Job summary
Totus Neurorehabilitation is a growing community neurorehabilitation service providing brain injury rehabilitation and cognitive assessments throughout the South West of England and South Wales. We provide neurorehabilitation to children and young people across a broad developmental range, following acquired brain injury or neurological illness. We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join our team. We are funded on a case-by-case basis through individual funding packages (eg exceptional healthcare funding, CHC funding). As such the post holder is contracted to individual clients and the working hours will be based on the individual clients requirements. This post would best suit a practitioner working part-time in the NHS looking for one or two additional cases a week. As the post covers a large geographical area, we require you to hold a full UK driving licence, have access to a car for business purposes and are able to travel for appointments. Travel time is paid at half the clinical rate. You will also be partly working from home and will need a confidential space to do online sessions and meetings when needed. This is an Associate position, which means the applicant is self-employed and contracted to the client. You will be required to register as a sole trader with the HMRC and submit your own tax return yearly. The applicant requires their own indemnity insurance, DBS certificate, and registration with the ICO.

About us
Totus is a complete neurorehabilitation service, bringing together expert clinicians to support people following acquired brain injury, neurological illness or complex physical trauma. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in neuropsychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics, and MS support services. We work closely with case managers, solicitors, families and support teams to deliver coordinated, person-centred rehabilitation that maximises each individuals potential. Our values are based in patient-led rehabilitation, with a community focus, funded on transparent communication, evidence based treatment, and sustainability of the rehabilitation model. All aimed to promote the quality of life of our clients and their supporters.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will often work as part of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team (including Neuropsychologists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists) providing evidence-based brain injury rehabilitation in the community, clients' homes, or outpatient clinics. You will be responsible for managing your own caseload within the team and working across services and systems throughout our clients rehabilitation journeys. You will be able to work collaboratively and creatively with evidence-based approaches, and you will have a keen interest in neurorehabilitation with a desire to develop excellence in the field. You will have experience in working with children and young people who have neurological presentations and cognitive deficits, experience of working within complex psychosocial systems, and the confidence to engage with multidisciplinary teams in complex case formulation. The post is suitable for experienced clinicians.

Job responsibilities
Paediatric Occupational Therapist Community Neurorehabilitation
Location: Community-based eg. client homes, clinics, remote work, South West England and South Wales
Hours: based on clients individual funding
Reports to: Paediatric Service Lead
Accountable to: Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors

Job Summary
The post holder will have their working base at home and will provide Occupational Therapy assessment and rehabilitation services to children and young people (CYP) with acquired and traumatic brain injury and neurological conditions, in the clients own homes, nursery/school/college settings, in the community, or at a designated clinic room. The post holder will work in an interservice context across several systems including the child, family and wider caregiving network, case managers, legal services, allied health professionals both within and external to Totus, and with the NHS, education services and statutory agencies. The post holder will be supported by the Totus Neurorehabilitation Ltd Directors and the Paediatric Services Lead to provide a high-quality, specialist Occupational Therapy service to children and adolescents with neurological conditions (e.g., traumatic/ acquired brain injury, stroke, long-term neurological conditions) as part of a community-based multidisciplinary team. The post holder will work with autonomy to assess and treat clients with complex needs, using developmentally-informed practice to support participation and independence in daily living, school engagement, play and leisure, social routines, and transitions. Vocational rehabilitation may be relevant for older adolescents and young adults.

Key ResponsibilitiesKnowledge and Training

• The post holder is required to hold a degree in Occupational Therapy.
• The post holder must be registered as an Occupational Therapist with the Health Care Professions Council and be a member of RCOT.
• The post holder must undertake the mandatory Continuing Professional Development hours specified by the RCOT/HCPC, and must seek and obtain supervision from senior professional colleagues, in order to maintain advanced specialist skills.
• The post holder must have training in safeguarding children, paediatric assessment tools, education systems, and family-centred practice.

Clinical Duties

• Independently manage a caseload of clients with complex neurological rehabilitation needs.
• Undertake comprehensive OT assessments of functional, cognitive, and sensory needs.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate individualised treatment programmes.
• Support clients with daily living tasks, community access, equipment provision, and environmental adaptations, or refer on to appropriate specialist services as required.
• Apply evidence-based interventions including cognitive rehabilitation, fatigue management, upper limb rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation.
• Provide therapy in a range of settings including clients own home, residential settings, education settings, and remotely.
• Evaluate outcomes using recognised measures and adjust therapy accordingly.
• Complete risk assessments and ensure appropriate safety measures are in place.
• Provide education to clients, family members and care teams on the clients needs and strategies.
• Write comprehensive and detailed reports to summarise needs and treatment progress.
• Write comprehensive and detailed goal plans alongside the MDT.
• The post holder is responsible for confidential data stored at home and complying with guidelines issued by the Information Commissioners Office.

Communication Skills

• Skills in communicating sensitive and distressing information to patients and families are required.
• The capacity to summarise and interpret highly complex and sensitive data and write concise, accurate and readily understood reports and file notes that communicate the findings of the assessment and treatment progress.
• IT skills to use the internet, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access, Gmail, library / literature search engines, and cloud-based software.

Multidisciplinary Working

• Contribute to MDT assessments and goal planning.
• Attend MDT meetings when required.
• Work collaboratively with physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, dieticians, Case Managers, and care providers.
• Liaise with family, carers, case managers, solicitors, and where appropriate, third-sector organisations and statutory services including schools, community paediatrics CAMHS and Social Care.

Supervision, Support and Training

• Participate in peer review, clinical supervision, and reflective practice.
• Provide education and advice to families, school teams, support workers, and other professionals.

Service Development and Clinical Governance

• Ensure all practice complies with professional guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records in line with HCPC and RCOT standards.
• Participate in data collection for quality improvement.
• Notify the Totus Directors on the requirement and development of clinical protocols and pathways.
• Follow all clinical policies including safeguarding, risk, and infection control policies.
• Identify and report risks or safeguarding concerns appropriately.

Key Relationships

• Children and their families/carers
• MDT members e.g., SLTs, PTs, Psychologists, Nurses, Support Workers
• GPs, Community Paediatrics, CAMHS, education staff, social care professionals, voluntary sector, Case Managers and Solicitors

Working Conditions

• The post holder will work primarily from home, but will be required to visit patients homes and school or college settings to conduct assessments and interventions. Clinic rooms may also be utilised as appropriate.
• The post holder will be required to drive for up to 1.5 hours at a time, and often up to 4 hours in a day.
• There is a frequent requirement for VDU and computer use, of varying times depending on the demands on the service.
• The post holder is required to concentrate intensely for prolonged periods during individual assessment and family interviews, sometimes with challenging and emotional individuals on a one-to-one basis.
• There may be some children requiring assessment who are confused, agitated or behaviourally disinhibited following brain injury.

This job description will be reviewed in consultation with the post holder to reflect service needs and personal development.