Job summary
Are you an innovative and highly motivated Occupational Therapist who wants to improve the lives and wellbeing of individuals with a Learning Disability? Then we could be the team for you!

This specialist Occupational Therapist post will enable you to use your core OT skills by promoting participation and independence in Activities of Daily living, whilst having the opportunity to strengthen and develop these in specialist areas such as Sensory Integration, Positive Behaviour Support, Trauma Informed approaches, Falls prevention, Epilepsy and Equipment needs.

The role sits within the Intensive Support Function of the Community Learning Disability and Health Team in Buckinghamshire. You will be joining a highly dedicated and creative Occupational Therapy service and will be encouraged and supported to undertake learning and development opportunities both in clinical and leadership fields

We are a supportive and forward-thinking team, with great peer networks; we actively promote learning and professional development with opportunities in both clinical and leadership fields of work.

Due to this being a community post access to a vehicle is essential.

We invite and welcome further discussions from anyone keen to apply.

Main duties of the job

• The Intensive Support Team (IST) work intensively with adults (18+) with learning disabilities who are experiencing significant mental health difficulties or whose behaviours pose a challenge.
• The Occupational Therapist will provide high quality, comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention for specified service user group with complex needs
• They will work in an interdisciplinary way to assess service user's needs, devise care plans and evaluate outcomes and to carry a caseload as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Provide clinical advice and support for service users that present with behaviour that challenges and require support with their mental health.
• Work directly with service users, carers, colleagues and other service providers.
• Deliver training and education to other professionals/carers/family.
• To continue to develop Occupational Therapy provision within the service and drive innovation with support from the Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist and Professional Lead Occupational Therapist.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Then please read on...

Job responsibilities
The Occupational Therapist will lead on:

• Providing a high-quality Occupational Therapy Service and consultation to people within the Buckinghamshire Learning Disabilities team intensive Support team.
• Undertaking assessments and interventions where intense and/or frequent contact is required
• Providing advice and modelling on the implementation of Occupational Therapy interventions in the person's current setting
• Offering hands-on support to staff teams to improve their confidence and skill base.
• Contribute to risk assessment and management plans
• Input into positive Behaviour Support Plans for those displaying challenging behaviour and Staying Well Plans for those with mental health needs
• Scaffold and support colleagues who offer flexible out-of-hours support to reduce the need for hospital admission
• Manage a caseload, using evidence based/client principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions in clinic and community settings .
• Providing specialist Occupational Therapy advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to a clients formulation, diagnosis and case management plan.
• Planning and implement individual and/or group interventions using selected and graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
• Helping to evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• Ensure that clients are consulted and involved in decision about their care.
• Maintain clinical records.
• Develop skills and knowledge _.
• Providing an effective supervision framework for Occupational Therapy staff and provide regular supervision to allocated OT staff as per Trust policy.

Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION TRAINING
Essential

• BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
• HCPC registration
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages
• Experience in a similar role at a band 6 level or above
• Evidence of relevant post grad training.

Desirable

• Membership of RCOT
• Practice Placement qualification
• SI/PBS training
• Broad base of clinical experience

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential

• Post registration experience in relevant clinical setting
• Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions.
• Specialist knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation assessment tools, or others appropriate to area.
• Experience of other specialist Occupational Therapy assessment tools, e.g. AMPS, Pool Activity Levels
• Highly developed case formulation skills to guide own OT intervention plan and those of others
• Experience of audits/evaluations of interventions and direct involvement of implementation of any subsequent changes to practice.

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability in a variety of health and social care settings

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Essential

• Strong communication skills, written and verbal and the ability to persuade and negotiate with peers and senior colleagues
• Proven track record of working within a multidisciplinary team and an understanding of team dynamics
• Knowledge and application of key policy, health legislation and guidelines which impact on OT and mental health/LD practice.
• Ability to provide and receive sensitive and difficult information regarding service users care and social situation
• Knowledge of and effective use of appropriate professional relationships and boundaries
• High level of ability to grade and adapt practical skills
• Evidence of delivery of training and professional development sessions

Desirable

• Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)

ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Essential

• Ability to apply broad knowledge of current best practice in OT and mental health
• A high level of problem solving/clinical judgement skills and the ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
• Ability to respond and adjust appropriately to the changing needs of service users
• Highly developed Observational skills
• Highly developed ability to evaluate group interventions and outcomes
• Highly developed case formulation skills to guide own OT intervention plan and those of others

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).