Job summary
A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly skilled, well-motivated and dynamic Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join the established Surgical Therapy Team at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT).

Based at the state-of-the-art Royal Liverpool Hospital, the post holder will lead the Occupational Therapy Service across a range of surgical specialties, including Urology, Colorectal, Hepato-Biliary, Upper GI, Ophthalmology and General Surgery,

The post offers an excellent opportunity for a confident and compassionate Occupational Therapist with substantial post-registration acute surgical and rehabilitation experience to further develop their leadership and specialist clinical skills within a supportive and forward-thinking environment. The post holder will work within a fast-paced, high-functioning multidisciplinary team, providing specialist clinical input across the patient pathway for complex surgical patients, particularly those living with frailty.

The Team Lead Occupational Therapist role includes both clinical and non-clinical responsibilities and therefore requires excellent organisational, planning, prioritisation and time management skills.

LUHFT is committed to supporting staff development. The post holder will have access to peer support and supervision from the Therapy Managers and Band 7 peers across the Trust, with opportunities to attend relevant training, courses and leadership development programmes.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide high-level assessment, treatment planning, clinical reasoning, risk identification and problem-solving to optimise functional independence, support admission avoidance where appropriate, reduce length of stay, facilitate safe and timely discharge, and minimise the risk of re-admission. A strong interest in rehabilitation is desirable as alongside discharge planning, the post holder will support many long stay patients with complex medical needs, including critical care step downs.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate sound clinical judgement, excellent communication skills, a flexible and solution-focused approach, and effective people management skills.

The post holder will have line management responsibilities, including training, appraising and managing Band 6 Occupational Therapists, Band 5 Occupational Therapists, Therapy Assistants and students, with support from Therapy Managers.

The post holder will work collaboratively with Physiotherapy colleagues, the wider Critical Care and Respiratory teams, external agencies, patients, families and carers. They will also contribute to service development, clinical governance, audit, research and quality improvement activity within the surgical therapy service.

The working pattern includes some weekend working in line with service requirements.

About us
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospitalis the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.Broadgreen Hospitalis home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.Liverpool Women's Hospitalspecialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. TheRoyal Liverpool University Hospitalis the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women's, visit theircareers page.

Job description
See Job Description for further information:

• To undertake assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multiple pathologies using advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to clinically diagnose
• Implement evidence based treatment plans with regards to physical, cognitive, perceptual, psychological and social functioning.
• Deliver and evaluate treatment programmes according to health care needs using a comprehensive range of treatment options.
• To advise, assist and educate band 5 and band 6 OTs and Student OT's.
• Occupational Therapists on the management of clinically complex patients.
• To be responsible for the supervision of Students and Assistants within own team.
• To provide Therapy Lead with relevant information for the planning and development of the unit.
• To ensure where necessary the provision of staff cover within own clinical team in times of annual leave/sickness etc.
• To assist the Managers in achieving the departmental objectives and promoting an open style of management.
• To participate in the professional development programme of the Occupational Therapy Department.
• Co-ordinate the effective day to day running of own team and ensure effective dissemination of information.
• To participate in the recruitment and selection of therapy staff under the guidance of Therapy Lead.

This post will be subject to an enhanced disclosure check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• BSc or Diploma in OT
• HCPC Registration
• Specialist post-registration qualification
• Evidence of CPD

Experience
Essential

• Demonstrable postgraduate clinical experience
• Active experience in audit
• Supervision of staff and students
• Teaching of junior staff
• Experience of working with other agencies
• Experience in clinical speciality

Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Good time management
• Ability to implement change
• Able to demonstrate leadership skills

Desirable

• Leadership course attendance e.g. LEO

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.